Optima battery in restoration case

I have a restoration battery that has bit the dust. I don't know if these are even available, but I'm tired of paying the price for these and having them only last a a few years.

Someone posted a how to of gutting a restoration battery and putting an Optima battery inside. I've looked but can't find it.

Does anyone have a link to this? Would be a big help.

Thanks!

http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=104888.0

Here is mine. I choose to cut the top off, and gut it. Also cut treads in the old post from under side and put post. But can do a bolt washer. Had the extra post and cables so just tried them.
Rubbed the box down with Red Weneol and then wax looks better than new
I also had some plastic angle so epoxied it on so the lid would stay put.

http://s234.photobucket.com/user/fast340six/slideshow/Battery
Here is 2 other members here Batts one is done from under other is done from top
http://s234.photobucket.com/user/fast340six/slideshow/Battery2

Can you go through the process a bit? How did you cut the top off and keep it square? Hacksaw and then just sand it afterwards? The photos of the connections are useful, definitely.

I was hoping to find that old article as he went through it step by step. Would be nice to see it done. It's just gutting the thing, but still knowing a few tips before hand is helpful.

Also, what replacement battery did you use?

Hack saw. Yes just the hack with fine teeth, and did it slow.
Did do a quite a few fill drains with stuff to neutralize the acid {baking powder and something else as well}
Inside is lead plates on a card board type sheet. So comes out ok but is dirty.
It is by no means a clean job but is easy
I do smelt 1000-2000 pounds of lead a year. I cast lead thingys as a hobby. Lead is OK with me but acid is not
But tossed this stuff properly since it is bad news.
Inside cleaned well. Is so clean now i use it as a prop and a real battery to drove / move car
In fact the pictures is taken in the living room.
When I did asked the wife to grab the battery so i could shoot some. She brought it to me lol Great when ya marry the right gal.
Sure is light easy and clean, and can have a battery in it to work as one is minutes.
Best would be to use The cables other way than I have them!
{IE} Bolt and washer to old post on underside of old post. Make sure when you cut it you leave enough to get the post flat on underside. That way you get a good tight fit! Cut it long and then cut a second time flat. Get it flat, so you can thread it and have enough for washers and bolt. That's why I cut top off, and not bottom method.
Note} I Used the cables the way I did since.
1) I had the 2 adapters for side post battery here new in pack. As well as the Cables 2} The Battery I was using had top post terminals
I could have used the cables the other way. But did nit since had a different battery connections on the battery it self. Best would be Bolt and Washer threw cable to under side of old battery terminal, and a threw bolt and washer with nut on battery terminal post. As they make battery's that have that type terminals.
Like used on a Lawn and Garden ones

here was mine.

Red top view.

so when you cut the top off, did you have to saw all the way through the battery? at first I was picturing just cutting through the case all the way around, but then it occurred to me that with everything connected toothier inside, the top would still be connected to the guts.

also, how did you fill/drain it? these are sealed batteries???

thanks...

I cut the top plastic loose and then had to cut the lead after. The top does not come off till ya flip it around over and over and cut the most of lead plates. Make sure ya cut the lead where the post is 100% before trying get the top off.

Has anyone done this with a battery larger than the PC925? I want to do this with a group 27 case.

This is the write up I did a while back....

How To Install an AGM Battery in your Resto case

So, good news and bad news.

Good is how easy it was to gut the battery. I simply hack sawed all the way around and through the top, right under the top lip. It probably took half an hour or less. Once the top was off, all the cells and matting literally just fell right out. I then used the hack saw blade by hand and cut down along the sides where the section dividers meet the case, and then used vice grips to break them out. I also used vice grips to break out the lead connectors between the cells, and the top part of each section divider all the way down to the top. It was much, much less effort than I was anticipating.

Bad news. Couldn't find a battery at the local O`Reilly's that would fit. The battery that people seem to have used is the Odyssey PC 295, but on one of the moparts posts I was pointed at, someone said that the battery would not start his 440-6 when it was hot.

So I'm not sure what to do here. 330CCA doesn't seem like it's going to cut it on a 540 with 10.5:1 compression.

So a price I found on this battery is $184 shipped, while the other resto batteries are around $280 + shipping. Gotta think about which way to go here. If I buy the Odyssey and it won't start the car, I'm stuck with it.

Any more thoughts from anyone who has done this?

How big of a space do you have available inside the case? There is some pretty stout AGM motorcycle batteries that might do the trick, you might be able to fit two of them in there to boost the CCA.

That could be interesting. I'll take a look at those.

The battery that people seem to have used is the Odyssey PC 295, but on one of the moparts posts I was pointed at, someone said that the battery would not start his 440-6 when it was hot.
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
I have the same set up of 6PKRTSE (PC 925 Odyssey)
Never had hot cranking problems a 451 cid 11.25 cr

SPECIFICATIONS
Pulse (5-second) Hot Cranking Amps (PHCA) 900
Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) 330
20Hr Nominal Capacity (Ah) 28
Reserve Capacity Minutes 52
Dimensions L x W x H (in) 6.64 x 7.05 x 5.04
Metric Dimensions L x W x H (mm) 168.6 x 179 x 128
Weight (lbs) 28
Weight (kg) 11.8

good to know. it sounds like it has worked for enough people that it is worth a try.

thanks.

Yes, it started my 440-6 for 4-5 years. Just started acting up last spring so I have another new battery in it again now.

was this cut out from the bottom to make the new Odyssey PC-295 battery fit inside?