The 140 DHC I am working on is fast approaching start up, but it needs a battery. Her high school soon liberated the battery so I have no idea what size it ought to be. Can someone please recommend a battery and source?
Also, the old 12 volt battery apparently used to sit loose in the battery compartment. I have a door for it.
Does anyone have a picture fo what that ought to look like?
Thanks. Mike Moore
You really should invest in the book XK 140 Explored
hi mike, the battery must be securely clamped down or it will come out through the door sometime. hold down arrangements are usually non stock at this age - use something solid from the battery store where you get new standard us V-8 style battery. i think i used a ford post setup for fit but memory poor.
Mike,
Even worse, if the battery isn’t clamped down somehow, and the battery is placed such that it’s hot terminal is adjacent the firewall, during acceleration the battery can slide rearward such that the hot battery terminal contacts the inclined part of the metal firewall.
No fun when the paint on the firewall is thin.
For now, one way to prevent this is to just get two of those J shaped battery hold down clamps, and fabricate some sort of crosspiece to run across the top of the battery, drill two holes in the floor of the battery compartment to accept the threaded ends of the J clamps, and arrange the J clamps vertically beside the battery, and use the J clamps to press down the crosspiece on the top of the battery, preventing the battery from moving.
There are supposed to be sheet metal brackets of some sort ( I believe they are illustrated in Rogers book) from the factory to position the battery properly to the floor of the battery compartment, but they are still missing from my 140.
IIRC, a Grp 24 fits. Take that as a remembered opinion, of 30 years ago!!
Thanks Paul, I’ll just have to measure one and the compartment. My problem of course is I spend a day working on it each week over there and as I think of what I need to get ready for the next week, I’m at my home. I really don’t want to keep driving back and forth if someone has the right answer here!
Good tip !Thanks Phil, she has one but its at her house tonight.I’ll see the big when I’m back working there tomorrow.
Yes, I have found AutoZone says they have the battery. They had two 6v batteries in some years and a single 12v I think in this one. I have found this car has had some mods done to it-it left Browns lane with an automatic tranny and is now a 4 speed. It has a strange in line fuel pump under the drivers seat which I think is THE fuel pump. I remember years ago driving to SLO with Andy and Karen and he had to stop by the side of the road and beat on it. I need to find out what pumps gasoline and where THAT is also. Not knowing where a functional pump is and knowing as I did that the battery is bouncing around is not a good feeling. It was the loose battery issue which caused me to try to see if there isn’t an ex-Coventry hold down and battery. I really like stock best. Usually. This is not going to be a shower, but it is a decent car and she wants to drive it the way she did when she and Andy were young. (She used to rally the E Type).
Michael,
See below some photos of the battery fixation of my XK 140 FHC. Although the FHC had two 6 Volt batteries originally, I opted for one 12V version. The actual situation in your DHC might be (slightly) different, but the principle remains the same. If you work the other way around: what size do I have available for a 12V battery, you will find a lot of options on the Internet or your local parts store. But take care of the position of the pos and neg pole: also here are a number of options per battery brand. Finally I went for a plain black battery (not transparent, red or with a lot of printing) to come as close as possible to the original.
Good luck,
Bob K.
XK140 FHC arrangement of 2 off 6 volt batteries, in a special unique to FHC battery boxes and bulkhead, is totally different to the shared DHC and OTS arrangement of one 12 volt battery, in one battery box, on the opposite side to the drivers position. (LHD gets one 12v battery and one battery box on RHS)
I have fully detailed the DHC/OTS 12 volt battery arrangement, and battery leads, and battery-box in JAGUAR XK140 EXPLORED book (that I co-authored) that is still available.
And no way, was the single 12volt battery just sitting loose.
It was secured rigidly in place by two threaded rods, that hold a very special angle bracket onto the top edge of the battery, pulling the battery back onto an angle iron support on the battery box floor. All detailed in XK140 Explored.
Roger, Bob, Wiggly, GaryRibbwlr and Phil,
Thanks for all tech advice and the pictures, The owner does have the XK140 Explored book and it is a dandy,
When I am at her house, she copies pages I need (spares the book from grease marks!).I am usually doing my research on how to get the next task done here at my home office with my computer and google l land.
I spent some time studying the battery box yesterday and I found it has a new home made, but very well made galvanized bottom, Absolutely flat, The only thing tethering the battery is the pair of cables!
