Wedge battery

[PHJayV8]

I've searched for a definative answer to this to no success, the Wedge manual recommends the 072 Range Rover battery for a 350i, is this correct?

Thanks all

Jay

[keatsie]

The bible recommends the same battery as the Chimera, which is type 072 and is 630 amp. There is a smaller both in size and capacity 075 at 59 amps.

[RCK974X]

I think also in the V8 spaces, the DIN55 type batteries fit, which are 550 CCA (cold cranking amps)
But I could be wrong. I say this because the DIN55 is now quite a popular fitment....

[adam quantrill]

I just got a standard 40Ah one from the motor factors, works well. I see batteries aren't as cheap as they used to be though ;^(

You can get bigger ones but they are tighter to fit in.

[mrzigazaga]

Hi...I fittied an MX-5 type battery in my 280 as i was so limited for space..The battery is 130mm wide and being only 160mm wide in the compartment i had a real job trying to find one with small dimensions but high cranking..This one has 500CCA..Ziga

PS:Dont worry tony i have painted the bit in front of the battery box!!

[TOPTON]

It's not nice when someone picks on something so insignificant, people do it all the time because when they see a car like ours, they either expect perfection or a heap of tripe, no middle ground.

I have some paint chipped off around the TVR plate under the bonnet when I refited it because it had come loose. Not a big issue but it hits me sguare in the eyes every time I pop the bonnet. Must get it done!!

[mikesp]

I've just fitted an 072 to my 400SE. Good fit, plenty of poke. Slightly smaller than the GM74 H3 that was in it. No probs so far

[Transmitter Man]

Anyone fitted one of the compact racing type batteries in the boot?

Phil
420 SEAC

[TVRleigh_BBWR]

Transmitter Man said:

Anyone fitted one of the compact racing type batteries in the boot?

Phil
420 SEAC

If it's a compact race battery why would you need to fit in the boot.

I've been most impressed with my tiny Race battery in the Racer.

[adam quantrill]

So when it goes flat you can't open the boot to get leads on it to charge it up ;`)

[RCK974X]

As I said in another thread with Zig, I found a battery 'NS60' which is a Jap one, slightly longer, but same width as a standard small battery, which goes in a 280 (narrower space than the 350 onwards)
and is 430 CCA.

I'm pretty sure quite a few batteries fit in the 350 space ?
the classic large battery here in NZ is called a '127' and is 450 CCA

I always recommend getting the highest CCA rating you can - this is Cold Cranking Amps, which defines how much 'muscle' (amps) the battery has for turning over your engine on that frosty morning...the more CCA, the faster it will turn....

The second rating is RC , Reserve Capacity, in Ampere Hours, which is a measure of how 'Big" the battery is, it's total storage capacity.

[Transmitter Man]

I was thinking more both weight transfer and weight saving.

I'll climb back in my shell

Phil
420 SEAC

[Chimpandtonic]

Give it the big guns

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[Transmitter Man]

That looks nice but I was hoping to get away with a little less CCA rating and therefore a little more compact.

I'll go check on the Odyssey site.

Thanks.

Phil
420 SEAC

[Chimpandtonic]

Transmitter Man said:

That looks nice but I was hoping to get away with a little less CCA rating and therefore a little more compact.

I'll go check on the Odyssey site.

Thanks.

Phil
420 SEAC

Hi Phil.

A few Chimpsters are using the Odyssey PC925 to give a bit more leg room in the passenger footwell.

Length: 168.6mm
Width: 179mm
Height: 128mm

• 925 cranking amps for 5 seconds
• 870 cranking amps for 10 seconds
• 765 cranking amps for 20 seconds
• Short circuit current over 2400A
• 28 amp hours
• 50 minute reserve capacity with 25amp load

Plenty powerful enough and a good reduction in size.

I went for the big fella PC1500, mostly cos I want to see Solitude suffer when I chauffeur him to Le Mans in my Chimp

Try Bristol Batteries, my mate who works for them swears by Odyssey.

He's been in the battery game for over 20 years and says Odyssey are twice as good as their nearest competitor "Best AGM lead acid battery in the world, bar none".

He also advised me to avoid the Optima range, he's stopped pushing them after a run of returns.

In his words the Optima is "Overpriced Mexican Rubbish".

Edited by Chimpandtonic on Friday 2nd March 23:12

[Transmitter Man]

Can you ask your man what he thinks of Varley's?

The Odyssey looks and sounds good.

I have downloaded the spec of the full range.

Thanks.

Phil
420 SEAC

[Campbell]

Thats a cracking size of battery for a wedge concidering where they are placed, great spec too.
Ive currently got a Valtra in the car and it is working well.
May look at getting one for the Taimar when it goes back on the road.

Cambelt

[Chimpandtonic]

The first basic rule with buying a battery is:

1) Buy the biggest one that will fit

The second rule is:

2) Buy the heaviest one for it's given size

Weight tells you more about the quality of a lead acid battery than anything else.

Weight will give you the best indication of how many plates have been packed in and the quality of lead used.

To compare Odyssey with Varley (DMS technologies) we need to find a battery of a similar size from each manufacturer & see what they weigh.

• Odyssey PC925

Length: 168.6mm
Width: 179mm
Height: 128mm
Weight: 12.0kg

• Varley Red Top 35

Length: 165mm
Width: 176mm
Height: 125mm
Weight: 14.9kg

As we can see the Varley Red Top 35 is actually slightly smaller, but weighs in at 3kg heavier.

A battery that size weighing 14.9kg tells me the Varley must be seriously packed, in fact it's a massive 25% heavier than the Odyssey.

To prove the point lets compare the cold cranking amps:

Odyssey PC925 = 380 CCA

Varley Red Top 35 = 410 CCA

Looks to me like Varley make a very good battery indeed, but remember rule number one, with batteries bigger is always better.

The fact remains you will always lose something with a smaller battery, no matter how well it's made you simply can't escape the rules of physics & chemistry.

In the case of the above two they are both rated at just 28Ah, so not great if you have a parasitic drain from an alarm for instance.

That's why I went for the big guns Odyssey PC1500

I never sit in the passenger seat & my wife is quite compact, so what do I care about passenger leg room?

(it's a Chimp thing)

Edited by Chimpandtonic on Saturday 3rd March 18:49

[carsy]

I am considering an Odyssey P680 even smaller still. dnb has had one in his Griff now for a year or two and tells me no problems at all.

[TVRleigh_BBWR]

As said before I use a Varley Red Top 40, in the racer, and It's the best battery I've ever had, much better than batteries twice the size. but It's also twice the price.