88 Van Wagon - biggest battery that fits?

[IdahoDoug]

So, the stock battery is a Group 51. It is comically small to me, and we live in a Northern climate, plus this van will be used in rural areas away from help if a battery is challenged. So I'd like to jam a bigger battery in it and wondering if anyone else has done so? I think this size has 500 CCA or so and I'd like to get a bigger rating.

Thanks in advance.

[IdahoDoug]

Nevermind - got this resolved. Bought a nice stock size battery as I couldn't wait. Motoring around with a boat battery attached with jumper cables is unsafe and worried me. Thanks.

[Yokohama]

You will notice that the battery tray is designed to hold two batteries like in the diesel L300. So of course, you can just fit one large battery. I believe the Diesel guys sometimes do this too.

[IdahoDoug]

Yeah, I did notice an awful lot of space, and thats why I was asking. Since the battery connections are set up for terminals at the front of the space (for the single stock size 51), I was hoping someone else had figured out which larger battery would fit. But as I said, I ended up getting a 51.

Doug

[teamtestbot]

I did this exact thing when first getting my van running - the Autozone we crash-landed in front of did not have a Group 51 battery, so I bought the low-shelf Group 34* and it fits fine.

*I am 99% sure it was a 34. I'll go check tomorrow.

[Terence Yuen]

I recently upsized my L300's battery type to 55D23R (same size as that in early Montero 3.0L/3.5L). Because the battery width is greater, the battery holder from a Delica Star Wagon/Van or L300 wagon/van 1986-on diesel model is required to clamp the battery.

You will notice that the battery tray is designed to hold two batteries like in the diesel L300. So of course, you can just fit one large battery. I believe the Diesel guys sometimes do this too.

The L300 diesel battery tray is larger than the petrol battery tray. Also, the hole in the L300 wagon/van 1986-on petrol front floor for the battery is not big enough to insert a diesel battery type.

[IdahoDoug]

Yes - the opening to the battery tray appeared to be quite a limiter on my petrol 1988 model.

[originalkwyjibo]

Here's a thread discussing dual batteries in a diesel. http://www.delica.ca/forum/viewtopic.ph ... it=battery The first pic in the thread is of a diesel battery compartment with what appear to be two group 24 batteries. It's definitely wider but I think you could probably squeeze two group 51's in there if you rotated them 90 degrees so they were side by side. This would give you in the neighborhood of 1000 cca depending on brands. I have borrowed a battery from another car on occasion and if I remember correctly was able to fit singly a 24 and either a 34 or 35 at different times with no trouble.