I found a great company in Mass today,(Rogers Motors) run by Geoff and Andrea Rogers. Geof has a kit which will allow me to bolt an upright bracket through the floor and then use the standard clamp and screws to hold it down. There is no close out at the back of the box but I won’t worry about that now, I appreciate all the pictures and good advice.I have attached some photos of what we have. One of those was shot from under the car. Mike Moore, Morgan Hill, Ca.,
Hi Bob, I am still admiring your excellent solution to solving the battery mounting. I am trying to copy it as best I can. I procured the brackets you used from Geoff Rogers, I have drilled holes in the bottom of the brackets and will bolt all three brackets through the galvanized steel floor. The old floor is underneath (although the outer edges in some places are rusted through.) The main support channel is there. I plan to bolt it all down and it will look similar to yours. I have a bit of a problem though determining where I mount the brackets. I made a cardboard template of the floor to use as a drill template, but then it occurred to me that if I had the battery, I could install the battery to the brackets , optimize the battery location in the battery box, and drill the holes from those marks, or possibly transfer drill while its all in the battery box. There are a lot of options, although a Group 24 or 26R looks attractive.The thought has also occurred to me to make a cardboard box the correct size for locating purposes before I have the battery. What’s annoying to me is that I really would like to take out all the remains of the old battery box and install a totally new one, but my problem is that I now have three Jaguars apart (two of hers and my own),and not enough time. The two E Types are closest to being restorations, but the 140 DHC was bought many years ago (very cheaply) in LA as an automatic tran car, was subsequently converted to a 4 speed and then driven as a daily driver for many years until Karen’s husband passed away 5 years ago. So my objective is to make the vehicle safe, drivable (for her) and reliable and not to restore it. I appreciate the help from folks on the 140 forum.
Bob, do you remember what battery you used?
Thanks to all,
Mike Moore
Please give Karen my best!
Kudos to you for doing all this, Mike!
Thanks Paulie, but it’s actually pretty much fun. She is a good wrencher and is always enthusiastic to do things.(She is also a professional mental therapist in case I need help in that respect.) I will only work when she’s there, and she has become quite political activist with very strong views (which I support). She sometimes attends rallies. events, marches etc. so it becomes more difficult to arrange times together. Sometimes we have neighbors visit when we’re working which is not always helpful, like explain : “Why do you have to do that? (neighbor)” , “Can’t get it to fit huh?”, “Why did you take that off?”, “What’s wrong with these brake hoses that you had to replace them, they look ok to me?”–but it’s really good recreation-and exercise (crawling under it a lot).
Mike,
Like Paul “Wiggles” says, you’re doing a fantastic job!
I think you’re looking for a “practical”, more than a “historically correct” solution, but remember mine is for an XK 140 FHC.
I also should mention that I’m living in Europe and on basis of my experience in various committees of the International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC) there is still a large difference in US Standards versus the rest of the world (where many former “National” standards have meanwhile been replaced by IEC standards). This may well be the case for car batteries as well but maybe I’m too pessimistic.
On basis of the position of the various brackets in my 140 FHC, the available space for a battery is about 175 mm wide and at least 210 mm long, but this could be stretched to 250 mm (before touching the door of the Battery Box). Or in “US dimensions”: Width = 7", Length = 8¼ to 10".
The most logical is to have the NEG pole closest to the scuttle where the starter solenoid is mounted. In my case this means the NEG pole is at the back of the Battery Box.and the POS pole at the front, which is also an easier configuration for installing a Battery Switch at this (GROUND) contact.The switch can also be operated from under the bonnet/hood (see photo).
The 12V batteries I’ve found are characterized by a capacity of about 50 Ah (20 hr discharge) and/or 360 to 420 CCA “Cold Cranking Amps”. Hope you’re using the same criteria.
The battery code for the various regions/ countries may further help you in finding a US version. Looking at this list, I have to admit that we’re still far away from “one united world”.
European Type Number (ETN, former DIN code) 55042
British Battery Manufacturers Society: BBMS code:004
Battery Council International BCI 21
Japanese Industrial Standard JIS D20L
EXIDE code: EXIDE 55042 - EXIDE EB505 - EXIDE EX08
In particular the latter might also help you finding a correct US version.
Regards,
Bob
Good lord: she’d see this gang as a target-rich environment!!
Please pass along my number to her; Id loce to talk with her again!
Bob,
Many thanks for the abundance of information. I do see you moved your disconnect to the front terminal (positive/ground) since the last earlier photo I have. It looks like you have moved the ground cable directly to the sheet metal of the body versus to the engine as this car is arranged. The battery was gone when I began so I do not know if it is Pos ground or not, but am assuming positive as there is neither alternator nor modern radio. This is most helpful. You must think a disconnect is important, I have none on my cars as I use a Ceeco)(sp) tender on both of them.You battery size is info is helpful also as I have a listing of US Group sizes dimensioned in the scientific (metric) system and sure enough, they all fall within the 175 mm width range. Thanks Bob
Mike Moore.
Make sure to flash the field, in either direction you choose to install the battery.
https://www.engineersedge.com/motors/generator_field_flashing.htm
Mike,
Your observations are correct: “real experts” assured me that it is safer to place the battery switch in the earth cable. Further, all XK’s have the ground cable from the battery fitted directly to the chassis and not to the engine. And then there is a shorter flexible earth cable from chassis to engine e.g. fitted closer to the starter motor. I guess your car will still have this cable (somewhere hidden…)…
Regards,
Bob K.
