R89S Battery headed South

[Lynn]

I think this one has finally bit the dust. Although, it was significantly low on water. So, while I am contemplating what to do, I filled it with distilled water and have it on the tender.

Will see if it comes back.

Bought it 18 years ago. Kept it in dry storage until 2012. Filled with acid and charged it up. Guess I was lucky to get 6+ years out of it.

Here is what I am thinking of doing. Tell me if it is a really dumb idea. When I relocated the battery on my Opel GT, I used a Braille battery. Lightweight small battery with lots of power.

Thinking of gutting the R89 battery and inserting a braille battery inside. Not even sure how to do it. I guess the first step would be to empty the acid into something safe and figure out some place to safely dispose of it.

Anyone ever do anything like this?

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

Following!!

PS: I have a repop R59 cut apart but can’t find a cost effective small battery to put inside. The PC925 Odyssey is 75% of the cost of a new repop....

Ideas?

Thread stealer?

Ryan W31

[firstgenaddict]

There is a battery which will fit on it's side.

[x33rs]

The F.A.S.T. guys were doing it for years. Even some of the P.S. guys were doing it until they cracked down on it.
I used to have a pretty good write up on how that was done, as I experimented with it myself several years back. Have no idea where that is now but there are bound to be forums for the F.A.S.T. racers where this question could be answered. I don't surf the internet much.
Great way for weight savings though. I got to the point I was carrying my bathroom scale and weighing various brand batteries. It's surprising how much difference there is among brands.

[Lynn]

Don't worry about a thread hijack Ryan.

The Braille batteries are not particularly cheap, but very lightweight.

I think I removed a 40+ pound battery from the nose of the GT and put a 12 pound battery back over the rear axle.

Thanks for the heads up on the FAST arena.

Rick's has (or at least their website shows) an R89S battery. But it is about $450 with shipping.

[1971ls6]

The repop correct battery’s have a small odyssey type inside the case, use one of those vibrating blade tools and cut around the inner edge, the odyssey is held down with epoxy, it pulls down so you can unhook the cables from the battery and retook them to the new Braille , yes they are expensive, like $200.

Good luck with an original one, but the repop ones are dead all over the place and look better than the lids

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

The F.A.S.T. guys were doing it for years. Even some of the P.S. guys were doing it until they cracked down on it.
I used to have a pretty good write up on how that was done, as I experimented with it myself several years back. Have no idea where that is now but there are bound to be forums for the F.A.S.T. racers where this question could be answered. I don't surf the internet much.
Great way for weight savings though. I got to the point I was carrying my bathroom scale and weighing various brand batteries. It's surprising how much difference there is among brands.

I remember Tom Shaw writing an article about this for MCR back in the day! When did the pure stock techies crack down on this??

[Lynn]

Ryan: Where did you cut? Can you post some pics? I know you are busy with all the little details on your car, but lets see some pics when you get a chance.

My R89S is still on the trickle charger. I am not going to hack it open until I know it is a lost cause.

[Lynn]

Just went and looked at the Braille in the Opel. It is 21 pounds.
part number is b3121, 892 cranking amps, so I doubt it would be an issue using it in the Camaro. Jegs sells it for $229.99 with free shipping. Not cheap, but less than the repop from Rick's Camaros.

Mine has the positive on the left side. The B3121 on Jegs shows positive on right side, but I think it is available either way.

Just checked the trickle charger and the battery is up to 13.9 volts, and the green light isn't flashing yet. Will give it another day.

Ryan: I have a very cool E3000 Y59 display battyery (no guts) circa 1974. I bought it in the 90's. Just thought it looked cool. It would be great to convert to modern mini battery power EXCEPT, about 10 years ago it fell off the shelf and the top broke along the back edge. Pics show the damage. It is a shame, as it would have made someone a great modern battery.

Lynn

[Lynn]

More pics.

[Lynn]

Well, it did not survive the winter, even though it had a battery tender on it all winter. I am using a temporary battery for now, just a top post with side post adapters.

I bought this in the 90's. It came dry and was in a Delco box. I bought fresh acid for it in 2012, charged it up, and it worked fine until last October. Can anyone tell me if it is an NOS battery? I don't know if they were even making repops back then. I know the repop they make now is a gel cell battery that does not take acid.

I am still considering cutting this open from the bottom and installing a Braille battery inside. I have a Braille mounted remotely in my 69 Opel GT. It rarely gets driven, but the battery holds a charge really well. Whenever I put a tender on it, it shows fully charged in an hour or so. My other batteries seem to take a day or more.

[Unreal]

I have an R59 Display battery, I was going to put a modern battery inside, but never did-probably never will. It sure would look cool, though.

[Lynn]

Can anyone tell me from the pics above it this is an original battery vs. a repop from the 90's? Did they even make a repop in the 90's?

I think I am going to drain it and cut the guts out. and try to adapt a Braille battery. I already have a Braille (it is what I use in the Opel GT, relocated with the spare tire). If is useless to me the way it is. I thought I had seen a video or two outlining the procedure, but can't find any thing.

I am guessing the best place to cut is the bottom, as it won't show when installed.

Any help or guidance of any kind would be appreciated.

