Which OPTIMA battery to use?

[JeffW]

I just installed a 34/78 Optima Yellow Top. Although the specs say it is 10" long, it is only 9.5" at the base. And the rounded nature of the cylinders gives even a little more leeway. Each side of the bottom of the battery box has 3 tabs. I only had to trim the rear two on each side to half their width to get the battery in. To secure the battery in the back I replaced the stock trapezoidal piece with the one that comes with the Optima battery.

To make the strap snug, I added a piece of wood to the top of the battery. Two pieces of lattic (the strips used to make/repair lattice fences) were the perfect width and thickness... narrow enough to fit in between the terminal mounds, and not too thick to prevent the top from closing. I glued them together, rounded the ends, and attached to the top of the battery with double-sided tape.

Then to preserve the heat shielding capability, I cut the terminal openings in the battery box lid inward to about an 1/8" into the label. Easy job with a Dremel tool. Fits good, looks good, works good.