Trouble finding battery with proper ledge

[Jimmy]

I haven't used these but I presume they work.

 

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/GRO849131

 

https://www.batterystuff.com/battery-products/miscellaneous-accessories/BPAdaptor.html

 

[Mikesmalaga72]

If you want a plain battery here is one for reasonable price:

https://www.pepboys.com/bosch-premium-performance-battery-group-size-26r/product/9998175

[worzella]

Buy a battery that fits the shelf... and $3 of 3” wide velcro

 

Wrap the black velcro around the tray and battery and... voila’... looks good works and might be TobyB approved??

 

Fuzzy pix but..

 

 

Randy

[mgben]

I own a  2007 cooper S Turbo I replaced my battery with a DEKA AGM

(purchased through a local DEKA distributor) The overall length of that group 47 is less than the OEM battery and I am considering one for my car (non tii) to get the AGM.

If you go to DEKA website catalog and select that year cooper with 1598 cc you will get the turbo model and dimensions.  I may go this route or the 26R . The Dead OEM Battery I had a hard time tucking into the tray as a trial due to the length; which is why this replacement seems better. 

 

DEKA 9AGM47

 

Edited February 7, 2019 by mgben
more data

[jgerock]

Deka brand batteries are made on a large hillside site in Lyon Station, PA.  They are a family owned business that has been around for many years. 

[mvliotta]

Thanks all for the ideas! Lots to think about. 

 

This forum continues to rock.

 

 

[Dug Nichols]

14 hours ago, 7502 said:

Not Lithium, but still much lighter and thinner than what was in there before. Hold down is a work in progress but hasn't moved anywhere yet. Can't seem to remember the size code for it right now. 

 

 

 

When I autocrossed I was required to strap my battery in so I used a roof rack strap which I had in the trunk. It's still on there, even though the battery has the shelf. In the '71 I picked up last Fall the battery didn't have a shelf and it was just sloppin' around. I did same thing with a roof rack strap and it is quite secure. 

 

But the above belt-usage is definitely the high-grade way to go! Real leather :)

[tjones02]

On 2/7/2019 at 4:38 AM, Conserv said:

I believe the Exide Classic 26RC remains available. It’s the right size for a tii and has a shelf for the factory hold-down on the short end.  It’s just....expensive, nearly $300 for a new one (plus shipping, I gather from Vince’s research).

 

The second photo shows the battery in my ‘73 when it still had its sticker, removed in the first photo.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

The feet on the end of the 26RC are too high up the battery for the factory tray and hold down. They can be found for under a hundres dollars though. I’ve done quite a bit of research on the subject...

Edited February 8, 2019 by tjones02

[tjones02]

16 hours ago, mgben said:

I own a  2007 cooper S Turbo I replaced my battery with a DEKA AGM

(purchased through a local DEKA distributor) The overall length of that group 47 is less than the OEM battery and I am considering one for my car (non tii) to get the AGM.

If you go to DEKA website catalog and select that year cooper with 1598 cc you will get the turbo model and dimensions.  I may go this route or the 26R . The Dead OEM Battery I had a hard time tucking into the tray as a trial due to the length; which is why this replacement seems better. 

 

DEKA 9AGM47

 

 

While the Group 47 is the preferred replacement for the R56 Minis and regular 2002s and ‘74 Tii’s. And, it may be smaller than the optional factory installed Mini batteries, it is much larger than the standard original Mini batteries, which are the same size as the original 2002tii batteries.

 

And... When you upgraded to an AGM battery in your Mini, did you have the car reprogramed to know that it now has an AGM battery? And or, did you have the new battery registered to the car? These generation Mini, and BMWs, require that whenever a new battery is installed that the car’s computer be told that, so that it’s computer controlled alternator can charge the new battery accordingly. These cars charge an ild battery differently than a new one and can, and will, overcharge a new battery. Especially a new AGM battery that shouldn’t be charged with the 16 Volts that these cars alternators can put out... The car is likely still also programed for a standard lead acid battery and will overcharge that AGM....

 

Our ‘02s old school alternators/voltage regulators don’t usually charge over 15 Volts, so there’s no worry in using AGM batteries there.

Edited February 8, 2019 by tjones02

[Conserv]

On 2/8/2019 at 10:47 AM, tjones02 said:

 

The feet on the end of the 26RC are too high up the battery for the factory tray and hold down. They can be found for under a hundres dollars though. I’ve done quite a bit of research on the subject...

