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TR2/3/3A rusted battery box TR3A

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NutmegCT

NutmegCT

Great Pumpkin
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I had wondered why there was what looked like a black asphalt shingle lying on the bottom of my battery box.

So today I pulled the battery and lifted up that "shingle". By golly, it really was an asphalt shingle. And look at the mess it was covering (below) ....

Bottom has several rust-throughs, and seems to have some type of rubber "coating" on the sides and what's left of the bottom. At the far end you can see where I peeled some of it away - looks like linoleum flooring glued on there.

Is there a "drop in" battery box to remedy this situation? (Moss 241-010 or 241-005?) Or am I looking at having to have cutting and welding done. I can do pop rivets with the best of 'em, but don't have equipment or skills to cut and weld.

Thanks.
Tom
 
Moss 241-005 replaces the original box, but has to be welded in place. 241-010 is a drop-in, but it's obvious that it's in there. The plastic sticks out all around the box (and theoretically is strong enough to support the battery when the original bottom has fallen out).

Of course, you could just clean it up good, paint with acid-resistant paint, and drop the shingle back in there /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

That's an interesting knob on your heater shut-off valve ...
 
its not that bad. you might want to check out the bare wire sticking out from that wire twist.its got "short out" written all over it. It look like a brown wire,which is hot all the time.
 
Looks like the edges are sound. If so a simple fix would be to get some 20 gauge (or even 22) sheet metal and automotive epoxy from the local hardware store. Cut the metal to fit the bottom, clean off the rust, then treat the bottom of the battery box with phosporic acid. Wipe clean, spread on the epoxy then press the sheet metal in.

You could also use 1/8 inch plastic.

Paint it with something tough and you are done.

Not beautiful, not concours , when sold, you will forever be known as the DPO. But for now, it will work better then the shingle.
 
Gentlemen - looks like there's more than one way around this. I like the "clean up, fix up, paint up" technique; that should serve 'til next year when I get the floor pans (and now the battery box) replaced. POR-15 here I come. Wonder what that "linoleum" like rubber coating is.

Wyatt - sure looks like a bare brown wire in the picture, but it's actually a very dirty white with red stripe. Not bare, just "clean" at that spot. Still don't know why that capacitor (?) with capped wire is mounted next to the voltage regulator.

I agree on the unusual heater valve handle. Maybe valve needed replacement back in the winter of '66? I believe it should be a green round knurled knob, eh?

Tom
 
NutmegCT said:
Gentlemen - looks like there's more than one way around this. I like the "clean up, fix up, paint up" technique; that should serve 'til next year when I get the floor pans (and now the battery box) replaced.
Click to expand...
Mine's been that way for over 20 years /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
NutmegCT said:
Maybe valve needed replacement back in the winter of '66? I believe it should be a green round knurled knob, eh?
Click to expand...
Yeah, but the originals were very fragile and broke easily when the valve bound up. When (not if) they broke, the sharp corners would gash your hand. I'd wager that at least 80% of the ones you see at shows are reproductions.
 
Aloha Tom,

I think Ray has a very good and expedient method of repair. Randall seems to verify the longevity of the repair. My suggestion would be to first rinse the box and the area a around it with a baking soda solution to neutralize any residual acidity on the metal. Then rinse again with water to remove any baking soda. After drying the water, follow Ray's instructions.
 
I too like the fix up idea if your not going concourse next year with the pan replacements. If you use POR15 you will need to sand or scuff it to get the epoxy to stick. Read the label first and follow the instructions. I sell auto body shop chemicals for a living and I'm not sure of any epoxies that are recommended over POR15. Most will want you to apply over bare metal. If you don't have good adhesion of the POR to the metal, everything is coming loose. Also don't forget to put a rag or something under the battery box hole so any drips thru the hole won't get on your carpet.
 
Tom,

My base looked about like yours. I ended up installing the Moss plastic battery box. Here is a photo of what it looks like. I like the look of it myself, but I guess that is just my own preference.
 

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On my TR there is no drain hole visible at the bottom of the box. There is no drain hose under the box. I'm guessing the "linoleum liner" covers the drain.

Where is that hole supposed to be? Where is the drain hose supposed to run - behind the heater and out through the passenger floor well? Does anyone have a picture of all this?

RedTR3 - the Moss box looks interesting. Does it have a drain hole?

Thanks all. Making progress.
Tom
 
Sorry I don't have a photo handy, but there are diagrams and instructions for adding the drain in the factory workshop manual/Bentley. The hole is centered from side to side, but forward of the center of the battery box. Should be a hole in the top of the gearbox tunnel, and a rubber tube from the drain hole to the hole in the tunnel.

TS39781LO had an original-looking brass tee in the rubber line, to accomodate the drain from the scuttle vent; but others have asserted it goes somewhere else. I don't know where, though, as there don't appear to be any other suitable holes in either TS39781LO or TS13571L (which lacks the tee but has an obviously non-original vinyl hose and the scuttle drain not connected).

The plastic drop-in from Moss (et al) does not have provision for the drain. But since it's plastic unaffected by battery acid, the drain isn't really needed.
 
Randall - thanks! found it in my factory manual. Looks like around TS3000 they started noticing a water retention problem ...

Tom
 
The drain hose should come down and line up with the hole in the transmission tunnel, allowing the acid runoff to drip onto your aluminum bellhousing and corrode that.
 
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