Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Tutorial: Modify box to fit a 24F battery (Large)

  1. #1
    Senior Member fc321's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Miami, FL
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    624
    Thanks
    765
    Thanked 252 Times in 160 Posts

    Tutorial: Modify box to fit a 24F battery (Large)

    Most stores recommend a Group 35 battery for the Mirage (490 cca). Here is how it fits (No modification required). I inserted an Amazon padded envelope in the side to show you how much extra space is left over.

    Name:  IMG_20190204_131150.jpg
Views: 4452
Size:  97.4 KB

    But I discovered at Walmart you could get a Group 24F battery for the same price ($49) and it has 585 cca (better than only 490 cca of the Group 35)

    Name:  IMG_20190204_135738.jpg
Views: 3448
Size:  96.7 KB

    As you can see the Group 24F battery is significantly larger in size. We can make this work but it will require you to chop the plastic box that the battery sits inside of. We call that plastic box the heat-shield because it buffers some of the extreme heat away from the battery. It also has holes and grooves on the bottom to allow any battery acid to drain down.

    See this thread here for more pictures of what the original box looks like:

    https://mirageforum.com/forum/showth...ll=1#post82144

    We will chop the plastic box using the Harbor Freight Oscillating multifunction power tool with a wood blade. First I will flip the box over and chop off the devil horns underneath because it is the only way that the box will fit. Use some clamps to clamp the plastic box down to a table.

    Name:  devil-horns-chopped.jpg
Views: 1209
Size:  85.1 KB

    Next we will make the following 4 cuts on the side:

    Name:  cuts.jpg
Views: 1186
Size:  89.1 KB

    Here is the finished product:

    Name:  IMG_20190213_150030.jpg
Views: 1154
Size:  89.0 KB

    I was planning to use some JB Weld to glue the plastic box down to the metal platform but I discovered this is redundant and unnecessary because the metal top clamp exerts enough friction to keep the battery from sliding around.

    Name:  IMG_20190228_153235.jpg
Views: 1720
Size:  95.1 KB

    Job done. This larger battery (which costs the exact same price and has same warranty) is a better value. The higher cca mean that the battery will last longer and this would be great especially for Uber drivers or people that have an upgraded sound system or people that use alot of electronic gadgets in their car.

    I hope this has been helpful. Dont forget to add some Vaseline or the battery-terminal-grease to keep the terminals safe from rust and corrosion in the future.


    Last edited by fc321; 03-01-2019 at 04:18 PM.
    2015 Mirage DE 5 speed Manual - 30k miles

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 44.9 mpg (US) ... 19.1 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 53.9 mpg (Imp)


  2. The Following 7 Users Say Thank You to fc321 For This Useful Post:

    A-Aron (03-01-2019),Cobrajet (03-01-2019),Daox (03-01-2019),Eggman (03-01-2019),inuvik (03-01-2019),ThunderG (03-02-2019),Top_Fuel (03-01-2019)

  3. #2
    Moderator Eggman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Cleveland, Ohio
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    10,156
    Thanks
    4,039
    Thanked 2,788 Times in 2,107 Posts
    Nice write-up. Thanks for sharing.

    So how's the new battery working out for you?

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)


  4. The Following User Says Thank You to Eggman For This Useful Post:

    fc321 (03-01-2019)

  5. #3
    Senior Member fc321's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Miami, FL
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    624
    Thanks
    765
    Thanked 252 Times in 160 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Eggman View Post
    Nice write-up. Thanks for sharing.

    So how's the new battery working out for you?
    So far it works perfect. Its made by by Johnson Controls, the world's largest lead-acid battery manufacturer.

    I wouldnt be surprised if its the exact same battery as the 3 year warranty one. The premium in price is paying for the warranty itself. But certainly I will advise the forum if the battery gives me any trouble.
    2015 Mirage DE 5 speed Manual - 30k miles

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 44.9 mpg (US) ... 19.1 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 53.9 mpg (Imp)


  6. #4
    Senior Member Cobrajet's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Olympia, WA
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    3,126
    Thanks
    1,197
    Thanked 1,848 Times in 1,101 Posts
    Great write-up! Thanks!

