Replacing battery on Gen 1 model - is there a write-up I missed?

[Beast from the East]

Ok, I spent an hour using Search and checked FJRtech and FJRinfo. Has anyone documented the processs to change the battery in the Gen 1? I had the pleasure of doing it this last weekend. I read the Factory Manual and then tried to see if there are ways to bypass removing all the fairing and cowl pieces (and it turns out you can avoid taking every piece off, but you do have to loosen most of them so they can be gently persuaded out of the way).

If it's been done, great, please point me in the right direction. If not, then maybe I can write it up and send to one of the admins/owners to host on FJRtech or FJRinfo.

Sorry, I tried searching for a long time to no avail......

Beast

 

[user 6393]

https://www.fjrtech.com/getdbitem.cfm?item=7

 

[Bustanut joker]

Funny, I just removed the right side panels A an B... or was it C an D? Either way it wasn't life threatening.. an nothing else was so much as touched.

Send that bike back Fella. It's defective.

:jester:

 

[markjenn]

It's C & D. Once you figure out how the little plastic rivet works in the center, it's a 30-second job to gain access to the battery. It is fiddly getting D to mate properly with C - when you have the overlap right, everything lays flush - I see bikes all the time where they didn't get it right and the panels don't fit properly.

- Mark

 

[Beast from the East]

Ok, I was using 'replacement battery' and other variations of "battery" in my search criteria - should have just looked for cowl and fairing replacement.

My RX7 uses fasterners similar to the center push-pin and the philips head quarter turn style pins so I knew what I was dealing with there (well, not for long on the RX7 - I'm gutting the interior and installing a full cage in two months, so all the plastic bits will be going into a box). I found that things required less force by taking off the right side lower fairing and then loosening the right side outer upper fairing, then sliding out the C and D inner panels - less chances to break the plastic or have it scratch the tank. I also ended up being low on coolant so it was good to take off the right side fairing to add a bit o' fluid.

I agree with markjenn on the mating of the pieces back together - that's were I spent the majority of my time, getting all the bits to mate back up correctly.

I just love forums that are like this one - with high quality info vs. the high noise to signal ratio on the RX7 forum. The Bin-o-facts was right on for the battery source - fit like a glove, and was delivered in just 2 days to my door.

Never sending this bike back, Bustanut - it now has just under 24K miles on the chassis (I put 16K of those miles on it). This bike will be one of those "just did the 100,000 service" bikes. I love it.

 

[dcarver]

Ok, I was using 'replacement battery' and other variations of "battery" in my search criteria - should have just looked for cowl and fairing replacement.
My RX7 uses fasterners similar to the center push-pin and the philips head quarter turn style pins so I knew what I was dealing with there (well, not for long on the RX7 - I'm gutting the interior and installing a full cage in two months, so all the plastic bits will be going into a box). I found that things required less force by taking off the right side lower fairing and then loosening the right side outer upper fairing, then sliding out the C and D inner panels - less chances to break the plastic or have it scratch the tank. I also ended up being low on coolant so it was good to take off the right side fairing to add a bit o' fluid.

I agree with markjenn on the mating of the pieces back together - that's were I spent the majority of my time, getting all the bits to mate back up correctly.

I just love forums that are like this one - with high quality info vs. the high noise to signal ratio on the RX7 forum. The Bin-o-facts was right on for the battery source - fit like a glove, and was delivered in just 2 days to my door.

Never sending this bike back, Bustanut - it now has just under 24K miles on the chassis (I put 16K of those miles on it). This bike will be one of those "just did the 100,000 service" bikes. I love it.

Congrats!

 

[RadioHowie]

Never sending this bike back, Bustanut.

You're a new guy here, so you haven't learned yet.

It's like staring down a crazed wombat. You never look them in the eye or they'll hump your leg.

Never, EVER reply directly back to the 'nut. At best, you'll encourage him. At worst you'll get Sheep VD for your trouble.

YOU'VE BEEN WARNED! :dribble: :blink:

 

[Bustanut joker]

Whoa there Fukpickle! Misinformation is gonna get you another case of the Sheep Shakes..

Everbody knows you can only get that an' pregnant from public restroom shitters..

Stick ta Manatees, ya fruit

:jester:

 

[Beast from the East]

Anyone that quotes the great Bro. Benjamin Franklin (first Grand Master of Freemasons in the state of Pennsylvania) , esp his beer quote, can't be all that bad. I guess he just makes sheep nervous?

We have someone like that on the RX7 forum - you summon him by saying his name three times in hushed tones......

