Removing factory battery tray, why did I start this

You all like to see interesting things at the same time as dumb things right? You came to the right place because for the past week I've been carefully removing the factory welded battery tray because it corroded and rotted out. I only wish It had rotted a little more.

Tools used: Vice Grips, various metal working wedges, screwdriver, hacksaw, a nice bright light, a secondary flashlight, and my favorite, the hammer! which makes or breaks your project...literally speaking.
Completion: 50%
Cost: 50$
Reward:I wish the old tray never rotted in the first place, but atleast now I'll have somewhere to put the new battery.
Pics:
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/358681oldtray.jpg
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/358681traypieces.jpg
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/358681newtray.jpg

ya and now you dont have to worry about it falling out while your driving..lol.
i was thinking of doing that but i decided just to relocate it to the back...

ya and now you dont have to worry about it falling out while your driving..lol.
i was thinking of doing that but i decided just to relocate it to the back...

I won't do that obviously but are there any advantages to relocating the battery?

Takes that 40 some pounds off the front and puts it in the back, also frees up room. That's about it.

I'm 75% done, I'm going clockwise around the outsides of the tray, finally got out the inner triangle shape out and all along the top.

Now what's left is a problem, I might need more metal to reinforce the right side. Underneath it's all corroded, both metals, tray and car frame from the acid. It's the side with that lip that sticks out

No torch?

No torch?

No torch, and i'm trying to save the metal underneath, that's an Idea though for what's left

Thats nasty.

dam, looked like a bitch to get out

dam, looked like a bitch to get out

I got it all out, now I just have to worry about grinding it to bare metal, priming and, and most importantly realigning the frame so the tray fits.

But I'm almost done so I'm not that worried, just getting the tray to fit is gonna be a hassle...

*added LOL i make it sound so easy, it's not, it takes time and patience, i just rushed like hell today

I'm guessing you don't have access to an angle grinder.

I'm guessing you don't have access to an angle grinder.

I'm buying a grinder today, but the only power I used was light and muscle :icon16:

New pictures:
Current shape http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/358681tray2.jpg

Dry fit the new tray http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/358681newtray2.jpg

does anyone know how this is supposed to look? Diagrams? maybe you could pull your battery out for a sec? :grinyes:

Yeah get a grinder it will help a lot. It will be like a hot knife going through butter from there. I have used an angle grinder to cut through 1/4 inch steel it wasn't exactly like butter but it wasn't tooo bad.

hahah nice shoes

hahah nice shoes

I KNEW someone was going to say something, I decided to not move or else I'd fall on my face from no balance, thanks

j/k I have awesome balance, but I wanted to really get everything in the picture so I stood directly over it

Do you have it on a lift? your shoes look far away.

Do you have it on a lift? your shoes look far away.

it's on a jackstand, no setting
http://img1.yoxio.com/img/224299.jpg

hasn't moved since this pic

How'd you get that hit on the side there?

How'd you get that hit on the side there?

...don't ask me lol, i'm just fixing it :rofl:

Okay no joking around this time...don't laugh, I need pictures of your third gen battery trays, or maybe there's some diagrams that show EXACTLY how the tray should fit? The replacement(black) is a factory fit, but it doesn't exactly fit like the old one anymore.

Update-I'm already started on grinding the weld points and the surface rust

No torch, and i'm trying to save the metal underneath, that's an Idea though for what's left

Yeah but rust is like roaches when you turn the light on, once it's there, it's on the move and in your update picture you can see there' still some there, guess what? it will infect your new piece and turn all your work into ruin. so your reall not saving that much. Rust sucks.

Even funnier, wouldn't it have been easier to work by removing the smacked fender?

Yeah but rust is like roaches when you turn the light on, once it's there, it's on the move and in your update picture you can see there' still some there, guess what? it will infect your new piece and turn all your work into ruin. so your reall not saving that much. Rust sucks.

Even funnier, wouldn't it have been easier to work by removing the smacked fender?

It's a lot of surface rust and i'm removing all of that. I hope i don't need to replace sheetmetal but I might need to.


and............................
http://img1.yoxio.com/img/226357.jpghttp://img1.yoxio.com/img/226358.jpg
It took one week to take my fender off(yes I did jack up the car higher)

Okay no joking around this time...don't laugh, I need pictures of your third gen battery trays, or maybe there's some diagrams that show EXACTLY how the tray should fit? The replacement(black) is a factory fit, but it doesn't exactly fit like the old one anymore.

