What's the difference and can I install an 87-93 battery tray into an 86.
thanks,
Chris
What's the difference and can I install an 87-93 battery tray into an 86.
thanks,
Chris
I'd almost say yes...but Ford has me confused because my 85 battery tray is smaller than my 86's battery tray.
No matter where you go, there you are
EDIT: nevermind i am a dumbass.
I think the battery is bigger in the 87-up cars...but even with my die hard gold i have a lot of room around the edges in my tray
Mike
-'88 Mustang LX 5.0L
The newer ones are bigger. I've tried to install one on my '79, and it's much larger. It won't fit on the subframe support rail. So, I guess it's back to the original. :wink: Also, on my '79, the battery is located on the passenger side rail, while on the newer ones, I think I've seen them on the driver's side.
Pete Slaney
1979 Mustang Cobra
347/T-5/4.30's
420 rwhp/380 rwt (New Motor)
11.49 @ 121.86
306/T-5/4.30's (Old Motor)
307 rwhp/278 rwt
12.38 @ 111.38
My 85 is on the passenger side. I think when they switched to EFI they moved it. The 86 and up cars are on the driver's side.
-Mike
Only EFI V-8 cars relocate the battery to the drivers side of the car. I know because 87-93 4-cyl alternator wiring harnesses are almost a bolt in to add the newer alternators to older foxes.
Black 1985 GT: 408w, in the 6's in the 1/8 mile
Bimini Blue 1988 LX 5.0 Coupe 5-speed, Hellion turbo, zero options
Grabber Yellow 1973 Mustang Mach 1: 351c, toploader
Black 2012 5.0 GT, 6-speed, Brembo brakes, 3.73's
Wimbledon White 1966 F-100 Shortbed Styleside, 390, Tremec 3550, FiTech EFI
2.3L Turbos run with the battery on the drivers side, as well as all the EFI 2.3's i have seen (its where i got my expansiontank/tray)
Mike is right to say the tray swap happened with the comeing of EFI
Kevin
It puts the ATF in the T5... IT DOES AS IT'S TOLD!!!!!
Did you put your battery on the other side?Originally Posted by futurexdesign
No matter where you go, there you are
Yeah i needed the space for the VAM. some of the holes lined up others i drilled myself.
It puts the ATF in the T5... IT DOES AS IT'S TOLD!!!!!
my 86 capri 2.3l has the battery tray on the passenger side- thus reinforcing the idea that only the efi cars had it on the drivers side. on the drivers side of my car's inner fender is the coolant reservoir and thermactor solenoids.
86 Mercury Capri GS 2.3L
11 Ford Ranger XL 2.3L
10 Ford Focus SE 2.0L
19 Years of Foureyedpride.com
ok ok...EFI = driver's side.
Now does anyone actually know if there is a size difference
No matter where you go, there you are
Yes, there is.
the '87+ is larger and uses a different hold-down than the '86.
--John
One Owner '86 GT - Exhaust, Gears, Basics, otherwise stock.
NOS - It's an abbrevation, not a word.
what he said is correct. It is much bigger and won't fit without modifications of some sort, I found this out the hard way.Originally Posted by PNY XPRS
Jeremy
-86 mustang SSP X CHP Unit # 3788-bone stock & staying that way
-66 Mustang, bench seat car,8.8,t5 fuel injected 92 engine
-72 Maverick 5.0 resto in process
-12SS Camaro 6 speed. 600 FWHP, Kraftwerks Supercharger
-03 z71 Avalanche 9" lift on 35s Daily Driven 20k a year. 290k miles at 11.8 mpg
Entire 1986 electrical and vacuum troubleshooting manual download
http://slantnosefox.com/picturehosti...g%20manual.zip
Are you saying the 87-93 battery tray will not fit the 1986 5.0 cars? Being in the same location and both years being EFI, I do no understand why the later tray would not fit?
Chris
I just installed a group 58 battery. I bought new cables, battery tray and hold down (for a 87-newer) from 50resto.com and it fit without mods. On my 86 the battery cables were reversed (hence the need for new 87-newer battery cables).
the original tray only can hold a small battery. The 87-newer have a bigger battery.Originally Posted by Coupester
I'm fairly certain the bigger tray doesn't fit, or it bolts on differently. I remember needing one once for my 86, and picking up an 87+ unit, and it wouldn't fit. Hmmm, My bro might have his 88 notch at my place soon for a t5 conversion, if he does, I'll take pics of both side by side.
Jeremy
-86 mustang SSP X CHP Unit # 3788-bone stock & staying that way
-66 Mustang, bench seat car,8.8,t5 fuel injected 92 engine
-72 Maverick 5.0 resto in process
-12SS Camaro 6 speed. 600 FWHP, Kraftwerks Supercharger
-03 z71 Avalanche 9" lift on 35s Daily Driven 20k a year. 290k miles at 11.8 mpg
Entire 1986 electrical and vacuum troubleshooting manual download
http://slantnosefox.com/picturehosti...g%20manual.zip
Why not just move it to the trunk. Better weight distribution anyways, and looks cleaner in the engine bay without it. Course, some people worry about a 0 gauge -4 gauge wire going the length of the car and having problems with fire, but you can wire fusible links in so that you don't have to worry.
I moved the battery back to the back of my 79 mustang, and it made a noticable difference in traction.
Later,
Aaron
So, did we ever get a clear answer? I need a new battery and I want to put in a Group 58. To do so I would need to swap in an '87-'93 tray. I already moved the tray over to the driver's side when I converted to SEFI, however the '86 tray uses a Group 56 battery, which I would prefer to avoid.
Has anyone swapped an '87-'93 tray into a '78-'86 FOX?
2R '85 GT 'vert - VIN code M fuel injected 5.0 HO
The greatest discovery of my generation is that man can alter his life simply by altering his attitude of mind.
- William James
Yes, I have on my '80. You have to cut off some of one back corner on the battery tray which takes away the mounting hole on that side of the tray. I had to repair the top of my frame rail on that side so I did not have the original battery mounting hole left to see if this tray fit at that spot. I placed the tray and then marked a spot to make the new frame rail mount for the battery tray. I drilled a hole in the fender apron to use the remaining mount on the back of the battery tray. You may have trouble getting your existing cables to fit as the posts are opposite on this battery from the original. I ordered new cables to fit. This tray is still too big for a group 58. That is a BXT-58 in the pictures below.
Last edited by kj_80Cobra; 06-01-2011 at 10:49 PM.
79-86 are different than 87-93
http://www.latemodelrestoration.com/...ehicle=Mustang
I want to use the same battery as the rest of the SEFI 5.0s, the Group 58. The Group 56 is a one year only oddball in SEFI 5.0 world. Plus I like the shape better. Another plus is the 58 is much more common than the obsolescent 56.
I guess I'll have to get an '87-'93 Group 58 tray from the j/y and try it myself.
2R '85 GT 'vert - VIN code M fuel injected 5.0 HO
The greatest discovery of my generation is that man can alter his life simply by altering his attitude of mind.
- William James
I put the battery tray from my '91 into my '85.5 SVO, it bolted right up. I sold the '91 and couldnt let the $200+ odyssey battery go to waste, lol
Good! Looks like there is no problem swapping trays as long as your battery is on the driver's side.
I'd have kept the $200 battery too!
2R '85 GT 'vert - VIN code M fuel injected 5.0 HO
The greatest discovery of my generation is that man can alter his life simply by altering his attitude of mind.
- William James
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