Is installing a clock battery in my Imac potentially disastrous?

I've read stories that someone who replaced/upgraded their memory ( which I am planning on doing) while their iMac had a weak or dead clock battery (which I have, since unplugging my Imac causes it to reset the date & time) causes the computer to refuse to boot up and unable to find the startup disk and other related horrors.
Any advise re: battery replacement by a do-it-yourselfer vs. leaving it to an "expert", and the aforementioned plan to upgrade ram would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to wreck an otherwise old reliable and valued machine.
THANKS!

Not replacing a dead motherboard battery can cause startup problems, but replacing it shouldn't cause any issues for you. If you attempt to do so by manipulating the battery out of its holder (while reaching through the memory access door), you must note the original battery's orientation (+ & -). When you install the new battery, it must go in the holder the same way. You will have greater ease of access, if you replace the battery with the iMac's bottom cover removed. This Macworld article is a useful reference for upgrading the slot-loading iMacs, with photos of the procedures covered. The battery itself is a 3.6-volt ½AA lithium, which is carried by a number of online dealers, battery specialty retailers in your area (it's used in some alarm system components), or Radio Shack (which charges twice as much as other merchants). A good price for the battery would be $9 or less. Given the age of the computer, it's more cost-effective to do these types of upgrades yourself. If you're careful, you won't damage anything.

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