Originally Posted by Divexxtreme

Not sure where that rumor came from. I've been using a PC680 for over a year with no issues.

Originally Posted by JayM

I went with an even easier solution for my Yellow-Top. I positioned it where I wanted it on the battery tray and marked that spot, then took the tray out, marked the position of the four Optima mounting points, drilled four matching holes in the battery tray, and bolted the Optima to the tray. Then I bolted the tray back into the car and voila.
I was able to use the original cables as well.

Originally Posted by silvershark

What I was told by Chris @ TurboKraft....the PC680 should not be used
as you would an every day driver battery.

Originally Posted by Al Norton

The thickness of the plastic at the 4 drilling points is quite thin. I am concerned about the real staying power in a shunt. There are some fuel tanks up there somewhere, but I don't know the exact positioning. I suppose it would pass tech if the inspector didn't know how thin the plastic really is on those 4 corners, or maybe it's really not an issue with 4 bolts.

Has anyone had any experience with tech inspections having that type of installation? Not being critical---just seeking information as to the best way to make the battery substitution as safe as possible. Did you use bolts and nuts with washers?

Originally Posted by JayM

Now I am confused-is your battery tray plastic? Mine (a 2002) is metal, so I have no worries about staying power. Or are you referring to the plastic Optima case? There are four notches near the four corners of the battery that are the designed mounting points, and the plastic there is probably half an inch thick. I have a pretty hard time thinking that battery is going anywhere. BTW, I did exactly what you said-used short carriage bolts with washers to secure each corner. I will try to take some pictures tomorrow, but once the tray is bolted in it is pretty hard to see anything.

Originally Posted by JayM

Hi Al,

Your approach is superior to what I did, no question. But I still don't think mine is going anywhere. BTW, mine doesn't have the notches I mentioned either (hey, it was late and the memory fogs after a few glasses of Pinot), but rather four rectangular holes. The "standard" Renntech mounting approach (AFAIK) is to make a mounting bracket, bolt the battery to the mounting bracket, then attach the mounting bracket to the battery tray using the OEM hold-down. This picture below is from Oggie's post there, and again AFAIK the four bolts (#10s, aircraft quality btw) are the only things keeping the battery from flying around in the event of a crash. What I have done is to eliminate the mounting bracket, because with the yellow top I would not have had enough clearance to use my existing battery cables (at the time I purchased it, there were no reverse polarity yellow-tops).
Like I said, you guys have some incredible installations, no question. But some of us are devotees of the wise woman who said:

"I don't think necessity is the mother of invention - invention, in my opinion, arises directly from idleness, possibly also from laziness. To save oneself unnecessary trouble".

The lazy part fits for sure; you think I am seriously at risk here?

Originally Posted by tom kerr

It is fine if you charge every night. I also keep it on the charger at the track. It works fine if you are careful and the weight savings cant be beat.







you can get the brackets from rennline.com

Originally Posted by jimmer23

Hey all, thought I'd put together a quick post on how to make your own modification to the stock battery tray which will make the Optima that many of us use more secure, and a factory-looking install.

Here's what you will need:
A 28" length of 2" wide, 1/8" thick aluminum stock
A 2" long M8 bolt with 2 washers, 2 nuts, and 2 lockwashers
A gallon (or less) of Plasti-Dip or equivalent

STEP 1: Cut stock to length, then bend in the following dimensions:
top = 10"
sides = 7"
left side lower tab = 2.5"
right side lower tab = 1.5"

Use these pictures as a rough guide:



Left side, drill a oblong hole about 1" long and 1/2" wide closer to the terminal side of the stock and starting 1/2" from where you made your bend.


Right side drill a round hole 1/2" diameter right after the bend in the same position as the other side.




STEP 2: Coat in Plasti-Dip. This creates a rubber coating which is useful to have when you're mounting something so close to the terminals. 3 coats was enough for me and didn't cause any problems with the resize of the dimensions. Be sure to sand the surface a bit rough first before coating so it sticks, then let dry for a few hours between coats for a uniform finish.

Coating


Finished product




STEP 3: Remove the stock battery tray. On the right side there's a convenient non-threaded hole. This is where you want to mount the stud with the M8 bolt. Put the bolt through the underside and secure with the nut and lockwasher. There's a gap under and over the tray - almost like they were asking for precisely this. There will still be sufficient thread to put another nut on top when you mount the bracket.







STEP 4: Disconnect the battery, put the bracket on top, and secure on each side. The stock bolt will fit in a new hole on the factory tray which is close to the new battery location.









That's it. It was pretty easy, and truly looks like a factory job. There is no chance that this battery will go anywhere now, and I feel more secure throwing the car around corners now. The other options just weren't working for me.

I hope this helps more people use these great batteries that may have previously been put off by the lack of options as far as mounting is involved. Anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. I have some stock left, and would even be glad to make a couple more as I have some stock and a LOT of this Plasti-Dip stuff left.

Regards