Mep 802 battery tray

[Grimm21]

I'm trying to secure the battery's in my generator but there is very limited space for a generic tray what do you guys use in your units when the trays/clamps are gone?

 

[Ratch]

Well that sucks, I just typed a big reply and added several images, and tapatalk crashed.
Anyway, I agree, the space in an 802 is too small. But I used lawn tractor batteries in mine and didn't worry about securing them. Maybe that's why the last ones I used barely hold a charge...

For my 803, I have no trays and the hold downs are fubar, so I created a fitted form in the voids.
I laid plastic sheeting around the interior, put the batteries in plastic WalMart bags with a size-cut 3/4" foam insulation board as a pad, then sprayed expanding foam around the batteries. In hindsight, I should have used fireblock foam...
Once cured, I laid down more sheeting over the foam, and sprayed more foam in.
The end result is a perfectly fit battery space that's as tight as a hold down, and resistant to vibration.

 

[Ratch]

Last try for pic attachment without a crash...

 

[Grimm21]

Thank you ratch I guess necessity is the mother of inversion it is a little unorthodox but looks like it works. I have spent time looking at the bottom of the unit trying to figure out what was there originally because thereally are no holes I can see where something was bolted or screwed

 

[Grimm21]

You know this auto correct really stinks try to write and it rewrites it for you. Argh

 

[Ratch]

It's definitely unorthodox, and it looks pretty awful... But it also should have a slightly positive effect on insulating the floor pan from acoustic vibration, which normally passes sound that reflects off the ground and adds to overall noise. That's actually more of the reason I did that than battery securing. The uneven surface should also reflect and keep sound in the housing (I'm adding sound absorbing material to the top and sides).

The trays I've seen with my 802's are small plastic angled trays with a drain. The hold-down is a small piece of angle iron that goes on the top corner of the battery, with two hook-ended roads that hook into the skid at one end, and go through the angle iron at the other. A wing nut at the end of the rod pulls the angle iron tight on the battery, which pulls it tight in the tray, against the skid wall.

 

[DieselAddict]

I used lawn tractor batteries in mine and didn't worry about securing them.

Which batteries are you using and did you have to change the battery cable connectors? I've not seen any of the small tractor batteries with conventional posts. They are all bolt-through posts.

 

[gavland]

they do make batteries that fit in these gens mep002,003,802,and 803
I have them all lol will look tomorrow when I get to work on what the make and numbers are I have put in them and battery hold down from parts store fits fine.

 

[DieselAddict]

The normal battery to fit the 802 and 803 is Group 51. The standard battery for the 002 and 003 is 6TL.

I've been using lawnmower batteries for the 802s and they work fine and are super cheap. I've not found one with the normal battery posts yet.

 

[Grimm21]

I am using 51R batteries they are 500cca and look like an oversized lawnmower battery I had read that this was the closest to the military size I think I may get some ridged foam and put that around the batteries

 

[Daybreak]

Howdy,

MEP-802A =2HN battery, but currently the Optima Yellow-top D51R.
MEP-803A =Optima Red-top model 34 or the model 34/78.

MEP-802A Group 51R (L 9.40" x W 5.10" x H8.80" )


The battery area in the 802 is skinny.

The trays are just that, a piece of plastic molded with a hole at the bottom.
A user by the name 1Y875 mentioned they were making battery trays.

The battery hold downs are a simple battery j-hook which goes into the holes along the side of the lower skid. The rubber coated angle iron along the far edge of the battery for the top.

 

[zarathustra]

I'd start with a couple of trays for an 803a -- which are available on ebay. One of the trays will fit into an 802a with no modification (as I remember), and the other side will require some "customization". I don't remember which is which, but it is fairly obvious which side will accept an 803a tray when you try to stuff it in.

You might also try using a piece of scrap vinyl floor covering and cut a hole in the bottom. I haven't tried that myself, but it oughta work...

I like something that is easily removable; makes clean up of any oil spill or fuell spill easier.

 

[Grimm21]

I tried some standard universal trays and they are way too big so I am going with my own take on a early post and cutting some dow board insulation to drop in the bottom and slide the batteries in that it seams to be doing the job for now but it is a tire fit so don't want to make a habit of pulling batteries out

 

[lindsey97]

Just picked up 2 Exide group 51rc batteries from tractor supply for $160. 450 cca, and 525 ca.

Installing them in my non running mep-802a. It came with 2 group 34/78 batteries in it, they were certainly too tight and did not fit well at all. No room for hold down or anything. To remove the one on the oil filter side, I had to remove the oil filter from the engine.

Battery width is the biggest issue inside the 802A. Here are the dimensions of group 51 and group 34/78 batteries:

Group 34/78 L: 10.25" W: 7.0" H: 7.37" Group 51R L: 9.31" W: 4.93" H: 8.68"

So the Group 51R batteries are 0.94" shorter in length, 2.07" less in width, but yet 1.3" taller than the 34/78 battery style.

The 2.07 inches less in width is where the Group 51R batteries make the difference when used in the 802A genset. Hope this helps.

 

[DieselAddict]

That is what I have found. The Group 51 batteries fit much more easily since they are more slim. The battery hold-down bracket works fine on them as well.

 

[Dwnorton1]

My 802 came with the yellow top optimas. It has what appears to be FRP (fire resistant polyester)angle hold downs. On J bolts. Not sure if it is stock but is what it has. I tried some batteries I had while I was charging the stock ones, they were too wide.

 

[lindsey97]

My 802 came with the yellow top optimas. It has what appears to be FRP (fire resistant polyester)angle hold downs. On J bolts. Not sure if it is stock but is what it has. I tried some batteries I had while I was charging the stock ones, they were too wide.

I would love to have some optimas, but couldn't afford it right now, and all of my mv toys take 2 batteries each, then combine that with my construction machines, and I am too scared to add it all up. But I will have some optimas, along with a pair of those trick aluminum hold-down brackets in one of my M923 5 ton one day.

I had to search all over redneckistan far and wide for a pair of 51R, no one had any, not even one.

I am interested in your battery setup, and the hold down system inside.

 

[Dwnorton1]

Believe me if they had not come with them, mine would have some motorcycle batteries. I wouldn't even spend that kind of money for my truck. Not as bad as the 831's $600 Concorde battery. Lol. I will take some pics this weekend. I did find a better pic as mine don't have safety covers. I didn't even know batteries has size numbers until reading posts on this site.

 

[Daybreak]

Howdy,
The official battery tray is
MEP-802A Battery Tray, NSN 6160-01-431-4547 cage 30554 part# 88-20056 TRAY, BATTERY

The military spec's a 51R battery for the MEP-802A

The military spec's a 34 or 34/78 battery for the MEP-803A

 

[Guyfang]

At the end of the day, the army hold down works, if you install it right. It is a PITA. And when you use batteries that are a different size then the OPTIMA, then you need to be flexible. When we just had to use non standard batteries, we used pieces of thin rubber to shim it up, and always tried to use the army hold down.