Wiring for Battery relocation.

[Allan74]

Should I run a fuse or a breaker in the trunk, at the battery ? (just to kill the wire, incase of ground-outs under the car).......

How big of a fuse or breaker should I use ? 100A ? Bigger ? Smaller ?
Again, this just has to carry enough juice to support the system and is only there for protection of the 25ft power lead itself.....nothing more.

I am going to run 2 x Main 0 gauge runs from the trunk to under the hood (1 blk & 1 red obviously) and run distro blocks with 4 gauge where ever else needed.

I ordered 25ft of black and 25ft of Red 0 gauge, then 20ft black and 20ft red 4 gauge to patch things together and add strategic grounding with under the hood and to the frame.

[Rapier46]

What are you doing for distrubution blocks?

[Allan74]

The usuall...Stinger Blocks most likely....why do you ask ?

[Rapier46]

just wondering, i need something for custom grounding kit. and i might do bettery relocation sometime. I have a bunch of wire for it, never got around to it on my GTS.

[archaeic_bloke]

can you PM me where you buy your blocks and wire? or just post it up here... thanks,

[natetheguy]

just run a fuse, maybe 200 amp if you can find one? and just ground the battery in the trunk instead of running a wire to the front. maybe double up both 0 guage wires on the 12 volt depend on how much current you need.

just some idears....

[mcfly]

I want to move my engine bay fuse panel into the truck with my battery. Well remove it completely. No abs anymore, no hicas, would have to run new power wires for lights. Attesa will be manual control. Anyone see any issues with my idea.

Also, 0 gauge will carry more then enough amps with the length used in a car. Maybe j-ran can be more help. My amp knowledge is based on welding, he is more electrically inclined then I am.

[Allan74]

Unfortunately, 'back in the old days', I made a decent living as a Car Audio installer.......and I know the importance of a ground....lol

Redundant or not, there will be full 0 gauge runs from front to back in both red & black ;)

As far as a breaker, I am going to run a 150 AMP for the battery main and call it a day.

[GRIP]

I would stick one in just to be safe, I had relocation kit before and there was a spot where the cable was rubbing and got a tiny hole in the insulation and started to arc a bit, thank jebus I was only 2 min away from my place, it tripped the CEL on and off and would almost die, nothing got fried which is good.

depending on you current draw / load I would think a 120 amp would work fine for you, or a 150 amp if your going to use multi fuel pumps. I was just looking for a dual battery kit for another project and it came with a 250 amp fuse for 2 batterys

the main fuse in the engine bay is a 75 amp fuse

[GRIP]

I want to move my engine bay fuse panel into the truck with my battery. Well remove it completely. No abs anymore, no hicas, would have to run new power wires for lights. Attesa will be manual control. Anyone see any issues with my idea.

http://www.summitracing.com/search/?keyword=wiring%20harness%20fuel%20injection&dds=1
Painless makes a bunch of loom kits for fuel injected cars, I would pull out all the old wiring and put one of these in, maybe merge it into some of the factory engine harness (injectors ect..) to keep a clean look and re-wrie all the other stuff like lights ect..

[Zacho]

Now if I remember correctly, you will need to have an external cutoff switch to run at the track if your battery is relocated. NHRA has battery relocation rules IIRC?

The way I had mine setup (I opted for battery in the bay after the fact) is external switch behind the liscense plate, 100A breaker/fuse in the trunk and in the bay. I planned a 100 amp fuse on the engine side of the switch and then another 100 amp fuse under the hood. The underhood fuse and the other at the switch is just insurance in case the cable grounds out somewhere between the underhood fuse and shutoff switch.

So..

Battery>external switch>100a fuse>cable under car>100a fuse in engine bay>Fuseblock under hood for your application. That was my thinking anyway. I'm sure you could get away with just one fuse. But it is insurance.

Damien - with practically nothing under your dash why not utilize that? When the time comes you will be able to wire the limited items you have down to about 6-8 fuses I would think. With the extent of your build, I'd start fresh with wiring despite your hate for it. Though the trunk isn't a bad place.

