The Silver Fox LJ Build

[mrblaine]

Gotcha. I don’t know what the fastener is called. Has a head similar to a carriage bolt in shape and depth. I’ll add a pic in a minute to this post.

Edit: I guess it’s just a shallow wide head Phillips!
View attachment 651639

Combo or combination truss head machine screw. A fastener style I despise and won't use. The existence of the slot should never be allowed for any fastener except a few electrical connections and high end gunsmithing.

 

[JMT]

Combo or combination truss head machine screw. A fastener style I despise and won't use. The existence of the slot should never be allowed for any fastener except a few electrical connections and high end gunsmithing.

I could still countersink some in the battery tray. The tray seems too thin to get a full countersink. IDK. Now I’m questioning the nutserts because the bottom face of the battery tray will not have full contact with the top face of the battery bracket.

 

[mrblaine]

Now I’m questioning the nutserts because the bottom face of the battery tray will not have full contact with the top of the battery bracket.

If that is bothersome, then you will need to find an alternate mounting method for your belly skid.

 

[JMT]

If that is bothersome, then you will need to find an alternate mounting method for your belly skid.

Wouldn’t I have to add a thin plate of steel on top of the battery bracket with holes cut out for the nutserts to duplicate that method? Assuming you are talking about the underside of the frame rails. The four spacer pieces and the lower C’s keep the belly skid mounted solid rather than solely against the lower C’s and on the face of the nutserts.

 

[NashvilleTJ]

I could still countersink some in the battery tray. The tray seems too thin to get a full countersink. IDK. Now I’m questioning the nutserts because the bottom face of the battery tray will not have full contact with the top face of the battery bracket.

To recess those truss head screws would require a counterbore, not a counter sink. A counterbore has a flat bottom. The material is likely not thick enough for a deep enough counterbore.

To do a countersink - angled bottom - would require countersink screws.

 

[JMT]

To recess those truss head screws would require a counterbore, not a counter sink. A counterbore has a flat bottom. The material is likely not thick enough for a deep enough counterbore.

To do a countersink - angled bottom - would require countersink screws.

Yeah, I’d be getting different screws.

I would like some advice on whether I should put some thin sheet metal drilled out for the nutserts over and around the nutserts so the bottom of the battery tray is hard against the sheet metal and not just sitting on the faces of the nutserts.

 

[NashvilleTJ]

Yeah, I’d be getting different screws.

Thinking about it, my battery probably sits on the hex heads of those four bolts I used. I guess I need to pull the battery and see if it is causing any wear.

Although in my case, I had to trim the battery case to fit it in there, so it's tight, and it can't move around.

 

[JMT]

Thinking about it, my battery probably sits on the hex heads of those four bolts I used. I guess I need to pull the battery and see if it is causing any wear.

I’d be interested in what you find. I’m pretty certain my battery won’t move in that bracket. It’s really tight. When I pick up the battery from the tray when it’s on the bench the tray wants to come with it.

 

[NashvilleTJ]

Here is mine...

...and what I had to do to the Odyssey to get it to fit:

It's definitely snug.

 

[jjvw]

Here is mine...

View attachment 651647

...and what I had to do to the Odyssey to get it to fit:

View attachment 651648

It's definitely snug.

It's a shame to have to modify the battery.

 

[NashvilleTJ]

It's a shame to have to modify the battery.

Yeah, Genright designed that thing around the Optima, which I ran for quite a while. The Odyssey is bigger all around.

I considered modifying the tray, but this was a lot easier.

 

[JMT]

Here is mine...

View attachment 651647

...and what I had to do to the Odyssey to get it to fit:

View attachment 651648

It's definitely snug.

All that is packed in your engine bay tight. Looks good. Still some room in front of the PDC! Interesting to see different solutions. Did you see any damage to the bottom of the battery from your four bolts?

 

[NashvilleTJ]

All that is packed in your engine bay tight. Looks good. Still some room in front of the PDC! Interesting to see different solutions. Did you see any damage to the bottom of the battery from your four bolts?

Old picture - have not pulled it.

 

[Rickyd]

Here is mine...

View attachment 651647

...and what I had to do to the Odyssey to get it to fit:

View attachment 651648

It's definitely snug.

You could always get a sheet of hard plastic or rubber and cut it to fit the tray and take weight off the bolt heads,no?

 

[JMT]

You could always get a sheet of hard plastic or rubber and cut it to fit the tray and take weight off the battery,no?

Would the battery temp sensor be negatively affected.?

 

[Rickyd]

Would the battery temp sensor be negatively affected.?

Doesn’t the factory use insulation on batteries? You would want the sensor to be in contact with the battery

 

[JMT]

Doesn’t the factory use insulation on batteries?

I would assume. I just don’t know how the battery temp sensor functions and if it has to be directly against the bottom of the battery.

 

[sab]

You could always get a sheet of hard plastic or rubber and cut it to fit the tray and take weight off the bolt heads,no?

I was thinking the same thing. In fact, I drew one up and got a quote from SendCutSend (they use a CNC router for plastics) while you were typing. Here it is in HDPE:

And in acetal:

Jeff, I saved the Fusion file and can PM it to you to modify, if you decide to go that route. The overall size matches the Odyssey Group 34 battery, but I guessed on everything else. You can just change dimensions and save as a dxf for SendCutSend. Easy peasy...

 

[mrblaine]

I would assume. I just don’t know how the battery temp sensor functions and if it has to be directly against the bottom of the battery.

If it works with an air gap, you can just keep it in the glove box.

 

[JMT]

If it works with an air gap, you can just keep it in the glove box.

That was my obliquely stated point. It can’t be covered and the little spring has to have enough extension to reach the bottom of the battery, so anything inside the battery tray has to permit that. I’m going to countersink my bolts so they are as flat with the bottom as possible so the battery is as far down in the tray as possible.