Battery and orientation

[Mags]

I need a new battery and earth strap, what is the right type of battery and the orientation int he engine bay, are the posts towards the inside or the outside of the bus?
The negative post is towards the rear, correct?

Thanks

Mags

 

[vwed]

The picture below shows a battery fixed in a Bay Bus, in the conventional position on the right hand side as you open the engine lid.
As you can see the earth strap, from the negative terminal, is furthest away from the engine lid. The battery posts are closer to the engine than the outer side of the Bus to make doing up/undoing the terminals easier.
I culled the picture from thesamba.com - I would advise a better method of securing the battery!

 

[Mags]

Thanks, was not round the way i was expecting!

 

[Tofufi]

My '71 is the other way round. It probably isn't as-factory :lol:

 

[Trikky2]

My '71 is the other way round. It probably isn't as-factory :lol:

Yours is correct as factory. Negative earth strap at rear.

The one illustrated was swapped round to make access to the terminals easier.

 

[Mags]

Thanks so are the terminals towards the outside of the bus?

 

[vwed]

As above, the negative earth strap/terminal is at the rear, adjacent to the bolt in the bodywork to make the earth. By definition this determines which side the terminals face. Why would you want to fit it with the earth strap at the engine lid end?

 

[Tofufi]

As above, the negative earth strap/terminal is at the rear, adjacent to the bolt in the bodywork to make the earth. By definition this determines which side the terminals face. Why would you want to fit it with the earth strap at the engine lid end?

I think there are now two definitions of 'rear' going on too.

I've got the earth at the engine lid end (rear of the bus), as the earth strap on my bus goes to (iirc) the triangular strengthener between the rear corner and the chassis rail, just inside the engine bay. The positive lead on my bus wouldn't be long enough to swap the battery to have negative at the front of the bus (further from the engine lid)

 

[vwed]

Maybe we have unearthed (pardon the pun) another difference between Early & Late Bay Buses.
My Bus (stock '79 Pick Up) is as per the picture I posted earlier.
Here is another Late Bay from thesamba gallery, a '76:

 

[Tofufi]

Perhaps!

This is from the 1971 manual

It seems to be the same as on my bus - the positive is on the front of the van (further from the engine lid) with the additional red wire running straight to the alternator. You can just see the earth strap by the earth points for the rear lights.

The 1968 (Aug '67) manual shows it more clearly:

 

[starbiscuit]

My 1970 has earth strap at the engine lid end, bolted to the triangular bit between the right-hand rear lights and the engine lid opening, like the manual says.

The positive lead is too short to do otherwise.

The battery terminals face the outside of the bus on mine, which is inconvenient.

You can get batteries with terminals the other way around, but mine came off a Toyota I was scrapping, so the price (free ) was worth a little hassle.

But ideally you would want a battery with negative on the right when the terminals are at the front...

 

[Mags]

Perhaps!

This is from the 1971 manual

It seems to be the same as on my bus - the positive is on the front of the van (further from the engine lid) with the additional red wire running straight to the alternator. You can just see the earth strap by the earth points for the rear lights.

The 1968 (Aug '67) manual shows it more clearly:

Perfect' that is what i wanted to see, thanks!

 

[weeboll]

maybe it was designed having the terminals faced away from the engine bay to prevent accidentally touching the positive with screwdriver, socket wrench, metal oil filling jug, large metal oil bath air filter etc...

 

[Airkewld]

Maybe we have unearthed (pardon the pun) another difference between Early & Late Bay Buses.
My Bus (stock '79 Pick Up) is as per the picture I posted earlier.
Here is another Late Bay from thesamba gallery, a '76:

Is that battery hold down available to buy new? I have not been able to locate one. Thanks brother!

 

[Happystamps]

I'm sure it goes without saying but regardless of orientation in your bus, the important thing is that the earth strap should never have to reach across the battery to get to it's terminal ;-)

 

[vwed]

Maybe we have unearthed (pardon the pun) another difference between Early & Late Bay Buses.
My Bus (stock '79 Pick Up) is as per the picture I posted earlier.
Here is another Late Bay from thesamba gallery, a '76:

Is that battery hold down available to buy new? I have not been able to locate one. Thanks brother!

https://www.vwheritage.com/shop/131915313/battery-clamp-t1-t2-71/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Airkewld]

Maybe we have unearthed (pardon the pun) another difference between Early & Late Bay Buses.
My Bus (stock '79 Pick Up) is as per the picture I posted earlier.
Here is another Late Bay from thesamba gallery, a '76:

Is that battery hold down available to buy new? I have not been able to locate one. Thanks brother!

https://www.vwheritage.com/shop/131915313/battery-clamp-t1-t2-71/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks brother!