Today, my OEM battery reached a state that necessitated replacement. So I purchased an Optima red top 34R battery. After I shim it with some wood on the bottom so the clamp can hold, it should be good to go. On the way back from the auto parts store I noticed my sound system was performing better. That's a big plus, but the real test will come in the morning when I start the car.

 

i had issue with the neg. connector being loose . i had to pound some lead flat and shim it . but was fine till i let it go flat .

 

I didn't shim mine on the bottom. I had put a "battery mat" in there under the OEM battery and just left that where it was, then made a shim to fit under the clamp as it goes across the top of the battery - I had a chunk of old 1½-inch thick lumber that I just cut to fit between the posts, shaved the edges a bit with a chisel, and it works fine. Have had it that way for about six months - no problems. Not elegant, but it works.

 

I had to replace the negative cable and tweak the positive a little to fit but it was well worth the money. It may have just been in my head but my car seem to run better. The main reason I bought it was so I can turn it on its side and delete my battery box for straight exhaust. I'm gonna start that project after the Dragon

 

The OEM battery on my 2005 MCS died after about 4.5 years. I just installed an Optima 34R and want to share my experience. After initially test fitting the Optima, I could see that it fit nicely under the front bracket. The rear bracket however did not clamp down on as much of the Optima's base as I would have liked. In fact the Optima was quite loose. Rather than use a shim or mat, I used one of the Group 65 Adapters that came with the 34R. I snapped it onto the rear edge of the Optima which gave the bracket plenty of gripping surface. Nice and snug. Like others I also had to straighten the B+ cable lug so it would clear the top of the battery. I didn't have any issues with POS or NEG terminal clamps being too loose, just tightened them a little at a time and kept checking till they stopped rotating on the posts. Unlike the OEM battery, the POS terminal on the Optima is exposed, which I'm not crazy about. So to be on the safe side, I added a length of water pipe insulation (from the home center) to cover both terminals and zip-tied them into place. I also tied down the no longer needed vent tube to keep it from flopping around. I'm looking forward to many years with the Optima. So far so good!

 

I ended up putting a block of wood on top and the clamp holds well now. The group 65 adapter that came with the battery did nothing for the clamp. Maybe I just had it on wrong.