Battery tray hardware

[W14]

Hi Group,

I think I am missing some hardware that bolts the battery tray to the car.  I only have the 2 vertical bolts on the rear side (near the igntion coil), then it just rests on a rubber bumper on the left side (next to inner fender).  At the front, there is a hole in the battery tray that lines up with a rectangular hole in the radiator support - can someone tell me what pieces are missing?
Thanks!



Will W14
1965 230SL 4spd
Victoria,BC

[Tom]

Will,

There should be two long bolts with a j hook in them that mount to the front and rear of the battery,  The hooks go into a base bracket that outlines the battery and up through the top hold down bracket.  Within that base bracket is a plate upon which the battery sits.  So there are 2 j hook long bolts, a bottom bracket, a bottom plate and a top bracket (5 parts excluding nuts and washers).  See attached for parts explosion from the parts manual.  It seems to show a bracket that surrounds the battery but this is not what I have.  I have an open, not enclosed bottom bracket that the battery sits in.

Tom

Download Attachment: battery brackets.doc
39.38 KB

[W14]

Hi Tom,

I have the open bottom bracket as well.  It is the mounting of this bottom bracket to the car that I was wondering about.  Apart from the 2 vertical bolts near the coil, there is nothing holding it to the car at the moment.  Do you know what hardware is supposed to go with the hole at the front of the bottom bracket?

Download Attachment: Batt Tray.jpg
56.89 KB

Will W14
1965 230SL 4spd
Victoria,BC

[Tom]

Will,

Wow-how did I miss that one by a mile!  Reminds me of whiffing in softball.  Sorry.

I will run out to the car and take a look at how it connects

Tom

Follow-up:

I have a piece of sheet metal that extends from the front of the car that bends into a horizontal surface.  The bottom tray attaches to this sheet metal.  I saw one bolt but recall that the horizontal surface of the bottom tray has 2 bolts that fasten horizontally.  Thus, there appear to be 4 points where the bottom tray fastens-2 vertical (to which you refer and at least 2 horizontal.  Hope this helps.

Tom

[Naj ✝︎]

w14,
There is no rubber bumper on my cars. If you take it off, the welded bracket should have 6mm threads to take a countersunk screw. The square hole should have a square cage nut which the also takes a 6mm countersunk screw giving a solid base for the battery.
naj

naj
hobel 65 230SL
jalopyno 68 280SL

[W14]

Thanks Tom and Naj,

I am still having trouble visualizing the set-up.  :oops:

Tom, the "horizontal sheet metal" sounds like the radiator support extension, that has the rectangular hole in it, directly below the hole pictured in my battery tray. I can imagine a square cage nut in there, but not how the 2 horizontal bolts would fit.  Also, if anything was sticking up through the hole in the tray, then it might rub through the bottom of the battery, as that sits flush on the tray.
There seems to be about a 10mm distance between the tray, and the the rectangular hole in the rad. support - is that about right, or is mine misaligned?
I will take some more detailed pics., and maybe you guys can talk me through it?

Will W14
1965 230SL 4spd
Victoria,BC

[Naj ✝︎]

Will,
The cage nut fits from under and therefore sits flush with the mounting bracket. The 'countersink' head screws only protrude a little bit in the battery area, but there should also be a flat plate fitted (which covers these screws) before the battery is fitted.
The plate is shown in Tom's parts picture item # 4.
naj

naj
hobel 65 230SL
jalopyno 68 280SL

[W14]

Hi Naj,

Ok, I can picture that now.  I am missing the plate (item 4) that the battery sits on.  So on yours, Naj, there are the 2 vertical (6mm) bolts near the coil, and then the one countersunk bolt with the cage nut, for a total of 3 bolts?
Thanks,



Will W14
1965 230SL 4spd
Victoria,BC

[Naj ✝︎]

Will,
I have 2 bolts under the coil and 2 countersunk screws: One near the rad on the cage nut and a second one on a bracket (about 2 1/2 inches long)on the inner wing which is already tapped with 6mm thread.
naj

naj
hobel 65 230SL
jalopyno 68 280SL

[W14]

Ok - thanks for your help, guys!  


Will W14
1965 230SL 4spd
Victoria,BC