Update-I'm already started on grinding the weld points and the surface rust
This thread reminded me that I had a little rust to grind down and paint over in my 89, so I started taking stuff out and while I was there I cleaned all the sheetmetal in there and waxed it, much better...but still need to finish grinding down this rust(taking longer than expected, but it really isnt bad, just hard to get to with my wire-brush drill bits...)
I really should thank you for asking for pics because I needed some motivation to take all this stuff out and give it a good cleaning. I need to resize the pics and I will post them in a couple min.

I cant figure out how to put the pics on a post...They may be too big or something.
Send me an email and I will attack the pics to the reply :grinyes:
My email is:
[email protected]

battery tray pics from all 4 viewpoints...

http://home.comcast.net/~genopsyde91/tray1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~genopsyde91/tray2.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~genopsyde91/tray3.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~genopsyde91/tray4.jpg

Mr. President...Your rust problem is wayyy worse than mine is/was.:eek2:

yea i know it's pretty bad, oh well, I don't feel like changing it.

file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/default/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/My%20Camaro/New%20Folder/IMG_0099.JPG
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/default/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/My%20Camaro/New%20Folder/c.JPG
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/default/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/My%20Camaro/New%20Folder/b.JPG
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/default/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/My%20Camaro/New%20Folder/a.JPG
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/default/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/My%20Camaro/New%20Folder/IMG_0096.JPG
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/default/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/My%20Camaro/New%20Folder/IMG_0097.JPG
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/default/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/My%20Camaro/New%20Folder/IMG_0098.JPG
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/default/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/My%20Camaro/New%20Folder/IMG_0100.JPG
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/default/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/My%20Camaro/New%20Folder/IMG_0094.JPG
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/default/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/My%20Camaro/New%20Folder/IMG_0101.JPG

I put the black paint on about a year ago to prevent the rust from getting any worse...I should have ground the rust down first :banghead: Hopefully I wont have this problem again :icon16:

I just cant seem to figure this thing out... My pics should be helpful, but I cant get them to display, so if you want them, send me an email and you will get them all.

send them to me and i'll host em for you

grinding is taking a while but it's coming along, I'm going to use the dremel grinder for a while, then use sand paper to finish it up, that better work. Any rust I see around the tray, the wheel well *grind grind grind* I will KILL YOU RUST!!!!!!!

Thanks for the pics

okay here's a stupid question, anyone have pics from underneath so I can see the frame?

okay here's a stupid question, anyone have pics from underneath so I can see the frame?
I can go take those now...please send an email to [email protected] so I can send you the pics...

underneath...

http://home.comcast.net/~genopsyde91/tray5.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~genopsyde91/tray6.jpg

Damn Genopsyde!!!:shakehead
You just brought a tear to my eye...You need to save you car before its too late...:frown:

it'll be ok, trust me.

i thought mine was rusting bad because i was getting rust stains all over the driveway but when I went to change the batter one day I found a little 10mm wrench and it wasnt mine......

aside from that....you could just leave the tray out relocate the battery and run a cold air intake through the hole.....just a thought........

i thought mine was rusting bad because i was getting rust stains all over the driveway but when I went to change the batter one day I found a little 10mm wrench and it wasnt mine......

aside from that....you could just leave the tray out relocate the battery and run a cold air intake through the hole.....just a thought........

I'm practically done already lol, a few days I'll give it..don't have a welder *smacks self*

okay who has relocated batteries, just out of curiosity?

I haven't had much time to work but when I did, here's what I got done, and i'm not liking how it's looking.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/358681metal1.jpg
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/358681metal2.jpg
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/358681metal3.jpg
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/358681metal_4.jpg

There's so much rust, and I'm going through grind bits like crazy, is there a better tool I could use? I'm thinking about cutting some more metal off also because i'm fearing that the new tray will get infected AND the overall integrity of it. This stuff is weaker than I thought. Any help is appreciated as you know, thanks again

As long as the metal is sound (not rotted through), try some of Eastwood's "rust encapsulator" . It is supposed to neutralize the rust, just remove the loose rust with a wire brush and apply the encapsulator. Then prime and paint.