Ordered a new tire from American and it's already shipping....need to find a local vendor to mount it and I'll get my first opportunity to take off the rear wheel. Gawd I love being a newb. It's all a new adventure for me......working on my Triumph TR6 and the RX7 not so much anymore - have taken them apart and put them back together so many times I can do it sleeping......

Beast

 

[RadioHowie]

working on my Triumph TR6

You poor, sick bastard.

You have my sympathy. One of the best looking, worst made cars ever to grace the planet. I'll say a prayer for ya.

'Howie

 

[user 6393]

Anyone that quotes the great Bro. Benjamin Franklin (first Grand Master of Freemasons in the state of Pennsylvania) , esp his beer quote, can't be all that bad. I guess he just makes sheep nervous?

nah, he just makes them "swoon"

 

[Beast from the East]

working on my Triumph TR6

You poor, sick bastard.

You have my sympathy. One of the best looking, worst made cars ever to grace the planet. I'll say a prayer for ya.

'Howie

HEYYYYYYY - be nice, now. All I had to do was rebuild the engine to Group 44 racing specs (.030 over, balanced, printed, moly pushrods, 3 DCOE Webber sidedrafts), rebuild the fuel pump, the radiator, the tranny (twice), the suspension (with nylon bushings), replace the shocks with Konis (including the backs, mounted to the frame, not the body), install a custom handmade African rosewood dash board (beautiful piece of red tiger-stripped wood), redid the seats, new Quaife rear end.....installed Minilites, replaced the brake system.....and then it ran GREAT! I do love the car, but drive it very little. I really ought to sell it to someone who can get more use from it.

Beast

 

[Ignacio]

I just love forums that are like this one - with high quality info vs. the high noise to signal ratio on the RX7 forum. The Bin-o-facts was right on for the battery source - fit like a glove, and was delivered in just 2 days to my door.

I'm getting misty-eyed.

 

[RadioHowie]

3 DCOE Webber sidedrafts

Hey, my '69 Fiat Abarth Spyder had those on it! Best thing about the car!

 

[Beast from the East]

yep, add one more to that conga line and you've got my setup....good breathing, lousy mileage. Who cares? The sound is awesome. Quite a story getting them to work - I bought them used with manifold and beautiful linkages built for only $500, because the previous owner 'couldn't get them to work'. They were spitting back fuel and he'd burnt two of the venturis. Turns out the manifold he had was made for a later model year Triumph (he was trying to mate them to a TR250) and they had moved the intake ports on the head slightly If he'd just checked the maniford gasket against the head and manifold, he'd have noticed that the runner holes did'nt match precisely, and the airflow was basically hitting the head and turning back out the carbs. I had a welder build up the aluminim on some sides and bore it out on others for ~ $60, replaced the two venturis and viola, instant 50 extra horsepower.

Do you still have the Abarth? Unbeliveable some of the prices for them now, esp the TZ1s.....

 

[RadioHowie]

Do you still have the Abarth? Unbeliveable some of the prices for them now, esp the TZ1s.....

Oh hell no...that POS dissolved into a pile of rust 30 years ago. <_<

But it WAS fun while it lasted. About 10 years of nightmarish electrical and quality problems. But GOD did it haul ass and sound monumental!

Trust me, back in the 60s and 70s Magneti Marelli electrical systems made "Prince of Darkness" systems by Lucas look like stuff space shuttles are made of.

 

[Beast from the East]

Actually, and try not to laugh, the Lucas systems were not that bad - in fact, British wiring diagrams are really the best - every wire has its own color scheme and you know exactly where things went based on the color. Try doing that in a modern Jap car - everything is red, white, blue, and black. The biggest problem was they would take their grounds all to the same point (like 5 or 10 ground wires all attached by the same nut), and it was a place that usually rusted. That would then cause massive systemic failures that gave Brit cars their bad rep....

Now, the British can't make a good linkage to save their lives....why use a straight, single piece of metal when you can use 6 pieces all tied together with grommets, escutcions, bits of brass, speed nuts....<sigh>, pathetic.

Okay, time to go home. Night all.

 

[wfooshee]

I'm just amazed that in the same thread, RH ridicules a TR6 and then gets all sentimental about his Fiat. Geez. . . .

I guess he really does go both ways.

 

[Bungie]

I'm just amazed that in the same thread, RH ridicules a TR6 and then gets all sentimental about his Fiat. Geez. . . .
I guess he really does go both ways.

ESPECIALLY an Abarth Fiat.. Rednecks learned their craft from Abarth.