Giving back - a cheap battery to replace pricey MT-91
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Giving back - a cheap battery to replace pricey MT-91
The factory specifies a battery type that few make anymore for my 1990 90 (MT-91?). The ones I found were $134-180 and I am used to buying batteries in the $90 range for our various vehicles. So I measured and then bought an $85 Group 41-4 battery at Walmart called the Everstart just to see if it fit.
Got it home and it was not going to fit. Very close, but no dice. While lifting it out, I inadvertently lifted the passenger end (right side) first and suddenly it dropped into place. Even the little metal tab with the bolt hold down fits. The trick is to get it in as far as you can. You can tell the plastic lip on the base of the rear of the battery won't fit into the metal slot at the back of the battery shelf because the battery is a half inch too far forward for the hold down tab to fit back on. It's because the battery is slightly crooked but you can't see that. The right side is barely low. Lift slightly and push rearward and suddenly it is all the way home and secure with a thunk.
Just giving back a money saving tip for all the help I am getting.
DougM
Got it home and it was not going to fit. Very close, but no dice. While lifting it out, I inadvertently lifted the passenger end (right side) first and suddenly it dropped into place. Even the little metal tab with the bolt hold down fits. The trick is to get it in as far as you can. You can tell the plastic lip on the base of the rear of the battery won't fit into the metal slot at the back of the battery shelf because the battery is a half inch too far forward for the hold down tab to fit back on. It's because the battery is slightly crooked but you can't see that. The right side is barely low. Lift slightly and push rearward and suddenly it is all the way home and secure with a thunk.
Just giving back a money saving tip for all the help I am getting.
DougM
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From: Central Idaho
The Optima 35 can be made to fit, same height and width but much smaller in length.
The puck they give you needs to be slightly modified so the clamp can work, just a matter of shaving off some plastic.
Sadly now that Optima's are made in Mexico I am not sure how good their quality is.
<a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=2ytnuxs" target="_blank"><img src="http://i50.tinypic.com/2ytnuxs.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
If you have a Carquest nearby their batteries are made by East Penn [Deka] and are excellent quality with a 7 year warranty.
I just replaced mine, it felt twice the weight of the Interstate I was using.
The puck they give you needs to be slightly modified so the clamp can work, just a matter of shaving off some plastic.
Sadly now that Optima's are made in Mexico I am not sure how good their quality is.
<a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=2ytnuxs" target="_blank"><img src="http://i50.tinypic.com/2ytnuxs.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
If you have a Carquest nearby their batteries are made by East Penn [Deka] and are excellent quality with a 7 year warranty.
I just replaced mine, it felt twice the weight of the Interstate I was using.
Last edited by egp320i; Mar 5, 2013 at 11:15 PM.
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