As long as the metal is sound (not rotted through), try some of Eastwood's "rust encapsulator" . It is supposed to neutralize the rust, just remove the loose rust with a wire brush and apply the encapsulator. Then prime and paint.

Is that the same as naval jelly? my dad told me to try that also. Thanks morley

There is stuff that just eats through rust...I used it a few years ago when I was doing some work on an 81 Datsun 280ZX...I think it was a gell...I got it at the Do It Center and applied it to the bottom of the spare tire compartment to get rid of what I thought was a little rust(give me a break, I was only 16) I walked away for a few minutes to let it sit and when I came back, all(most) of the rust had been eaten through...unfourtunately it was all rust:banghead: ...I ended up having to "cold weld" some sheet metal in there so the spare tire wouldnt fall through...what a day that was.:icon16:
Just go to a Do It Center or some other hardware store and ask them what aisle the car eater is on :smooch:
Once you get rid of all the rust, you can decide what to do next...worst case, you may have to buy the missing section of your car at a salvage yard and rent a welder...that would take care of the problem.

Should I use both the rust remover and then the encapsulator? Or should I just use the wire brush? need your opinion

What you could do is go to a local auto parts store that has a good rep and sells body work stuff, and ask questions, they will tell you who to talk to in the store that is a body man, and he/she will be able to answer alot of your questions and be able to point you in the right direction of chemicals to try on your rust. I would tell you what I've used, but I don't remember and its over 60 miles away at home, but it was some good stuff.

My .02$

Oh and rust does suck, I kinda gave up on my truck, all body pannels but 2 (hood and the fender that I had to replace and paint when the old woman hit me) being rusted kinda makes it a lost cause. I'll just try to buy a new truck over summer (well, early 90's chevy), then bring on the mods!

Personally, I would wire brush it and use the rust remover, then wire brush again, then sand paper, then I would use a rust resistant primer and auto paint...
Rust encapsulator may stop rust, but it probably just slows it down, and you have already come this far...you might as well make shure this never happens again...right?...I mean, why take a chance after all the work youve done?!?

If you want a pros. opinion, then drop by an auto body repair shop(when it doesnt look bizzy)
Just take some pics to the rust issues and go in and ask someone for their opinion...
If they dont seem to want to give free advise, then you can get it out of them by just telling them about your fender and that you wanted to fix the rust issures before you took your car into a body shop to have a new fender put on and have the car repainted...:smooch: ...they will tell you what you need to know because they will want you to think of them when its time for that paint job :grinyes: that would mean $$$ for them...

naval jelly is pink gel stuff that works good, you just have to be patient with it or it wont work.

We used Rust Eater by West Chemicals, it's a really old brand that my grandfather, god rest his soul worked for the company. He gave this stuff to my dad and told him it works great, converting rust to something readily paintable, meanwhile stopping the oxidation process...and I wanted to use something new but i can't even see the rust anymore.

We're leaving it for a day, and we'll figure out how we can weld the battery tray in, this week. Finally right?

Make sure to remember to disconnect the battery before welding.

Make sure to remember to disconnect the battery before welding.

.................................................. ...........................
ahem the new and old batteries are nowhere near the car, don't worry, I wouldn't want to put the battery in even for a dry fit until the tray is done

Should cover up the new relays/wires with something?

.................................................. ...........................
ahem the new and old batteries are nowhere near the car, don't worry, I wouldn't want to put the battery in even for a dry fit until the tray is done

Should cover up the new relays/wires with something?
Yes, push them as far out of the way as possible, then cover them.
With what? I dont know...:dunno:

.................................................. ...........................
ahem the new and old batteries are nowhere near the car, don't worry, I wouldn't want to put the battery in even for a dry fit until the tray is done

Should cover up the new relays/wires with something?

LOL..... I feel pretty stupid now, I guess thats what working on calculus does to my mind.

Wow.....

Yes, push them as far out of the way as possible, then cover them.
With what? I dont know...:dunno:

Pieces of scrap sheetmetal work, hell anything that isn't highly flammable should do alright.