How about go to Knects' s Auto Parts and tell them.
They must be selling 'wrong' 48's or I have my numbers mixed up.

I can believe you about a Westy battery cover though ...
But I don't even like those screw-down covers.

Once in a while one needs to get to the battery FAST.

shout ..I even dealt with a fuel fire right above an alternator on a
non-vanagon vehicle a while ago ( who puts a silly 0-ring type fuel
connection right above an alternator and then makes it so how the fuel
fitting stays together is mickey mouse ...? Dumb !

Got the fire out instantly after shutting off engine.
but the fire  came right back.  Got it out again ..came right back.
etc. until I put it out about five times and it finally stopped coming back.

That was a case where turning off the engine AND taking a terminal off
the battery would have resulted in the 'normal' only having to put the
fire out once.

< it was btw, shorted wires by the alternator ..
and few cars have fuel lines and a connection right above an alternator >

therefore ..I'm not a big fan of screwed-down westy battery covers.
I also like battery switches on my  'keeper' vehicles..the kind that has
a big red 'key' on top.

On 7/8/2015 2:29 PM, Dennis Haynes wrote:
> 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
>>>
>>>
>>>