Battery Clamp

Discuss Electrical problems here.
Forum rules
By using this site, you agree to our rules. Please see: Terms of Use
Post Reply
alawrence10360
Minor Fan
Posts: 403
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2019 5:54 pm
MMOC Member: Yes

Battery Clamp

Post by alawrence10360 »

Im hoping this battery terminal arrangement is not standard. I cant believe the clamp wuld be in such close proximity to the terminals by design...
Attachments
20190203_155052.jpg
20190203_155052.jpg (3.23 MiB) Viewed 2641 times
JOWETTJAVELIN
Minor Legend
Posts: 2775
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2011 7:20 pm
Location: LANCASHIRE (paradise)
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Battery Clamp

Post by JOWETTJAVELIN »

Slacken the nuts off and mount it on the ridge lower down. The battery will have a stepped top, the clamp is sat too high in your photo.
Shropshiremoggie
Minor Legend
Posts: 1055
Joined: Mon Jul 17, 2017 7:45 pm
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Battery Clamp

Post by Shropshiremoggie »

My battery is 360 degrees to yours i.e. the positive terminal is to the right and rear . This means the clamp cannot foul the terminals although the previous comment and adjustment would help . Your configuration looks potentially dangerous ( in my opion ). Hope this helps .
IslipMinor
Minor Legend
Posts: 2147
Joined: Mon May 10, 2004 9:10 pm
Location: Oxford, UK
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Battery Clamp

Post by IslipMinor »

Definitely needs moving! You may be able to clamp it lower down, but the real problem is that the battery fitted is suitable for positive earth, and from the picture, the car is now negative earth, which needs to have a battery with the terminals the opposite way round. A Varta B34 has a 45Ah capacity and is equivalent to an 049, which has a 'Terminal 1' layout. For negative earth it should have a 'Terminal 0' layout, and suitable batteries are:

063 45Ah
065 54Ah
075 60Ah
Richard


alawrence10360
Minor Fan
Posts: 403
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2019 5:54 pm
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Battery Clamp

Post by alawrence10360 »

agreed
i will get a battery with the correct terminal arrangement
alawrence10360
Minor Fan
Posts: 403
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2019 5:54 pm
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Battery Clamp

Post by alawrence10360 »

agreed
i will get a battery with the correct terminal arrangement
philthehill
Minor Maniac
Posts: 10768
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:05 pm
Location: Hampshire
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Battery Clamp

Post by philthehill »

If there is nothing wrong with the battery - the cheaper way is to turn the battery through 180 degrees and fit longer battery leads.

simmitc
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 4718
Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2004 9:43 am
Location: Essex
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Battery Clamp

Post by simmitc »

Whilst you're changing things around, the negative temrinal should have a black ring around it, not both terminals with red. This are available from many auto electrical suppliers and are cheap.
alawrence10360
Minor Fan
Posts: 403
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2019 5:54 pm
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Battery Clamp

Post by alawrence10360 »

thanks for the info
alawrence10360
Minor Fan
Posts: 403
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2019 5:54 pm
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Battery Clamp

Post by alawrence10360 »

Any pics of of other battery installations please
are others all with the terminals towards the rear ?
IslipMinor
Minor Legend
Posts: 2147
Joined: Mon May 10, 2004 9:10 pm
Location: Oxford, UK
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Battery Clamp

Post by IslipMinor »

We have an 075 battery and negative earth, which puts the terminals at the back.

The only diagrams that show the battery in the BMC Workshop Manual are for the MM and SII and show the terminals at the rear (in the case of the SII only 1 terminal!):
Battery Orientation MM & SII.jpg
Battery Orientation MM & SII.jpg (161.81 KiB) Viewed 2500 times
The battery clamp is in a different position on the earlier cars and looks like it could have changed in 1956, with the introduction of the M1000, to the inclined version that clamps over the front edge of the battery.

Makes sense for the terminals to be at the rear, irrespective of battery polarity, to avoid the potential hazard of shorting the battery out.
Last edited by IslipMinor on Wed Feb 06, 2019 6:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Richard


KeithL
Minor Fan
Posts: 449
Joined: Mon May 24, 2010 9:06 pm
Location: Worcestershire
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Battery Clamp

Post by KeithL »

Here is a picture of the battery in our 1959 Traveller from a few years ago. The car is negative earth.
Battery.jpg
Battery.jpg (159.36 KiB) Viewed 2490 times

COMMANDER
Minor Fan
Posts: 320
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 1:36 pm
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Battery Clamp

Post by COMMANDER »

1960 convertible negative earth.
WP_20180902_14_32_27_Pro.jpg
WP_20180902_14_32_27_Pro.jpg (263.66 KiB) Viewed 2463 times
Biggles1957
Minor Fan
Posts: 228
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2010 7:24 pm
MMOC Member: No

Re: Battery Clamp

Post by Biggles1957 »

terminals should deffo be at the bulkhead side
Shropshiremoggie
Minor Legend
Posts: 1055
Joined: Mon Jul 17, 2017 7:45 pm
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Battery Clamp

Post by Shropshiremoggie »

Agree with Biggles ,no matter what the earth arrangements are the terminals should be towards the bulkhead . The existing configuration looks dangerous !
oliver90owner
Minor Legend
Posts: 1653
Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 6:33 am
MMOC Member: No

Re: Battery Clamp

Post by oliver90owner »

COMMANDER wrote: Wed Feb 06, 2019 3:20 pm 1960 convertible negative earth.
WP_20180902_14_32_27_Pro.jpg
I would be making longer J bolts to ensure the battery clamp was bearing on the corner, not the side, of the battery if the current J bolts are not long enough to secure the battery properly (with vertical and horizontal retention).
alawrence10360
Minor Fan
Posts: 403
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2019 5:54 pm
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Battery Clamp

Post by alawrence10360 »

Many thanks for all the help and replies
COMMANDER
Minor Fan
Posts: 320
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 1:36 pm
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Battery Clamp

Post by COMMANDER »

For oliver90owner and others.
Hadn't noticed that in the photo. That pic was taken when I bought "Maurice". The clamp was soon moved to the proper place. Also, as you can see the bulkhead was filthy. It is now somewhat cleaner. There was at least 30 years worth of dust and grime, not only under the bonnet but everywhere. And yes I know that tin should not be there. Oops.
WP_20181208_15_31_37_Pro.jpg
WP_20181208_15_31_37_Pro.jpg (1.17 MiB) Viewed 2384 times
alawrence10360
Minor Fan
Posts: 403
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2019 5:54 pm
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Battery Clamp

Post by alawrence10360 »

COMMANDER wrote: Thu Feb 07, 2019 11:12 am For oliver90owner and others.
Hadn't noticed that in the photo. That pic was taken when I bought "Maurice". The clamp was soon moved to the proper place. Also, as you can see the bulkhead was filthy. It is now somewhat cleaner. There was at least 30 years worth of dust and grime, not only under the bonnet but everywhere. And yes I know that tin should not be there. Oops.
WP_20181208_15_31_37_Pro.jpg
My tempory fix is as you had it before.
Not ideal but better than what I had
Post Reply