Optima Red Top Installation Update
 

Please refer to these threads for a full primer:
Battery: Optima Red Top, Monster Cable Terminals, DC Sports Tie Down
Installed my Optima Red Top.

This is the shortened recap:
I bought the Optima Red Top model number 75/35-925. I tried to make it fit with the stock battery tray, but it was too low. I used a support made out of wood for one day. It would have worked, but I wanted something more stable.

The saga continues...
I bought a 12"x12" block of 1.5" thick polyethelyne. I cut out just enough to fit under the battery. Then I used a router mounted on a router table to route out two perpendicular edges of the block. I routed it out to about .5" out of the 1.5" and 1.25" out of the width and length of the battery. I also bought 3/4" long stainless steel dowels 3/8" in diameter. On second thought I should have bought some that were slightly longer, maybe as long as 1.25" in length. I measured and drilled out holes in the block of polyethelyene and glued the dowels in place.

The mounting block works beautifully. The dowels prevent lateral motion and the block fits very nicely into the stock location. The battery snaps into the block like LEGO's and the fit is so good that you can lift the block up by lifting the battery up. It fits perfectly, but I still need that DC Sports battery tie down. The stock tie down does not work well with the Optima Red Top because the battery is simply too wide and the tie down has a little groove that wraps around the battery. As far as I know, the DC Sports battery tie down does not have this groove and is completely flat.

I know, pictures would help and they're coming after I get my DC Sports battery tie down! Stupid DigitalRacer.com! Read this: Don't buy the DC Sports battery tiedown from DigitalRacer.com!

Cool Grey! Can't wait to see the pics!:eek:

Oh yeah... I forgot to mention that I e-mailed Optima for some stickers and they're sending me some now. Cool huh? I told them that I'm making a show car out of my 2001 Honda Civic and that I would appreciate it if they could tell me where I could get some stickers with their company logo on them. Instead of telling me where to get some, they're sending me some. Werd!

sounds nice dude. btw, do you know htf i might go about getting the bolt that attaches the stock Battery Tie Down out of its whole if it doesnt have a head? i was tightening the bolt and i torqued it too much i guess (but i didnt screw it in THAT tight) and the head snapped off[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/IMG] right now my batt tie down is held on by like 4 zip-ties...and i wanna replace the bolt.

You can drill a hole in the bolt and hammer in a nail and then try enscrewing it. Isn't there some sort of tool for removing bolts like that? I know that I've seen some around, I just don't know what they're called. You can also try grasping it from the bottom and unscrewing it that way. Then when enough peeks out grasp it from the top again and unscrew the rest of it out. There's a ton of things you can try.

hey grey,
how come the red optimum battery is so difficult? i have one in my ride and all my boi had to do was remove the stock battery tray. we even used the the stock battery tie down as well...or maybe i'm just missing something....

I don't know why it is so tough either, I have one and it was a piece of cake to install. mine came with a plastic 1" thick spacer thing that just snapped on the bottom. It sounds like that what you're missing. I remember telling you about that before. maybe you should ask optima why you didn't get it. I Just put the spacer on, took the stock tray out, and used my DC sports tie down to hold it in place. It looks sweet!!!

Same here with a yellow top Optima. Just remove the factory tray and it fits perfect.

Maybe I bought the wrong model? I bought model 75/35-925. I bought it because it said that it was for imports, it was the smallest size, and because it was a revised version with more amps. What models do you all have?

Why dont you just relocate the battery into the trunk? You can even build a nice lil compartment for it back there. Just a suggestion....

if you have an audio system, this would benefit it too due to the shortened length of power wire required.

RF Bwoy

Yeah, I could do that. Although I already have the battery holder made, so that's a no go. Maybe I'll buy another Optima Yellow Top for my audio system in the future? Then I'de mount that in the trunk. Or better yet two of those smaller Optima Yellow Tops that are half the size of the big one. Mount those symmetrically somewhere. That would be evil! :tup:

Later...