Battery Slot

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RaneeHobbs
Posts: 54
Joined: Sun Dec 20, 2015 3:18 pm
Your car is a: 1976 Fiat 124 Spider
Location: Great Falls Montana

Battery Slot

Postby RaneeHobbs » Mon Jun 06, 2016 7:50 pm

Question: I notice some dried battery acid around the battery. I checked the battery and saw no problem with the battery. First, why would there be dried battery acid around where the battery is. Second, what is the best why of cleaning this up and making it not happen again.

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So Cal Mark
Posts: 13839
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2006 3:45 pm
Your car is a: Fiat
Location: upland, ca.

Re: Battery Slot

Postby So Cal Mark » Tue Jun 07, 2016 12:00 am

overcharging the battery can cause the fluid to boil and you'll get vapor and wetness. Baking soda works well to neutralize it. I'd definitely check the charging voltage
Mark Allison
allisonsautomotive.com Fiat and Alfa Romeo parts and service. Performance parts our specialty!
Headers, ignitions, wheels, cams, flywheels
starsmark@hotmail.com 909-981-3566

RaneeHobbs
Posts: 54
Joined: Sun Dec 20, 2015 3:18 pm
Your car is a: 1976 Fiat 124 Spider
Location: Great Falls Montana

Re: Battery Slot

Postby RaneeHobbs » Tue Jun 07, 2016 11:46 pm

Ok, next question. There is quite abit of corrosion on the metal where the battery sits, how should I clean it and is there some kind of paint to keep it from getting worse?

DieselSpider
Posts: 2130
Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2014 10:21 pm
Your car is a: 1978 124 Spider with Isuzu Turbo Diesel

Re: Battery Slot

Postby DieselSpider » Wed Jun 08, 2016 5:10 am

After a complete baking soda neutralization of the acid you could take a rag soaked in a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water and let it sit for a day to remove/dissolve the rust and after a good flushing with water dry it out and use the rust proof primer of your choice putting a plastic battery tray with a drain hose under the battery to route any stray acid seepage away from the sheet metal and down to the ground.

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v6spider
Posts: 1035
Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2006 6:57 pm
Your car is a: 4.3L V6 Powered 1972 124 FIAT Spider
Location: Mount Vernon WA

Re: Battery Slot

Postby v6spider » Wed Jun 08, 2016 5:00 pm

RaneeHobbs is your spider an early model with battery up front? Or is yours the later model with battery in the trunk? Mine is a 72 and I moved the battery to the trunk. It cleaned up the engine bay for one and the weight dispersion is vastly better I think..

Cheers!
Rob
http://www.v6spider.com
4.3L V6 Powered 1972 124 FIAT Spider

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Turbofiat124
Posts: 183
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2011 5:18 am
Your car is a: 1980 Spider 2000 turbo
Location: Kingsport, TN

Re: Battery Slot

Postby Turbofiat124 » Thu Jun 09, 2016 4:03 am

My 80 model was doing this. I never got to the bottom of it but I think it was because i was using an old Craftsman's battery charger to recharge the battery every 2 or 3 months during the winter. The kind that doesn't turn itself off. I think it was boiling the acid/water out of the battery. I was connecting the battery charger to the alternator post so I didn't have to pull the cover off.

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Since then I bought some of those trickle chargers from Harbor Freight for all of my cars and last time I pulled the cover have not noticed any sulfur buildup around the battery.

As mentioned backing soda and water will neutralize any acid. I took a wire brush to the rusted metal and painted it with Rustoleum silver.


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