Optima battery installation in X22

[phenom_1819]

Yesterday I dropped an Optima deep cycle battery into my 2001 X22.  Just wanted to let y'all know how it went.

There are posts about this for an S22 (or SX, don't remember which), which says it doesn't fit in the stock location on the v-drives.  

I tried it yesterday, and it will fit in the stock location of an X22 (so presumably the E22 also)...it just takes some wiggling.  I had to wiggle (literally) for like 3 or 4 minutes (the battery rubs on the flat metal floor-base to the port and starboard sides). Once it was in...there is very little clearance between the battery terminals and the floor cover-piece, but it fit after I removed the plastic terminal covers.  I'm not worried about shorting the battery, since the floor piece is insulated.

See the pic below...it's a pretty tight fit, but there's close to 3/4" between the tops of the terminals and the floor piece, so I'm not worried about clearance (unless somebody tells me otherwise?)

Any feedback/suggestions for terminal covers? Anything else I should be concerned about with doing this?  

-Cal

[toyotafreak]

Doubt it's going anywhere Cal, but if it did.....100 amp-hours gone in the blink of an eye. Just be sure that insulation is not going to abrade. Maybe add it to your preflight checklist - pull the cover and check it while you're putting the plug in.

What if you cut out the insulation and attached a sheet of thick plastic to the area (shouldn't wear through EVER).

As far as my S22, the Optima fit perfectly. It's a group 34, not the long 27. Still bigger than stock, but fits awesome. Wish i could afford two more ;-)

[phenom_1819]

Damn good idea!  The insulation goes, to be replaced with a thick plastic sheet.  

To the plastic store I go!  Are TAP Plastics a national chain? We have one across town in Seattle...you wouldn't believe how handy that is.  They've saved me a number of times with these projects that I just can't live without...

Thanks Derek!
-Cal

[cyclone]

I have had one in that same location for a year or so, no problems. One thing that you should think about is the possibility that you could push one of the teminals down into the battery from stepping on the cover. I notched the floor panel on one side so I can get the battery in and out easily. I thing that the Optima is probably robust enough so that the above issue very likely, but I still avoided stepping on the battery cover unnecessarily!