Here is a BCI battery spec chart

http://www.interstatedealers.com/IBCatalog/common/automotive_spec.pdf

The BCI group 41 is 6-5/8 inches tall.

The BCI group 48 (H6) is 7-1/2 inches tall. It will not fit under the screwed down cover of a Westfalia battery box. 

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of SDF ( aka ;jim lahey' - Scott )
Sent: Wednesday, July 8, 2015 6:42 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Finding the PERFECT starter battery! (UPDATE!)

sure sounds like a lot of hassle.
All I have done for YEARS is ask for a battery for an 82 Diesel Vanagon ....it's even an US model !

a 48 is what they give me.

that is a VERY 'traditional' VW Battery ..
it's not tall...
the terminals are in the right places...
it fits
they come with provision for the positive terminal cover .
plus it's more CCA's than a 41.

like what's not to like ???
gettin' overly complicated seems to me.

On 7/8/2015 7:23 AM, PB wrote:
> David,
> Thinking that I was getting an exact replacement for my discharged 
> battery, I went online and looked for a group 41 battery.  When I saw 
> that it was a Bosch, and the photo provided actually LOOKED like my 
> battery, except that there was no sticker, and the terminal cover was 
> not there - no big deal - just reuse the old one...I didn't ask them 
> anything.  The store is basically staffed with kids.  The manager, 
> also young, is usually the only one who knows anything.  I just showed 
> them the description from their website.  I didn't go through, "What 
> is the make and model of your vehicle,etc., etc."  I just now looked 
> it up on their website, and after putting all of the requested info 
> for batteries, it came up with this product 
> <http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/9652149/00854>, which is not 
> even a battery!!!  I will go to my battery place and see what they have to say about this situation.
> Patti
>
> On Wed, Jul 8, 2015 at 9:49 AM, <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:
>
>> Patti, your old battery appears identical to mine, which I bought at 
>> Pep Boys 4 years ago.  If it has the nipples for vent hose 
>> attachment, it IS identical to mine, including the strap.  Pep Boys 
>> also sells the vent hoses in case a PO removed them from your compartment.
>>
>> The new battery, as you observed, does not have the cover for the 
>> positive post.  That is a dangerous situation, and since you observed 
>> that the lid contacts the post, it is simply not an acceptable battery for your van.
>> Even with the post cover, I still cover the battery with a rubber sheet to
>> prevent contact with the metal lid.    I know that folks say that there is
>> a rubber lining on the lid, but mine does not have one, just bare metal.
>> There is a foam gasket around the edge, but no rubber liner.
>>
>>
>> I am disappointed to learn this, because I thought that when I came 
>> to need a new battery, I could go back to Pep Boys.  Are you certain 
>> that the one they provided you is the one listed for the van, or is 
>> it one that they had in stock, and thought would fit?  Such things 
>> happen.  Does it have the foot for the factory bracket?  If you look 
>> at the base of your old battery, it has a foot molded on the bottom 
>> that has a slot where one end of the factory bracket (clamp) fits, or 
>> at least mine does.  This is a very secure way of holding the battery 
>> in place.  Batteries without it really need to be shimmed with blocks 
>> of wood or some non-conducting material so that they do not move around in the compartment.
>>
>> mcneely
>>
>> ---- PB <pbrattan@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> When I opened my battery compartment, it looked like I already HAD 
>>> the
>> perfect
>>> battery
>>> <
>> http://s74.photobucket.com/user/edtech2000/media/2015-07-07%2018.58.3
>> 5.jpg.html
>>> !
>>> It already had a strap and a terminal cover, so I went to Pep Boys 
>>> to
>> swap
>>> it out for a new one.  The new battery they brought out was a group 
>>> 41 Bosch, but NOT THE SAME BATTERY!!!  The new one was slightly 
>>> taller and narrower from side to side than the old one.  We did 
>>> decide that
>> including
>>> the height of the strap on the old one, they were both actually the 
>>> same height.  However, this new one didn't have a strap or a terminal cover.
>>> Pep Boys claimed that my old battery <
>> http://s74.photobucket.com/user/edtech2000/media/2015-07-07%2018.58.3
>> 5.jpg.html
>>> was discontinued and replaced with this new model <
>> http://static.pepboys.com/images/productImages/56564100/BOSCH-BATTERY
>> -41-675B-TOP.jpg
>>> ,
>>> which ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT LOOK LIKE THIS PHOTO, so I decided to keep 
>>> my core until I was sure of the fit.
>>>
>>> My husband, who was helping me with the install, fashioned a way to 
>>> lower the battery into the compartment by using some ratchet straps 
>>> that I already had.  Once the battery was in the compartment, the 
>>> bolt on the positive battery terminal connector stuck up high enough 
>>> to prevent the compartment lid from closing properly. Since it was 
>>> already dark when we discovered this, I decided to wait until 
>>> tomorrow to check this local
>> place
>>> that specializes in batteries of all sizes and shapes 
>>> <http://www.batterypower-inc.com/home.nxg>.  In fact, "Battery Power"
>> has
>>> already BUILT a discontinued battery for an electric bicycle I have.  
>>> I have also been able to find several motorcycle batteries of very 
>>> odd
>> sizes
>>> and shapes, in stock for immediate purchase!  Had I known that Pep 
>>> Boys
>> did
>>> not have an EXACT replacement for my battery, I would have gone to
>> Battery
>>> Power in the first place. I  am sure that one way or another I can 
>>> count
>> on
>>> them to either resolve the bolt issue, or sell me a new battery that 
>>> will fit as well as the old one. They may even have battery carrying 
>>> straps
>> and
>>> terminal caps in stock!
>>>
>>> By the way, while my starter battery was removed from the car, I
>> discovered
>>> that my stereo, dome light, and fluorescent light all worked. I 
>>> don't
>> know
>>> if that means that I already have this kind of battery relay system 
>>> <
>> http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=2418&category_id=&categ
>> ory_parent_id=
>>> installed.  Tomorrow I will take a look at the aux battery to see if 
>>> I
>> can
>>> figure it out. I do know that there is a 12-volt receptacle attached 
>>> to
>> the
>>> aux battery, and I have used it many times.
>>>
>>> An up date will follow!
>>> Patti
>>> 90 Westy Automatic
>>> Los Angeles
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *♪♫**♥**♫♪♪♫**♥**♫♪♪♫**♥**♫♪♪♫**♥**♫♪*
>>> If it's not on my Smart Phone, it doesn't exist...
>>> ●▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬♥▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬●
>> --
>> David McNeely
>>
>>
>>
>