Relocating one of my batteries

[JMBailey]

Hey Folks -
I got a battery placement question on my 215 EC. currently both of my batteries are on the port side of my engine compartment and in order to get to the lowest drain plug on that side I have to remove the rear battery. This is a huge pain! I am thinking about moving one of my batteries to the starboard side of the engine compartment. Any thing I need to consider other than potentially extending some of the cables?
thanks in advance for the help!
john

 

[Lazy Daze]

Sure, no big deal to move the battery.

But... I used to have a boat just like yours with two batteries, mounted exactly as yours are, and I never had to remove a battery for winterization. Which plug are you referring to? Sometimes it's just a matter of attacking the plug from a different position.

 

[JMBailey]

thanks for the reply. I have three plugs plugs on the port side. I believe the top one is the exhaust manifold, the middle one is the block and the lowest one is farther back and underneath the rubber hose coming in from the stern about three inches lower than the shelf the batteries sit on. The only way I can BARELY get to this plug is to pull the back battery and wedge myself down there and reach around from the back. The starboard side does not have the lower plug. Does this make sense?

 

[Lazy Daze]

Yes, that makes sense. The one you are referring to is at your fuel cooler. If I remember correctly, I used to reach it from the front, sticking my arm in while laying on my back. But, I found it even easier to simply remove the hose from the t-stat housing and push it down low into the bilge and drain whatever water is in it that way. Then I didn't have to remove the blue plug. The other option is to cut the hose and put a new drain in on the front side of the fuel cooler.

 

[JMBailey]

thanks - I take a look at that hose is see if I can remove it easily. that would be much easier!

 

[Lazy Daze]

Give it a twist to help free it up. If you need to, use a slip-joint pliers and a rag. Grip the hose just hard enough to keep it from slipping. Once it "cracks" free (makes a cracking/popping sound), you can then slide it off the nipple.