 

Hi, Tom,

 

My Exide Classic 26RC, fits my ‘73 tii’s battery tray and hold down. No modifications were needed.  Could they have “updated” the battery case after my battery was produced? Mine is a 2014. And...my ‘73’s nosepiece has been replaced (with a tii unit, surprisingly), so I suppose the tray could have been accidentally altered (or altered by an accident ?)....

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

 

[tjones02]

8 minutes ago, Conserv said:

 

Hi, Tom,

 

My Exide Classic 26RC, fits my ‘73’s battery tray and hold down. No modifications were needed.  Could they have “updated” the battery case after my battery was produced? Mine is a 2014. And...my ‘73’s nosepiece has been replaced (with a tii unit, however), so I suppose the tray could have been accidentally altered....

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

 

Are you sure the foot tucks under the ledge in the battery tray? I say, only because I’ve measured and tried many many batteries including the 26RC.

[BarrettN]

1 hour ago, tjones02 said:

 

While the Group 47 is the preferred replacement for the R56 Minis and regular 2002s and ‘74 Tii’s. And, it may be smaller than the optional factory installed Mini batteries, it is much larger than the standard original Mini batteries, which are the same size as the original 2002tii batteries.

 

And... When you upgraded to an AGM battery in your Mini, did you have the car reprogramed to know that it now has an AGM battery? And or, did you have the new battery registered to the car? These generation Mini, and BMWs, require that whenever a new battery is installed that the car’s computer be told that, so that it’s computer controlled alternator can charge the new battery accordingly. These cars charge an ild battery differently than a new one and can, and will, overcharge a new battery. Especially a new AGM battery that shouldn’t be charged with the 16 Volts that these cars alternators can put out... The car is likely still also programed for a standard lead acid battery and will overcharge that AGM....

 

Our ‘02s old school alternators/voltage regulators don’t usually charge over 15 Volts, so there’s no worry in using AGM batteries there.

Everywhere that I looked I found that my new to me, no battery 74 tii used a group 26r - but the battery tray looked a lot bigger. So is a group 47 the right battery for a 74 tii? 

[Conserv]

16 minutes ago, tjones02 said:

 

Are you sure the foot tucks under the ledge in the battery tray? I say, only because I’ve measured and tried many many batteries including the 26RC.

 

I can’t say for certain, Tom. And the car is in a friend’s warehouse in Pennsylvania. I’ll have to look next time I visit. I know the battery is tight in there, but I can’t positively confirm the foot tucks under the ledge.

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

 

Edited February 8, 2019 by Conserv

[Lengrep]

I’ve found new production batteries often have changed to eliminate those important ledges. Ran into this shopping for ‘66 Mustang battery, too. 

 

There are only a couple manufacturers left in the US, so maybe JCI or whomever is doing this to us. 

 

Greg

[Jimmy]

8 hours ago, tjones02 said:

 

 

And... When you upgraded to an AGM battery in your Mini, did you have the car reprogramed to know that it now has an AGM battery? And or, did you have the new battery registered to the car? These generation Mini, and BMWs, require that whenever a new battery is installed that the car’s computer be told that, so that it’s computer controlled alternator can charge the new battery accordingly. These cars charge an ild battery differently than a new one and can, and will, overcharge a new battery. Especially a new AGM battery that shouldn’t be charged with the 16 Volts that these cars alternators can put out... The car is likely still also programed for a standard lead acid battery and will overcharge that AGM....

 

 

I've read about this and my understanding is that the charging system on the newer cars runs more of a charge/discharge routine for a couple reasons.

One being that the alternators are higher-output, and higher-output alternators reportedly charge less at low speeds than lower output alternators. I don't know why that's the case but it seems to be a popular conception.

The other is that they burst-charge more aggressively to take advantage of recovered energy such as while decelerating.

 

This is where the battery registration comes in. It needs to know how much/how quickly it can force energy into the battery so it can operate as effectively as possible in its discharge/charge cycles. If it's trying to fast-charge a battery that can't handle it (including a severely degraded battery that was once registered and functioned properly) it can lead to fire.

 

That's why it's risky to jump start newer BMWs. I'd always heard about it and assumed it was due to incorrectly connecting the jumper cables, but a friend of ours called AAA, they jumped her 5er, and it subsequently burned up a bunch of stuff in the electrical system on the way home. Insurance covered it but it was never right after that and she traded it in.

Edited February 9, 2019 by Jimmy
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