Taking from the s-chassis boys.

http://www.streetelite.net/pics/570/DSC00775.JPG

[mcfly]

Damien - with practically nothing under your dash why not utilize that? When the time comes you will be able to wire the limited items you have down to about 6-8 fuses I would think. With the extent of your build, I'd start fresh with wiring despite your hate for it. Though the trunk isn't a bad place.

I was thinking that, just get simple fuse panel to rewire the chassis harness, leave the ecu harness untouched for the most part. I will need to get you to visit some time and rewire with me once i have a garage.


From NHRA
I have a street car that I occasionally run at the strip. I've relocated the battery to the rear. What else do I need?
Any car with a relocated battery must be equipped with a master electrical cutoff, capable of stopping all electrical functions including ignition (must shut the engine off, as well as fuel pumps, etc.). The switch must be located on the rear of the vehicle, with the "off" position clearly marked. If the switch is of a "push / pull" type, then "push" must be the motion that shuts off the switch, and plastic or "keyed" typed switches are prohibited. Also, the battery must be completely sealed from the driver and/or driver compartment. This means a metal bulkhead must separate the trunk from the driver compartment, or the battery must be located in a sealed, metal box constructed of minimum .024 inch steel or .032 inch aluminum, or in an NHRA accepted plastic box. In cars with a conventional trunk, metal can simply be installed behind the rear seat and under the package tray to effectively seal the battery off from the driver. In a hatchback type vehicle the battery box is usually the easiest solution, since the alternative is to fabricate a bulkhead which seals to the hatch when closed. At present, Moroso is the only company which offers an NHRA accepted plastic battery box, part number 74050.

But I drive on the street. I don't want a big cut off switch hanging on the back.
This solution takes a little work, but it solves the problem. Install the master cutoff inside the vehicle, positioned "sideways" so that the toggle moves forward and back. Drill a hole in the toggle handle, and attach a steel rod that will run out the back of the car, through a hole drilled completely through one tail light assembly. Have a spare tail light assembly on hand, so when you come home from the drags, you remove the rod and put the cherry tail light back in for street cruising. Next time you plan on going to the drag strip, swap lights and reinstall the rod. Since the drilled light is for the strip only, you can also have it marked "PUSH OFF" in big letters so the Tech Inspectors will think you're cool.

Something like this is needed
http://www.flamingriver.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=64/category_id=133/home_id=231/mode=prod/prd64.html

complete electrical stopper. this one is deluxe ou can get them cheaper.y

[Allan74]

Now I don't wanna relocate so much.....after reading the 'rules', I am pretty certain that the switch is not for me.

Time to begin shopping for a slim battery that won't get in the way of my Intake Manifold and piping.

Looks like the battery might just find it's new home in place of the washer fluid tank.

[Zacho]

Now I don't wanna relocate so much.....after reading the 'rules', I am pretty certain that the switch is not for me.

Time to begin shopping for a slim battery that won't get in the way of my Intake Manifold and piping.

Looks like the battery might just find it's new home in place of the washer fluid tank.

My exact reasoning. I kid you not the 340CCA lawn tractor battery from Can Tire has worked good for me. It is about the width of a typical JDM battery, but the length is about 2/3 the amount. Allows you to turn it sideways with no need to change battery terminals. With a different coolant overflow I can mount it in the bay with room to spare. I have a plenum with a similar angle to yours and my IC piping goes through part of the battery tray and there is still some room.

[mcfly]

I dare someone
http://www.braillebattery.com/index.php/batteries/ml20c/

The cut off is not so bad and you can buy battery boxes pre made

[Allan74]

How is it that I have seen guys running mini-batterys under the Driver's or Passenger's seat ? Are they not interested in passing tech inspection ?

[Snow]

^^^ Maybe they don't drag/track their cars....? Only explanation I can think of.

Maybe you could mount a switch behind the license plate... get the license plate put on a spring loaded holder (like the old muscle cars that would hide the gas cap).

