Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Removing battery in Plus 8 (1992)

What I thought would be a straightforward procedure seems a little more complex. After removing the retaining strap I cannot remove the battery from the top. After lifting the car I cannot remove from below unless I remove the brake fluid line. Am I missing something here? If I remove the brake fluid line what do I need to do to ensure there is no air in the line - bleeding the brake.

Thanks for your help.
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pull the carpet off the rear parcel shelf top and then from the vertical panel behind the rear of the seat. there should be a removable alloy panel which allows you to lift the battery out into the car with the seat fully forward. I say should as there are some cars that don't seem to have that panel installed! That's not an original fitment battery so it's been out before so I think you do have the panel fitted.

I have a 93 +4 with the same body as the +8.
The battery is lowered to the floor, then jack up the back to slide it out, replace the same way in reverse.
there is no need to remove any brake lines. do you mean the handbrake cable?, (which will move aside)
regards John k

PS. there is no alloy panel, at least not in mine, just a plywood hatch.

Very unlikely on a '92. The removable panels came later. but I can't remember when they became standard fitment.

My 97 plus four didn't have a panel it was the last of the short door cars.

My 94 +8 (late 93 construction) has the panel.

Yes, no panel behind the seat. I’ll try once more to take it out from below but I don’t think there’s enough room without removing the brake line.
Thanks.

When I did it I found jacking up the car on the diff created just enough of a gap

After lifting the car again I am still not able to remove the battery from underneath. Seems like the only way is to remove the brake line - see highlighted brake line in the attached photo. If I do that, how do I ensure there is no air in the line when I reattach it? Is there a way of bleeding the brakes? Thanks.

Please confirm that the item you highlighted is a rigid brake line. It looks like a flexible handbrake cable.

Whilst Morgan’s vary a lot I have never heard of having to disconnect a brake line to fit a battery. It is not an original battery, even if it was oversize it would still need to be fitted, can’t imagine a battery fitter undoing brake lines.

The battery is lowered to the ground from the top, then jack up the rear to slide battery out.
Consider that the battery was fitted from underneath, probably on a car ramp and terminals connected from the top.