Retainer Strap on Battery Heat Shield

[Ed S.]

Question pertains to the installation of the black plastic retainer strap that secures the positive battery cable to the battery heat shield - for a '64 Corvette.

I have a repro heat shield - it has a hole drilled through the side in what appears to be the correct position. ID of the hole is 0.2720 inches or about 17/64ths.

The strap that I am trying to install is an LIC repro, black plastic with two nipples opposite each other at one end and two holes along the length of the strap. The holes have a raised shoulder around them - OD of the raised shoulder is 0.4185 inches or about 53/128ths.

Questions: 1. Am I using the correct strap? 2. If yes, how does it mount to the heat shield? The raised shoulder at the holes are too large to fit into the heat shield hole; the short nipples at the end of the strap are very loose in the heat shield hole - won't stay in. Is the hole in the heat shield supposed to be just large enough to accept the raised shoulder of the strap and then when you push the nipple in to the strap hole it expands enough to keep it tight? Do I need to drill out the hole in my heat shield so the raised shoulder fits snugly into the enlarged hole? What do I not understand - what do I need to do / get?

[Don H.]

Re: Retainer Strap on Battery Heat Shield

Ed, the strap attaches to the battery cover the same way it does to your inner fender to hold engine bay wire harness. One nipple sticks through the hole in cover, the strap wraps around the cable, and comes back to the top nipple and is pushed over and down tight. You do not drill out the hole in the cover, and the raised shoulder of the strap hole does not go in the hole of the cover. If the nipple is loose in the hole of the cover, use a screwdriver or something to spread the nipple apart just a touch so it will hold in the hole.

[Ed S.]

Re: Retainer Strap on Battery Heat Shield

Don,
Thanks for the explanation on how the strap is supposed to go on - I understand fully now. My problem is the hole in the heat shield is way too large (and I did not enlarge it) for the nipple. I tried your suggestion, "If the nipple is loose in the hole of the cover, use a screwdriver or something to spread the nipple apart just a touch so it will hold in the hole". It didn't work. First, the nipple is a solid piece of plastic and not very pliable - it is not pre-cut for spreading out. I cut one nipple down the center with an razor blade - I can force a small screwdriver blade in the slice but the plastic is so hard and rigid it doesn't bend out near far enough to snug up the fit in the hole. I think I am dealing with inferior (foreign made) straps here. Since first posting this question I have found that numerous others have complained about the stiffness of straps from various vendors - other than Doc R. Accordingly, I ordered a set from Doc a few minutes ago - hopefully his will work. If anyone else has a recommendation I am all ears. BTW - Don H. has always given me great advice - this is the first time one of his recommendations did not work out so well. Hang in there Don, I will be back at you sooner than you can imagine.

[John F.]

Re: Retainer Strap on Battery Heat Shield

Ed, I am on my second 64 and have no idea what kind of strap you are talking about. I don't see one in the AIM. Can you post a few pictures?

[Don H.]

Re: Retainer Strap on Battery Heat Shield

John
64 AIM pg. 201, UPC12 A7 (Battery Page). Item 20 is retainer strap (3825551) holding Posi cable to battery shield spot welded to battery retainer bracket. If you look at the shield on the side of your battery, you will see a hole for this retainer strap. The strap is supposed to keep the Posi cable away from your Ext Manifold.

[Ed S.]

Re: Retainer Strap on Battery Heat Shield

John
64 AIM pg. 201, UPC12 A7 (Battery Page). Item 20 is retainer strap (3825551) holding Posi cable to battery shield spot welded to battery retainer bracket. If you look at the shield on the side of your battery, you will see a hole for this retainer strap. The strap is supposed to keep the Posi cable away from your Ext Manifold.

That's the one. Actually, in the version of the AIM I have the strap is shown on page D202, item # 20 "retainer". Various vendors list and sell them separately from other black and or white retainer straps used for wiring harnesses and some hoses found under the hood.

[John F.]

Re: Retainer Strap on Battery Heat Shield

Thanks Don! I see it now in the AIM.

[Chuck G.]

Re: Retainer Strap on Battery Heat Shield

Don,
Thanks for the explanation on how the strap is supposed to go on - I understand fully now.

My problem is the hole in the heat shield is way too large (and I did not enlarge it) for the nipple. I tried your suggestion, "If the nipple is loose in the hole of the cover, use a screwdriver or something to spread the nipple apart just a touch so it will hold in the hole". It didn't work. First, the nipple is a solid piece of plastic and not very pliable - it is not pre-cut for spreading out.

You could try using a soldering iron to widen/flatten the nipple AFTER you have it pushed through the hole in the battery cover.

Works for straps that get loose along the fenders too.

[Ed S.]

Re: Retainer Strap on Battery Heat Shield

You could try using a soldering iron to widen/flatten the nipple AFTER you have it pushed through the hole in the battery cover.

Works for straps that get loose along the fenders too.

Chuck, thanks for the tip - actually, that is exactly what I did a few hours ago. Your post confirmed my approach to a solution - it worked perfectly.

[Thomas S.]

Re: Retainer Strap on Battery Heat Shield

A thin washer with the correct size hole for that strap, placed on the inside of the battery cover will also solve that problem.

[Joe R.]

Re: Retainer Strap on Battery Heat Shield

Ed,

Here's a pic of an original NOS Battery Side Shield with a strap installed. The strap is an original and very tight in the hole. Didn't even push it down cause I didn't want it there forever.

JR

[Ed S.]

Re: Retainer Strap on Battery Heat Shield

Joe - thank you for posting that pic. I am sure it will be very helpful to many - including myself. I am dealing with a vendor repro heat shield and repro straps - and between the two I am sure that is why my strap is loose in the hole as compared to yours. My fix - insert the nipple in the hole - melt the nipple with a soldering gun and press it down until it expands and is tight in the hole. Call it "Eddie's Tech Bulletin # 00001" --- it works. Thanks again.