Or just mount the switch behind your plate and remove it at the track. Then you could even write the "OFF" indicator or whichever as required per the NHRA rules. Who needs license plates on the track anyways? Put the license plate back on, BAM no one knows the difference.

[mcfly]

Alright, who wants to make a picture for me. In paint or something.
How would you wire a cut off switch to kill a car in the positive side.

possible with single throw switch?

[Zacho]

A DPST switch would be easiest I would think. This is the way I would have done it.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/thecordillera/battext.png

[Allan74]

Yah, the problem is, most 'battery relocations' are nothing more than extending the battery cables.

To make the shutdown/kill switch, you also have to issolate the alternator, because if you just kill the battery connection, the car will stay running.....lol

Too much fucking around. Slim battery....here I come !

[mcfly]

A DPST switch would be easiest I would think. This is the way I would have done it.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/thecordillera/battext.png

That's the picture i saw, having issues finding a cut off that works like that.
could i just run the battery and alt to one side of single pole and one side to the car systems?

[j-ran]

You fuse based on conductor size. Pick a size then find out what it is rated at, then buy coresponding fuse. Any dead-short will still easily blow the fuse, but you don't want to slowly cook the thing either, thats why you fuse based on conductor size.

[mcfly]

could i just run the battery and alt to one side of single pole and one side to the car systems?

so will this work?

[j-ran]

You will need a switch with a hefty contactor, I don't know why you would want to do this though... just switch the negative battery lead

[mcfly]

You cant switch the negative and be NHRA Legal. Has to be in the positive.

So like a 250 amp continuous switch?
http://www.flamingriver.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=481/category_id=133/home_id=231/mode=prod/prd481.htm

http://www.flamingriver.com/cartimages/prd_zm_62.jpg

[XXXsebXXX]

My car came from Japan with two batteries on it, I don't know why because there is absolutely no big ICE inside it so... Last summer I replaced the battery under the hood with an old school bus bar and rewired a 2G wire to the trunk with an inline 300 amp fuse. The battery in trunk is grounded right in the trunk floor. Since then, 5000 km went on and everything is working fine.

[mcfly]

I just thought about this for a second.

this will work correct?
http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/5946/batcutoff.jpg

[j-ran]

yes, that looks like it will work correctly... Funny thing about this stuff, there are 2 schools of thought. Number 1 is called conventional current flow which states that electricity will flow out of the positive, through the circuit and back to the negative... Actual current flow is the opposite. So the electrons are flowing out of the negative terminal of your battery, through the chassis and into all of your accessories. Just food for thought.

[mcfly]

it doesn't matter what side i switch does it, just have to do positive this time with nhra but both work?

[j-ran]

you mean switching either negative or positive work? Yes, absolutely.

[Bladerunner]

I dare someone
http://www.braillebattery.com/index.php/batteries/ml20c/



Dare? Aren't these badass? they're also cheaper than the 40 pound Optima's at the cost of less thump.

[rb-racer]

1500 usd for a 6.1 lb battery, too much for my blood.

[Bladerunner]

you don't need a 6 pound battery foo, they sell other weights too. A 15 pound is like $200 which can still run a small stereo unlike a 6 pound. I'm currently split between a 15 and a 20 pounder to make up for my beer gut vs a 40 pound optima.

[D21]

ha 1500 bones for a car batt that is almost as much as an A/C batt.

[M13]

ha 1500 bones for a car batt that is almost as much as an A/C batt.

Don't look at lithium.

6lbs. good cranking amp. BAM!

http://www.braillebattery.com/index.php/batteries/b106c/


the 30lb is more.

[mcfly]

Don't look at lithium.

6lbs. good cranking amp. BAM!

http://www.braillebattery.com/index.php/batteries/b106c/


the 30lb is more.
those are notorious for losing their charge and never taking one again.

lithium does not have the same issue and it also is the lightest metal in existence. That means lots of cranking power but little weight.

[D21]

Very true mcfly