Difference between 86 battery tray and 87-93 battery tray?

[Coupester]

What's the difference and can I install an 87-93 battery tray into an 86.

thanks,
Chris

[mfpmax]

I'd almost say yes...but Ford has me confused because my 85 battery tray is smaller than my 86's battery tray.

[Mustang5L5]

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

[Hissing Cobra]

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.

[negusm]

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

[Zap's 85 GT]

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.

[Magical Kevin]

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

[mfpmax]

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

Did you put your battery on the other side?

[Magical Kevin]

Yeah i needed the space for the VAM. some of the holes lined up others i drilled myself.

[ethangsmith]

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.

[mfpmax]

ok ok...EFI = driver's side.

Now does anyone actually know if there is a size difference

[PNY XPRS]

Yes, there is.

the '87+ is larger and uses a different hold-down than the '86.

[v8only]

Yes, there is.

the '87+ is larger and uses a different hold-down than the '86.

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.

[Coupester]

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

[MR GO FAST]

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).

[MR GO FAST]

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

the original tray only can hold a small battery. The 87-newer have a bigger battery.

[v8only]

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.

[Anonymous]

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

[frankiesaysrelax]

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?

[mutantcapri1979]

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?

Why do you want to use a 58 instead of a 56? Sorry, i'm ignorant

[kj_80Cobra]

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.

[DOUBLE8]

79-86 are different than 87-93


http://www.latemodelrestoration.com/...ehicle=Mustang

[frankiesaysrelax]

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.

[midnite9150]

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

[frankiesaysrelax]

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!