R59 Restoration Battery Rebuild

**Wakepowell** · #1 Yesterday, 03:22 PM

Has anyone here "re-powered" a R59 restoration battery. I successfully did this with my Chevelle's R79 side post battery. It was easier because the R79 top was simply epoxied to the restoration battery body. It is difficult to tell where the R59 battery is separated to install the gel battery.

**1967 4K** · #2 Yesterday, 03:37 PM

I’m interested in doing the same job. Looks to me as if we’re going to have to cut the top off.
Am I wrong?

**TimG** · #3 Yesterday, 04:51 PM

I’ll post some photos later today, I’ve done many of them and always access through the bottom.

**Lynn** · #4 Yesterday, 05:28 PM

I gutted an R-59 and put a Braille battery inside. See post #18 here:

https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthre...battery&page=2

That has been six years. I put a tender on it every few months. Usually shows full charge within just a couple of hours. It cranks great.

**TimG** · #5 Yesterday, 05:54 PM

Here is what you are dealing with if you remove a core battery from a Restoration Battery. It can be done without removing the top and this is my preferred way of doing it. You can access the terminals.

**TimG** · #6 Yesterday, 05:59 PM

Here is what you are dealing with if you have to remove the guts from an old acid filled Restoration Battery or a vintage battery. This was an original R59 that never had acid put in it. Be careful if you core a battery, the case sides are fragile once you remove the internal plastic dividers. I know of one friend that broke the side out removing the lead plates and the battery was useless.

**Mr70** · #7 Yesterday, 08:56 PM

Tim
What tool/tools did you use to cut out the bottom of the Restoration battery with?

**TimG** · #8 Yesterday, 10:27 PM

I drilled multiple holes and came back with a hand saw. The battery originally set in the case is so close to the side of the case it's hard to get a saw between the two. It's really a nasty job, especially with an acid filled battery.

**Mr70** · #9 Yesterday, 11:08 PM

^ Thank You.

**X66 714** · #10 Yesterday, 11:49 PM

I wonder if it was one of the new batteries that doesn't use the acid, if you could use a air cut off wheel? The new restoration batteries are supposed to be another battery in the Delco case, but I don't know for sure.....Joe

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