Frank Fenton’s S-10 E

New Battery Boxes

After searching for alternatives to the Panasonic batteries used by GM, I decided to use a common, widely available battery, the Interstate Group 27 AGM SLA battery #SLA 1185, rated at 90 or 100 AH capacity. Great idea, but the batteries wouldn’t fit in the factory box.

Not to worry…..we’ll build a new box….that ended up being 2 boxes. One fits in the original space and holds 22 batteries and the other mounts behind the axle and holds 4 batteries.

This was not a ‘hack job’. Nothing has been done to the original truck….not even adding new holes to mount the boxes. The boxes are mounted using existing holes in the chassis or cross-members. The original battery box with all hardware will be stored for future resurrection of the Panasonic size battery. Electronics and wiring were moved to the new box.

We started with 20 gauge steel sheet metal parts bent by a local sheet metal shop which were welded or spot welded in my shop.

Here is the bottom portion of the main box tacked together……

Here is a trial run with batteries. This is the back of the box.

Note the space in front for the electronics.

Here is the front of the box with that space for the electronics.

We have not yet cut out for the air conditioner ducting.

We made reinforcement ‘bridge trusses’ for the sides from 1/8 x 1 inch strap…..

And a heavier truss for the front of the box to separate the batteries from the electronics.

Battery separators are also ‘bridge trusses made of ½ x1/2 x 16 ga steel square tube (HSS)

Note the longer sides do not yet have their hypotenuse.

We tried to make all so the angle piece is in tension.

Here, all is welded together with battery hold down straps.

Here batteries are installed into their pockets with hold down straps.

This is the top rack. It has ‘pins’ that fit into the vertical hollow tubes above that rise above the batteries.

It rests on those tube ends.

Here are the pins (OK, they are ¼ inch bolts)

Here is a pin going into the bottom rack’s vertical tube.

The bottom box is standing up resting on its back end in this pix.

Here is the top rack installed.

Note the pocket in front for the electronics.

Here is a trial of the front box with everything in place.

Note the top battery positions, the fuse/shunt location

And the electronics in their front ‘pocket’.

Also notice the cover held up in the back.

More front detail.

And again with no electronics.

Speaking of the box lid. It was fashioned after the original.

Complete with the recessed area for the diesel fill tube.

Here’s the carrier for the main box made from 3x3x3/16 angle.

The rear of the main box with cables out to rear box.

Battery hold downs insulated & installed.

All bottom layer wiring complete. Need to tidy up a bit and install top layer.

Here is detail of that hold down insulator….swimming pool filter drain hose.

I used a piece of plastic/fiberglass wall covering from the local Lowe’s store as an insulator.

Top layer installed and connected.

Here’s the rear box filled, wired and in its carrier of 1 ½ x1 ½ x 1/8 angle with straps to attach to existing holes in frame.

Here’s the temporary hookup to test it.

When first connected, we got a/c, power steering, vacuum pump…. But no SOC or voltage readings and no propulsion.

The ‘Service Now’ and ‘Batt Life’ lights are on. We removed the top battery layer to check connections and all are ok.

I do not have the Battery Box manual. Anyone out there have one I can copy??

As of November 9, 2007, I am awaiting a Tech 2 to help diagnose the problems. It should arrive by November 14.