  7. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    SW, WI
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    7,402
    Thanks
    594
    Thanked 2,688 Times in 2,106 Posts
    This discussion has come up before. If you can't live with 490 CCA battery, you can purchase a 26R battery at Walmart for the exact same price. It will give you 540 CCA, & you don't have to cut up your battery box to install it. I have seen other countries recommend the 35 & 26R battery sizes.

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/ValuePowe...p-26R/47308800

    Not saying this is a bad share, but this is one super easy engine to turn over. Since the Mirage comes stock with a wimpy 356CCA battery, I believe any decent battery will start it just fine.

  8. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    New Jersey
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    151
    Thanks
    41
    Thanked 45 Times in 30 Posts
    If you have a Costco membership, you can get a excellent Interstate Group 35 battery with 800 Cranking Amps, 640 Cold Cranking Amps, and a 3 1/2 year free replacement warranty for only $74.99 (in Central NJ). I just bought one yesterday for my girlfriend's car. I think it's a great deal. See web link below:

    https://costco.interstatebatteries.c...104&Country=US

  9. The Following User Says Thank You to MirageSEFan For This Useful Post:

    Eggman (03-02-2019)

  10. #7
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    SW, WI
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    7,402
    Thanks
    594
    Thanked 2,688 Times in 2,106 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by MirageSEFan View Post
    If you have a Costco membership, you can get a excellent Interstate Group 35 battery with 800 Cranking Amps, 640 Cold Cranking Amps, and a 3 1/2 year free replacement warranty for only $74.99 (in Central NJ). I just bought one yesterday for my girlfriend's car. I think it's a great deal. See web link below:
    The last Interstate battery that I installed in a car was still going strong 10 years later. I sold the car before the battery died. Interstate is a well-respected battery brand, & that is a good price! A number of small town mechanics in my area (that stand behind what they put in their customers' cars) stock/sell Interstate batteries.

    Costco price is very good. Another retailer in my area sells that battery for $139.99.

    https://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/int...y%2035%20group
    Last edited by Mark; 03-02-2019 at 02:27 AM.

  11. #8
    Senior Member fc321's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Miami, FL
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    624
    Thanks
    765
    Thanked 252 Times in 160 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    This discussion has come up before. If you can't live with 490 CCA battery, you can purchase a 26R battery at Walmart for the exact same price. It will give you 540 CCA, & you don't have to cut up your battery box to install it. I have seen other countries recommend the 35 & 26R battery sizes.

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/ValuePowe...p-26R/47308800

    Not saying this is a bad share, but this is one super easy engine to turn over. Since the Mirage comes stock with a wimpy 356CCA battery, I believe any decent battery will start it just fine.
    Thank you for this feedback. Certainly the 26R would be superior to the Group 35. But I did not mind to chop the plastic box it only took about 5 minutes. The good news is that the chopped box still provides the heat protection as well as allowing any fluid to drain properly. And thus, I offer up this tutorial to those who enjoy to tinker and with just a little bit of extra work we can maximize our bang-for-the-buck.

    Its all about MAXIMIZING our economy. All batteries will degrade over time. So by starting out with the highest cca battery that will fit inside the space we are getting "more time" and an extra 20% of cca could mean an extra year of lifespan. Thank you for sharing about the 26R because certainly that is superior to Group 35 and I would consider that to be the minimum anybody should consider when purchasing a replacement battery.

    I hope our beloved mods will link this thread to the "How to" section so that this information is available to future members when it comes time to replace their battery. And this way they can make the most informed final decision. I would like to give all credit to member @alex16 who first discovered this (that we can modify the battery box to fit a 24F battery) on the thread at:

    https://mirageforum.com/forum/showth...ry-replacement

    Update: Did not read the post above about Interstate battery of Group 35 before making my submission. Thank you for sharing this data.
    Last edited by fc321; 03-02-2019 at 02:41 AM.
    2015 Mirage DE 5 speed Manual - 30k miles

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 44.9 mpg (US) ... 19.1 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 53.9 mpg (Imp)


  12. #9
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    New Jersey
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    151
    Thanks
    41
    Thanked 45 Times in 30 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by fc321 View Post
    Update: Did not read the post above about Interstate battery of Group 35 before making my submission. Thank you for sharing this data.
    You're welcome fc321. I hope others can benefit from this information. If they don't have a Costco membership, they might have a friend or relative with a membership, that may be willing to help them get a good deal on a battery. The price may vary in different locations, but hopefully not too much.



Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •