MTFCA Forum

I have a battery box lid I picked up and by my research I think it is an original and never used. I need a second set of eyes on this to confirm it. The corners are folded around a bit and the hole where the battery cable goes through is folded over. ( Not just a cut hole ) I see no wear marks of the lid being put on and removed several times.
Also what years was this type of lid used?

It sure looks like an original 1925-up lid to me, but Larry Smith is the expert.

Here are some photos showing various battery box parts. Note the two different style lids. The rounded ones were used until 1924, and the square ones were used through 1927.
Good link for differences
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/41 ... 1409322400
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/50 ... 1438553141 --
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I'm sure there are other differences for an original vs a repo lid but this is the most obvious

There are plenty of guys who have bought my battery boxes, that would love to buy that from you!

Here is a couple pics of a reproduction lid. In the first one, the impression is not as pronounced in a original. In the second pic there is a metal strip jogged and spotwelded to the lid. This takes the place of the handles or the plywood spacer otherwise used. This was a better idea for sure as long as the spotwelds held.

This one is in very good condition, I think everything is original..

It's too bad that when Snyders made their battery box and cover years ago, they didn't bother to research the item before going to all the trouble to make them. They shouldn't have done what they did, and then they had the audacity to put a Ford script in the side. Bad Bad.

According to the Ford Battery Manual, the wooden box with the two metal handles is the battery case. The cells were assembled within this item. It's equivalent is the later molded, hard rubber case. Confusion occurs when the case is called a battery box. I believe the battery box is the tin box that Larry has reproduced.

Allan from down under.

Allan, I’d say that would be correct on the wooden part being the battery case. The original wooden case Shown above fits perfectly into my …original? Battery box

Here is another issue. The reproduction lid measures 7 1/2 X 9 1/16, the original lid is 7 5/8 X 9 1/2. The box measurements were posted on this forum long time ago were 7 1/2 X 9 3/8. As you can see below, a reproduction lid will not fit a box made to those measurements. Reproduction lid on the left.

Thanks Don for posting that. I always wondered about it. Why would anyone go to the trouble of making something incorrectly?

What is supposed to hold the lid on? The reproduction one I have fits nicely, but has nothing to tie the lid on. First big bump and off it goes

Farmer J wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 04, 2022 1:34 pm

What is supposed to hold the lid on? The reproduction one I have fits nicely, but has nothing to tie the lid on. First big bump and off it goes

Part T-5152, Battery Box Lid Clamp. They bolt to T-5150, Battery Bracket.

I may have this wrong, but here goes. The original wooden case for the battery, with its steel Lift out handles, sits in the tin battery box. The lid of the battery box sits on the handles. When the clamps shown are tightened down, they hold the lid down AND tisi holds the battery case firmly within the tin box.
When I fitted the battery box cover on my tourer, I made two wooden spacers that sit on top of the modern battery case, and the lid sits on those spacers. When the clamps were fitted this meant that the battery was restrained in the same manner as the original was. Vibration is a battery killer, so getting them held down firmly is good practice.
Since my incident when I needed to quickly disconnect the battery and found the lid a great impediment, my lid hangs on the shed wall, which is where I suspect many of them ended up. The wooden spacers are still there to hold the battery down.

Allan from down under.

If you look closely at the inside of the lid, there is a tab on each side that helps support the lid when properly positioned. When used with a group 1 battery, there are numerous ways to support that lid on each end. but it's important to insure that the battery is even with the top of the battery box. In every case, a piece of wood is necessary to bring the battery up to the top of the battery box. Don't forget to drill a couple of holes in the piece of wood. Don't forget too to install a 4" sleeve on the +battery cable to prevent a possible short.

While the tabs on the battery box lid will position the lid on the box, they do nothing to hold the battery down within the box. A wooden spacer will lift the battery to the correct height, but the battery still needs to be clamped down. Wooden spacers on top that keep the lid spaced just above the tabs on the side will allow the hold down clamps to both hold the lid down and clamp the battery down too. No battery is installed in any vehicle with the hold down clamps not firmed up to prevent battery movement.
When I removed the battery cover from my car, the wooden spacers remained in place, the hold down clamps engaging them to hold the battery down.

Allan from down under.