TheSamba.com :: View topic - Exide AGM orbital

Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:39 am

I am going to buy new battery today and then heading out of town to get 78 bus out of winter storage.

I really like these batteries and definately want a sealed unit. I am a newbie so this will be my fist battery purchase. Will these work physical size wise an technical spec wise?

Thanks

http://www.exide.com/products/automotive/orbital_84_specs.html/

http://www.exide.com/pdf/orbital_gold_specs_and_features.pdf

Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:53 am

I don't know about those batteries, but since I just went out and bought one myself after a lot of Samba searching, I can tell you off the top of my head the stock battery was a type 41 with dimensions of roughly 11.75 x 6.75 x 6.75. The tray area is larger, of course, so you could get away with a little more in any direction, but squeezing anything larger than this in will require you to remove the aircleaner horn half. Incidentally, I went with a Bosch Silver maintenance free lead acid. Couldn't find gel, but my batt. compartment looks mint even after having a lead acid in there for at least the last five years....

Oh, the battery terminals are reversed in the bus, so if you get a standard US battery, I heard you'll have to at least cross over your wires. Optima 34R has been a good choice for a lot of folks on here (the R stands for reversed poles, so the negative will be on the left side). Here in Europe, they're all like that...

Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:39 am

yah there is definately a little extra room for battery if it can be sqeezed in there......but I really just can't remember if the battery tray has tabs/stops/guides(whatever you call them) for the original stock battery size so that if I am going a little larger the battery might rest on top of these tabs and not sit flat......anyone know what I mean?

Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:16 am

I am pretty sure that will fit in there. Compare it to the measurement here....

http://www.ratwell.com/technical/ChargingSystem.html