Turbo battery Proper group Size

[frached]

Hello- I am replacing the battery for the first time in my Turbo , which came from Europe. Found a battery locally for a regular 2002, brought it home and its  a no go....too long and it does not have the grooves for the hold down on the ends. After doing some research it looks like a 21r is correct but it seems like I will have to special order it. Before I do that, I just wanted to check with the Turbo community and get some advice. Thank you

[tjones02]

The closest battery commonly available to fit the 2002tii and 2002turbo is the Group 26. Yet, while the dimensions and posts are in the right places, the base and its feet are not and the original hold down does not work.

 

Importing proper batteries from Europe is out of the question as the US government doesn’t allow them unless they come attached to cars. I’ve even tried to organize a group buy of dry (fill with acid when they get here) with no luck or interest on either end.

 

There are but three battery manufacturers that supply the US. They’re Johnson Controls, Exide and Deka. None of the three make a proper battery for our cars, and hold a monopoly on the market.

 

The second generation new MINIs, R56 chassis, comes with a perfect battery, but the replacement is a larger Group 47.

 

One positive though, are independent battery companies, of which fewer and fewer still exist. These are mostly manufactures of marine batteries, since boats are usually much older than cars and have some very custom battery size requirements. One local to the San Francisco Bay Area that I have seen a perfect replacement MINI battery is Arc Battery Co in Sausalito. I haven’t had the opportunity to call on them to make a battery for a customer Tii, yet.

Another option is the one my father and I found for his Tii. A factory Mercedes front starter battery for an ‘08 CL500 auch as this Interstate MTP-V4. The V4 is not as tall, and s little shorter on the one end of the hold down. Yes fitment isn’t prefect, but it’s close enough without the effort of tracking down anything else. A 2002 or E21 hold down fits well. I have not tried the original Tii hold down.

https://www.interstatebatteries.com/products/mtp-v4

 

Hope This Helps,

Tom

[Conserv]

My tii’s Exide Classic 26RC battery fits and has a “rear shelf” to catch the hold-down, but I believe that Tom has previously pointed out that my hold-down clamp is not correct for a ‘73 tii, but is simply a non-tii clamp (intended for mounting on the battery’s long side) screwed into the tii’s short-side location.

 

It may not be technically correct, but the battery fits the battery tray perfectly and, at least, has a rear (short-side) shelf to engage the battery with a hold-down.

 

I need to locate a correct tii hold-down and see if it also works with the 26RC.

 

Note: Exide makes at least two other 26R models, neither of which has a rear (short-side) shelf like the Classic — that’s the “C” in 26RC.

 

(And, yes, I’ve tried to get Berga and Varta batteries shipped to me in the States — but failed!)

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

Edited July 4, 2020 by Conserv

[frached]

I never imagined it would be so hard to find a battery, but I thought it might be helpful if I uploaded the batteries that came out of cars that came directly from Europe....YUASA YBX3063  and IMAG 1923.<

 

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