[Lynn]

Got the acid out and nuetralized with baking soda.

[JKZ27]

http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=17474.0

Here is a similar operation Chick shows us on CRG.

[Lynn]

Perfect. Thanks a million.

[Kurt S]

I've pulled back batteries that would not even accept a charge with this: https://www.pulsetech.net/our-technology/pulse-technology.html
It's real and it works.
It won't pull back every battery because some times the plates get too thin and structurally fail.

[Lynn]

Went ahead and gutted it. Followed the procedure posted by Chick on the CRG site referenced in post #15 above. Only thing I didn't do was protect the top as well as he did so I ended up with a few scratches. But then probably pretty normal for a batter that is probably 40 years old.

I drilled through the 3/8 threade holes for the side posts and just threaded them all the way through. I used 00 cables (probably overkill, but I will never have to worry about them not carrying the amperage. Used very short 3/8 standard thread bolts to attach the cables on the inside. Made sure they would not interfere with the outside bolts from the side post cables.

Used a Braille racing lightweight AGM and just mounted it upside down. It is way more powerful than the original battery. I have the exact same battery in my 69 Opel GT, and it doesn't lose a charge even when sitting for a month at a time without a tender. I had read that they do not stay charged well when not driven regularly, but that has not been my experience.

After shooting these pics, and before attaching a bottom plate made from polycarbonate, I stuffed some more hard closed cell flexible foam in all the nooks and crannies, just so it wouldn't rattle around.

I glued some paint sticks together to make sure the battery stayed in place, then attached the bottom plat with epoxy.

Pretty pleased with the results. And it sure is easier to put in and out because it is much lighter.

[flyingn]

why don't you just buy a good aftermarket battery and put one of those delco toppers on it?
https://www.batterytoppers.com/products/

https://www.autozone.com/batteries-starting-and-charging/battery/duralast-gold-battery-8amu1r-group-size-u1-370-cca/350085_631116_25697

[Burd]

I’m with you on a topper, you can add the eye so it isn’t red. It still isn’t a factory battery all gutted and all.

[Lynn]

why don't you just buy a good aftermarket battery and put one of those delco toppers on it?
https://www.batterytoppers.com/products/

https://www.autozone.com/batteries-starting-and-charging/battery/duralast-gold-battery-8amu1r-group-size-u1-370-cca/350085_631116_25697

Since you asked, I just don't like the look of the toppers. To each his own. And, by the time I buy a good battery and a topper I would have spent the same as I did gutting and converting this one. And, this kind of work is my hobby, a type of stress relief, so the labor isn't even a factor to me.

No, it isn't an "original" battery; but neither is a 302 with Wiseco pistons, a repro camshaft, stainless valves, bronze guides, hardened seats, modern bearings, gapless rings, etc. But, to the guy driving it, it is still fun.

I would never disparage anyone choosing to use a topper. His or her car, his or her choice. I wanted a battery that could not be distinguished from the original just by looking at it. As long as it is mounted in the vehicle, no one can tell it has been gutted.... just like no one can tell that the 302 has been rebuilt with updated parts.

No two of us will likely make identical choices on what we do with our cars over a few decades. That's one of the things that makes this hobby great. We can build different cars to our own tastes, and simply agree to disagree.

[BCreekDave]

Adding a bit to this old thread, I just purchased a dead R89 repop battery and had great success in just popping the top off of it to replace the AGM Odyssey PC925 battery. The tops are glued on but glue really does not stick too well to the polypropylene plastic. I used a 3 inch putty knife and worked around the overlap edge flexing the top cover outward slightly. I could hear the glues fracture here and there. Bits and pieces of the glue would flake out once in awhile. After working all the way around a few times it was still stuck. I then through caution to the wind a bit and inserted the putty knife at the corner and with a firm upward hit the corner popped loose. I then moved to the other corners and did the same. More success. Then I worked from there along the long sides and it quickly popped the top off all the way. Then i tried to pull the battery out and discovered the battery was glued into the bottom of the case. There is about a 1/2 inch gap from the top of the internal battery to the top edge of the battery case. I then flipped the battery upside down and dropped it from about a foot up onto the garage floor. 3 or 4 times of this with pushing it down faster and the battery broke free of the outer case.
Also, I am leaning towards this battery as a replacement:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095T18XKP/?coliid=I2ML19HX5W4N7R&colid=1S07HACUMTPHH&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it
Always had pretty good luck with Interstate batteries.
Hope this adds a bit to this helpful thread.

[Lynn]

Well done.

[SBR]

Can anyone tell me from the pics above it this is an original battery vs. a repop from the 90's? Did they even make a repop in the 90's?

I think I am going to drain it and cut the guts out. and try to adapt a Braille battery. I already have a Braille (it is what I use in the Opel GT, relocated with the spare tire). If is useless to me the way it is. I thought I had seen a video or two outlining the procedure, but can't find any thing.

I am guessing the best place to cut is the bottom, as it won't show when installed.

Any help or guidance of any kind would be appreciated.

Lynn, I believe the battery is a repop. Maybe the R89 is different than an R59 but on those, there is not a lip on the top of the battery case on OEM batteries where the repops have a lip. Hope this helps.