14 Indian Battery box mounting

[swing69]

My model 260 is an electric light model. There are 2 6v battery boxes, one on each side of the frame behind the oil tank. Mine was disassembled, so I have a question:

All the pictures I have seen show the battery boxes parallel to the oil tank. The flat tin mounting strap that I have, positions the battery boxes vertical. the strap screws onto the tube, below the seat that extends back to the rear springs. The mounting strap has a repair, but looks stock geometry. The only thing I can think , there might be a tube or something that tilts the stock strap into the right position?

Anyone have any insight?

Anyone have any photos or drawings of the battery box mounting system? the parts book does not show any images. so no help there.
thanks
Mike

[c.o.]

If I were a little closer to this bike I'd give it a good study for you. I can think of one member off hand on this forum that will likely know the answer. I'll see if I can round him up!

[swing69]

Thanks Cory...I appreciate it. I'll be waiting

[Tom Wilcock]

1914 battery box mounting

Mike: The original battery box mounting strap I have mounts the battery boxes parallel to the oil tank. It will fit on my 1914, 16 and 18 frames with it parallel to the oil; tank on all of them. The left side of my strap in the picture is toward the front of the frame. Tom No.381

[swing69]

Tom: does that just drape over the horz. tube just infront of the "O" lug under the seat? does it secure with 2 screws into the tube?

Mine looks the same nearly the same. your angled section (over the tube) looks to be at a much sharper angle than mine.

My hanger is made in 3 pieces, 2 flats and the piece that goes over the tube. That piece is connected to the 2 flat pieces by 3 rivets, in a lap joint. If yours is 1 piece, maybe mine was repaired at 1 time at the wrong angle?

Pict to follow.

[Tom Wilcock]

Mike: It hangs over the frame tube below the "O" lug not the one above it where the seat lug is attached. It does not bolt to the frame. The battery boxes bolt to the 2 holes on each side of the strap. My hanger is made with one piece. Tom

[Tom Wilcock]

Mike: There are 4 battery box mounting holes on each side of the hanger strap not 2 like I said in my previous post. Tom

[swing69]

OK...mine must have a bad repair then.

what keeps the strap from moving around on the tube? with batterys, the boxes must be pretty heavy, is there another bracket that would hold the boxes to the downtube maybe? I'm just trying to figure out what I'm missing... TIA

[Tom Wilcock]

Mike: The parts book lists 2 long bolts and 2 short bolts for mounting the battery boxes (one is actually a tool box on later models). I would assume the long bolts go through one battery box, through both sides of the U shaped hanger and through the other battery box. This would clamp the bracket and boxes to the frame. The top of the hanger bracket is the same length as the frame tube it hangs on so there would be no front to back movement. The front of it is actually shaped to go about half way around the vertical frame tube. Tom

[swing69]

Its all starting to make sense! thanks Tom. One last question. The battery box itself, when sitting on the bracket, looks to have an angle cut, the same angle as the tube. To locate the height (since I have to remake part of my strap), where is the flat of the cut located with respect to the tube? even with the top edge? mid point? or where.

With the front edge of the strap having a notch, that should locate the boxes a set distance away from the oil tank. but I noticed on my strap, I almost had to straighten it out all the way to fit it into the frame!

[Tom Wilcock]

Mike: The strap has to be straightened partially in order to fit it to the frame. When it is installed, the front vertical edge of the strap is not parallel to the frame tube but slopes toward the rear. The holes in the battery boxes are offset so when they are installed the front vertical edge of the battery boxes comes to the middle of the vertical frame tube and is parallel to it. When the strap is installed, the notch at the top front starts about halfway down on the horizontal tube it hangs on. Tom