1940 lasalle battery box

[camelot]

 Its hard to believe but is the battery box on my Lasalle supposed to be below the frame? I checked out an original Delco dc7 battery on line and it says its 9 inches high to top of posts.The battery bottom has to be below the lower frame rail to clear the floor. Sound correct? Or am I using the wrong battery

[tturley]

I have a 40 Lasalle and the battery is very low also. I believe it would drag over a curb.

[camelot]

I read on this sit that someone had moved it to the firewall. I'd like to move mine.  Too much of a chance for damage. I know the roads back in the 40's weren't that good so with deep ruts on secondary roads it must have been a problem.  My 39 caddy has it on the frame next to the starter.  Higher ground clearance.

[Steve Passmore]

Its hanging below the frame on both my 36 and 37 cars. Its also below the frame on my 37 Buicks and never had it touch the road yet. Even to the bottom of the battery thats still higher than a modern cars bodywork.

[Brad Ipsen CLC #737]

The currently available battery will not fit the stock box on the 40 Cad/LaSalle.  Sometime between about 2004 and now the change occurred at my battery shop.  I questioned this because on my 40-60S I had to replace the 2004 battery and the new one didn't fit (same group number and same brand).  I went back to the shop and they couldn't explain it but I found on line the new dimensions.  On the 62 and 52 series which are under the floor I had to reconstruct the battery box.  They now sit about 1-1/2" below the frame.  Not sure how much clearance there was on top when everything was new.  The cover is completely insulated with heavy tar paper so Cadillac may have called it close.  I gave it plenty of space.

[camelot]

I'm gonna put a small ball of duct seal putty wrapped in plastic wrap  on top of the battery post and screw the lid down. Hopefully when I remove it I should be able to measure the thickness of the putty with a vernier and see what it is. I'm gonna keep a rubber pad on top of the batty just for insurance against the lid. The cover is new.

[Alan Harris CLC#1513]

On my 1940 LaSalle 52, I use a NAPA Commercial group 2 6 Volt battery. I bought it about a year ago to replace one that was about 8 years old. It fits the box fine. The top is well below the surface of the floor.

Since the battery box cover curves upward from the floor, I don't think there is any real chance of the battery hitting the cover. As an added precaution, I use a pair of plastic battery terminal protectors over the terminals and cables. They only cost a few bucks. I slather Vaseline on the terminals and put the protectors on over the Vaseline.

I have never had a problem.

The box ends below the frame rails, but that has never been a problem either.

[John Barry [CLC17027]]

About fifteen years ago, I had the battery on my '40 moved from under the frame to under the hood, near the firewall on the passenger side.  I live in Gloucester County, NJ, which has a number of fairly high-crowned county and township roads--and more than a few older railroad grade crossings--any one of which could have meant trouble for the battery in the original location.  True, the purists might not agree to this move but I could argue it in the name of safety: namely, it corrects a vulnerable part of the vehicle and increases the odds of getting home again in one piece.

[camelot]

It also helps with shortening the battery cables. Anything to help the starting. If you could shoot me a picture of your install that would be great. I'm a long way from a concourse vehicle. Thanks in advance.

[John Barry [CLC17027]]

Don't have one at my fingertips but let me see what I can do for you.

[gene harl]

here's a little story.. in 1950 still in high school. I was driving a 1939 la sale that I gave $110 ... after a rain storm I was going down the road in the san Fernando valley at about 40 mph I went through a wash with a about a foot of water in it out the other side and on to the first stop sign where it died dead. after looking , I found I had no battery or box, it was running on the gen.  I still remember that 62 years later
Gene Harl  CLC22406

[JoeCeretti]

Did you go back for your battery?! That's the question. 

[camelot]

Bet someone found a nice clean battery laying in the road!

[JoeCeretti]

After the flood receded hehe