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Apex battery tray mod to make oil filter change a little easier!

Redbeard

Lifetime Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2011
Messages
1,659
Location
IN
Country
USA
Snowmobile
2012 Apex, 136 M20, PB80
2008 Vector, 136 M20, PB80
I modified my Apex battery bracket so that only part of it has to come out for oil filter access. Basically, the bracket comes out, except the top cross-brace and the lower mounting flanges remain bolted to frame. Here's pics for each step:


1. Weld tabs to each side of lower bracket. (red arrow)
2.Drill holes through tabs and bracket on each side.
3. Install M6 nuts and bolts and spot weld each nut. (orange arrow)
bt2.jpg






Top view - be sure bolts are placed here so not to interfere with battery placement.
bt3.jpg






3. Weld small tapered angles to the upper crossbrace only. (red arrow)
4. Drill holes through angles and bracket.
5. Install M6 nuts and bolts and spot weld each nut.
bt4.jpg





Top view - be sure bolts are placed here so not to interfere with battery placement.
bt5.jpg




6. Remove all four M6 bolts from spot welded nuts.
7. Cut upper crossbrace free from bracket with cut-off wheel. (red arrow)
bt6.jpg





8. Drill out all 4 spot welds from bracket and remove lower mounting flange.
9. Trim the new tabs on lower mounting flange around the spot welded nuts.
bt7.jpg





10. Ready for powder coat.
bt8.jpg





11. Powder coated parts
bt9.jpg





12. Installed pic of upper cross brace and lower flange. Plenty of oil filter access.
bt10.jpg





13. Fasten battery bracket with 4 M6 bolts to the 4 spot welded nuts.
bt11.jpg

Check to make sure there are no parts rubbing anything critical.
 
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Very nice idea.

Just an FYI for those thinking of this mod. The 06-10 apex uses an aluminum bracket so welder will need to be a little more skilled.
 
Just an FYI for those thinking of this mod. The 06-10 apex uses an aluminum bracket so welder will need to be a little more skilled.
...or just buy a steel bracket from you! ;)!
 
Slick, I will be doing this at the end of the season, Thanks for the info.
 
Best idea I've seen in a long time. Copied your pics! But hey you could make a few bucks doing this. I would make one more bracket to hold the electrical so I never had to disconnect it!
 
But hey you could make a few bucks doing this.
Thanks for the comment, but I have no intentions of making money from this. If sharing an idea helps even one person, then that's enough for me! ;)!
 
Last edited:
Very nice job. 1st thing I did after my first filter change was call Ulmer for one of his filter relocation kits. 1/2 hr oil and filter changes are now a snap.;)!
 


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