Here's one you've probably never heard before. And it's not for my 72 F100 but you guys have been my go to guys for everything auto so here goes:

My daughter got into a slight fender bender yesterday. The battery wasn't clamped down. It hopped forward enough to hit a headlight adjusting bolt which punctured a hole in the battery's plastic housing from which some of the fluid leaked out.

Can a hole in the side of a battery be patched? I'm thinking some sort of epoxy but I wasn't exactly sure.

 

Buy a new Battery!!!

 

x2. You need to flush the vehicle with baking soda and get all that acid out of there. It will eat your clothing also, and just about everything else it touches.

Bolt the new battery down.

 

I would try to epoxy it before I bought a new battery......unless the battery is really old. You really should have the battery tied down. I have a few of the original plastic battery hold downs if you are interested. The bolts and nuts are still available from Ford the last I checked. Actually, it has been quite a while since I bought the bolts from them so I don't know if they are still available.

 

Serious? I'm all for saving a buck, but when it comes to something like a battery I wouldn't cut corners. If it is still fairly new, take it back to where you purchased it. See if they will work with you.

 

That is now a safety issue. New battery, im not sure epoxy would even seal where acid leaks.

 

I used to work in a plastics factory. One of the items we made were battery cases and tops. Some of the defects like flash were actually melted back in to the soft plastic. Epoxy works well with soft plastic. I bought a new battery about 3 weeks ago. The cheapest 24f I found was at Walmart. Cost? About $80.00 with tax. Cost of good epoxy? About $6.00. I have not tried it but I think it will work. If the epoxy seals the plastic box I don't see how it would be a "safety Issue".

 

Thanks everyone, but I wasn't asking if anyone thought it was a good idea or not, I was asking if anyone "actuall knew" if the hole could be patched. So far Dav1972 has the best response.

I've been an FTE member for years and everytime I have a question like this there's always one of y'all out there with the answer.

Again . . . thanks.

 

I don't think it was the best response, but it was the response you were looking for!
So when I see your questions, I'll be sure to give you the answer "YOU" want, right or wrong.
Once patched you can always use some duct tape as your hold down. Afterall, your not worried about safety.

 

If it was mine I would try to save it, at least for a jumper battery. Take it out of the car, tip it up a bit so it's dry around the hole. Rough it up a little and wipe with some sort of cleaner. I always like Brakleen because it leaves no petroleum residue. Any good 2 part epoxy should work. You will need electrolyte to refill that cell.

 

1965/72 F100/350 as original: C5AZ-10718-A .. Steel w/a rubberized coating Battery Holddown Clamp. The coating flaked off, clamp began to rust.

1973: FoMoCo replaced C5AZ-10718-A with: DODZ-10718-B .. Plastic Battery Holddown Clamp.

DODZ-10718-B original applications: 1970/72 ('73/77) Maverick/Comet.

DODZ-10718-B after replacing C5AZ-10718-A: 1965/72 F100/350 / 1965/72 ('73/76) Galaxie/LTD / 1966/71 Thunderbird / 1966/72 ('73/77) Bronco / 1969/71 Continental Mark III.

The J bolts that fit thru the holes in the clamp, then hook onto the battery tray are available from autoparts stores.

However, there are several different lengths of the J bolts. Since the DODZ plastic holddown clamp is thicker, the J bolts are longer.

 

Actually, since you're a jerk, just ignore my questions and don't respond.

Guess what holds battery acid inside a battery . . . that's right, plastic.

Hobby stores sell plastic making kits. My son makes plastic things from hobby store plastic. I wasn't asking a rocket science question, just one about plastic. Know how the plastic battery body is made? That's right, it's melted into shape. Know how to melt plastic? That's righ again, you use heat.

This isn't even for my Ford. It's for my daughter's Tercel. The reason I ask questions here is that these guys have been clutch for years now. I've tried other forums but nobody beats these fellers. I just figured it was worth a shot asking since I figure someone around here has messed with plastic.

BTW, the battery is about a year old so I don't want to give up on it right away but if someone here had a response like "I design and build plastic battery bodies and they're one of a kind and unpatchable. Take it from me that trying to repair it is definitely dangerous" then I'd say OK thanks, I'll get a new one.

But on the other hand if someone responds "ya, go down to HobbyTown USA. They sell a $4 kit that is the exact same grade of plastic as is used to make battery bodies" well then I'd say thanks pal, then I'd do a little research on the subject and then decide.

 

That's true today, unless you buy a reproduction tar top "Autolite Stay-Ful" battery that was the original equipment in these trucks.

The tar top battery case is made of rubber. Plastic Motorcraft batteries were introduced in the late 1970's.

My '65 F100's tar top Auto-Lite Stay-Ful R-27-F (70 amp) died in 1981, so I installed a Motorcraft R-27-FA (80 amp) in its place.

 

Yep, I have done it before. The battery was fairly new, some how poked a hole in the side. Cleaned up the hole as best I could, then sealed it up with black silicone. Refilled the cell with acid. Can't remember how many years I did get out of it after that but it did work.

 

Here are some youtube vids. The danger is in the heat since there are gasses in the battery.

How to repair and glue Polyethylene and Seaboard - YouTube

Welding a Plastic Kayak - Crack Repair - YouTube