Home Page › Forums › Discussion Topics – Ask the Experts › Cutlass battery tay hold downs
- This topic has 14 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 8 months ago by 62cutlassconvert.
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April 14, 2016 at 8:45 pm #1193062cutlassconvertParticipant
I have a battery tray but no hold down bolts or top hold down. Does anyone have a supplier and can someone provide some pics of the top and side hold downs? I don’t know what they look like. Different than a Jetfire. Hold down goes end to end. Attached a couple of old pics of the tray.
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April 15, 2016 at 8:48 am #1194062cutlassconvertParticipantBeen checking the internet for pictures and it looks like there are a couple of styles for the battery hold downs. One with a top hold down that goes across the width of battery.
Then there are images of the battery with “no”top hold downs visible, with the image not showing the lower part of the battery and tray. I’m thinking there is a bottom lug arrangement that holds the bottom of the battery with no top frame or hold down but I am only guessing.
I have two cars like this. Any knowledge on this out there?
April 15, 2016 at 11:53 am #11941BruceMParticipantYour battery tray looks like it is in good shape. Many I have seen have been rusted through because of the exposure to battery acid. The hold down for these is a bolted in clamp that goes on the right side of the tray in your bottom picture. The battery should have a flange that fits under the left side part of the battery tray that sticks up and then the clamp holds the other side of the battery flange down and is bolted into the right side of the tray. Nothing goes over the top. It looks like your clamp is missing, but you can see the threaded hole for the bolt hole in the right side of the tray. Finding a clamp from an old battery on a parts car somewhere shouldn’t be too hard. I’ll look and see if I have an extra one somewhere. I remember getting one off of eBay with an entire battery tray. The tray was pretty much junk but the clamp and the original bolt were with it.
April 15, 2016 at 12:16 pm #1194262cutlassconvertParticipantWe got lucky on the trays, both in good shape but neither with the hold downs.
Thanks for narrowing this down and if you have a hold down it would be great.
Hope the battery I just got has the lugs for it, got a Group 26R.
Look forward to hearing from you. Thanks again.
April 15, 2016 at 9:17 pm #11944jensenracing77ParticipantAre you sure that is an original battery tray? I never seen one like that one. The original setup I know of had two hold down rods and a wire bracket on top. Fusick sells the top and hold down rods but not the tray. The hold down is part number HD6117 and the hold down rod they sell is HDB005. They show it takes two of this rod but I think it only takes one and they don’t offer the other style. I can’t remember now if it takes two of this rod or one of two different styles?
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April 15, 2016 at 10:51 pm #1194762cutlassconvertParticipantFor sure these are orig. Two 62 cutlass converts, one make in CA and the other in Kansas I think. Original brackets with lower to inner frame and wheel well inner fender stiffner bracket. The 62 Jetfire at the shop has the style you show with the same lower and inner fender brackets as the cutlass. I think the style you show is the most prevalent based on amount of pics I’ve seen. BruceM looks familiar with the style on these converts..
Talked to Fusick today and he got his parts book out. It takes one of the knotched rods on the fender side and a J hook rod on the rad side.
April 15, 2016 at 10:54 pm #1194862cutlassconvertParticipantHere’s a page from 1961 parts book
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April 17, 2016 at 7:30 pm #11951JimNoelParticipantThere are two styles of battery trays in the 1961 to 63 F-85’s. All Jetfires, ’62 and ’63 were shipped with the top bracket style. (Maybe the Turborocket engines would pull so many G’s that they would dislodge the battery from the base clamped tray style! Ha!!!) All ’61 -’63 F-85’s, except the Jetfire, had the base clamped style. Pic attached.
Your tray may be good? You only need the “Z” angled clamp (retainer) and bolt to secure the battery into the tray.
I would suggest that you clean the tray (sand or bead blast) then have it powder coated or coat with an aerosol undercoating product (that is what I do).
The battery you purchased should fit the tray or this won’t work!
I do have a couple of the retainers if you need one. Send me an email.
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April 18, 2016 at 10:25 am #1195462cutlassconvertParticipantHi Jim,
Thanks, I would like a retainer and I’ll send a PM, don’t have your email. The tray in the pic is in a car “in waiting”. I have the tray in my convert blasted and coated with POR15, they said it holds up to battery acid. Both trays are in good shape.
Couple of general information questions here for everyone-
-I bought a group 26R battery that fits pretty good but does not have any bottom lugs. I am familiar with this type of mounting in vintage chevys but the battery always has a formed lug on it for the retainer to hold down. Does this retainer work without a lug on the battery or do I need a battery with a lug?If so what do I buy?
Is that the 63 Service manual with those pics? We have the 61 service book, 62 supplement, and the Jetfire supplement but I don’t recognize that section. If so gotta get a 63.
Thanks again
LayneApril 18, 2016 at 5:14 pm #11955JimNoelParticipantHi,
Just sent you an email regarding battery’s & trays.
Yes, you should have the 1963 service manual. Covers almost everything you will need to know. Electrical is slightly different with the 63 alternator charging system and of course body/sheet metal.
Jim -
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