Lightweight Battery Install W/Weights
 

UPDATE: See Post # 53 for an Update on Battery Performance....or lack thereof!

After 5 years my factory installed battery started showing its age and over the past 6 months I have been keeping it on life support so I could decide how I would replace it.

I had already made up my mind that I was going to get something lighter than stock to make up for the A/C and radio I ordered on the car. :icon107: I wanted something that would be reliable and last at least 5 years, just long enough for technology to progress further and allow me to get something lighter next time. ;) After researching the forums and reading about the various battery options I narrowed it down to Odyssey and Braille but ultimately it wasn't the battery as much as how it was installed in the car that made me pick the Odyssey. I did not want to make any modifications to the car and I wanted to be able to quickly reverse the install whenever needed. I also wanted something that could withstand heavy G Forces without issue and the Rennline Battery mount in conjunction with the Odyssey was a perfect fit. I decided on the PC925 which had better CCA than stock and still offered a decent amount of weight loss. The reduction wasn't as much as I wanted but good enough to make a difference. The only change I needed to make was to loosen the ground wire and twist it sideways to allow the cable to reach the terminal.

Here are some pics of the install and the weights:

nice, thanks Afshin...

Donn

Nice!

P.s. What Michelin's did you mount on your Spyder Afshin?

Joel

Thanks for a very useful post. Which version of the PC925 did you get? There seem to be:
PC925, PC925T, PC925MJ, PC925MJT - where "T" is SAE terminals, "MJ" is metal jacket, and no-"T" is M6 internally threaded terminals. And I think there is also an "L" which has positive on the left when looking at the terminal side (the wrong geometry for us).
Also, does the Odyssey use the vent tube hook-up?

I decided on the Michelin PS2's. The bonus was that each tire weighs 2 lbs less than the Bridgestones I had before so I lost some weight there too!

Between the tires, battery and an empty fuel tank the car truly feels like you're driving a go kart. It is unbelievable how the car stays on the road and the reduced weight makes the suspension compress less so it is bumpier over normal roads. The steering feel is even more improved with these tires and the steering inputs are razor sharp. The tires heat up super fast too, on a cooler night they were warm in 10 minutes of normal driving.

To allow the use of the stock cables I bought the 925T and everything went together beautifully. The Odyssey is a completely sealed battery and can be mounted sideways if needed so there is no vent tube. I tucked the vent tube to the side so I can use it later if needed but honestly I'm not sure I'll switch back to a standard lead acid with the expected advancements in battery technology in the coming years. I'm hoping the next battery will allow for another 7 - 10Lb weight loss with equal power and reliability.

Afshin - thanks! I'll be filing away all this useful info for future use when my '11 Spyder needs a new battery.

Thanks Afshin! I think I'll not eat for two days and I'll be on par with you. :)

1 glass of wine later...

But then you could not eat for 2 days, too!

Isn't Oddysey lead battery?

Yes it is, AGM so not the standard lead/acid which emits vapors and has liquid that can leak. AGM has the acid built into the lead.

What sort of battery trickle charger does one need with this battery? A standard one or is there a special AGM one?

I just got a CTEK Multi US 3300 in order to trickle Quasi-Moto. The CTEK has three selectible modes: 14.4V/0.8A for motorcycle batteries, 14.4V/3.3A for wet batteries, and 14.7V/3.3A for AGM batteries (the CTEK user manual specifically calls out the Optima, Maxxima, and Odyssey). I believe the CTEK is the same one that Porsche markets under their own brand for lots more $$$.

For what it worth - if you really after weight reduction - get PC545! It's 12lbs and a great battery. I was running it for years on my 350Z with 0 issues. Scary light weight is not a good reason to not use it, on the contrary! :)

I'm quite sure they probably have even lighter car batteries now with all that new Lithium technology... I use lifepo batteries on kids go-karts I build and it's unbelievable ligtht.

looks like something like this will do the trick at 4 lbs!!!
http://www.jegs.com/i/Lithium-Pros/4...ductId=1770167

-Vlad / T-Design9.com

trusevich,

When you were running the PC545 in your car, was it a daily driver? I don't daily drive mine, so wondering if you can trickle charge it? I need it to get me to the track, start every time and get me back home. That 4 pound battery is not bad for 535$

No doubt there are lighter options and I plan on going lighter on the next go round when prices are more reasonable. :o I just couldn't justify spending that much more to lose another 10 lbs, I went with a reliable solution that costed $100 more than a new Porsche battery and in my mind that was easy to justify.

Yes, it was a daily driver. Never ever failed to start me, except in serious Michigan subzero winter temps. Than I started to replace it with regular battery for winter. I used that 545 for 5 years on my Z, than sold the car, and battery was around and used for different fun projects for another 5 years or so, keeping charge like new. amazing quality.

If yours is not a daily driver - just use trickle charger. In my 981 (with stock battery) - I just plug CTEK into the armrest socket.