Battery relocation [Merged 3-8]

[snowborder714]

After searching and reading all the threads on battery relocation, I still have a few questions. I want to do this for looks and to clean up the engine bay. I know with a FWD I want more weight over the front, but am still interested in doing this. I won't be racing this hardcore or anything but I just wanted to do it right the first time and make it legal if I ever did really get into drag racing.

First of all, my bro did this Paint drawing of how we think this should be setup. I would appreciate if people who have done this before or are really good with wiring would take a look at it and let is know if anything is wrong (size of breakers, fuses, etc.), needs added, needs taken away, or is just overkill. I'm also not sure if I need the 2nd 0 gauge wire from the breaker to the kill switch...if someone could let me know about that too.

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I have a few questions about the battery choice. I know for NHRA you have to have either a closed cell battery or the box has to be vented. Is using an Optima battery ok if I don't vent the box? Also, what type of battery are most of you running who have relocated it?

I was also wondering if having just one circuit breaker back near the battery is fine or if I need another one near the engine bay.

And finally, I am considering mounting a kill switch for use down the road in the future. I was wondering where people have mounted them that they consider 'stealthy'. If you could post some pics of your stealthy kill switch install (especially ones around the license plate, rear hatch key lock, or anywhere that's more hidden), I'd appreciate it.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Black_Bullet]

I vent the box and I dont have an optima anymore.
Id recommend you get a optima though.
On my 1g I mounted in the passenger side hatch corner,
for your 2g there will probably be more room on the driverside rear corner.

Doing this on a fwd wont help your traction no, or your take offs, but reguardless of drivetrain it will still
help your weight balance on corners and etc.

I didnt do anything fancy, I just ran the thick amp wire back thru the passenger side of the fire wall to the battery; going under the carpets and paneling, and put a circuit breaker on it, and a circuit breaker on my fuel pump rewire line, and grounded it to the chasis in the rear and made sure I electric taped everything up real good for extra insurance.

This is relocation procedure on a 1g...

http://vfaq.com/index-main.html

 

[Gamble97]

I'm moving my battery to the rear and I'm moving my fuse box to the glove box and have a few questions.



The 4 white wires that connect to the positive side of the battery, these are now going to be moved to the glove box with the fuse box, should I run a seperate wire from these to the back of the car to the battery or should I run them under the hood and tie them in with the positive wire for the alternator? (the positive wire under the hood, I think it connects to more than just the alternator)

 

[snowborder714]

Thanks for the reply!

Can anyone else help me with my questions?

 

[swade]

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This is how I plan on doing it or a slight variation of it.

swade

 

[snowborder714]

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This is how I plan on doing it or a slight variation of it.

swade

Why aren't you putting a circuit breaker between the ON/OFF switch and the battery?

And will your kill switch won't work even though you don't have the alternator hooked up to it? I had a kill switch in and didn't have the alternator hooked up and it didn't work when the car was running. I've also read you need to have it connected to the switch to make it work.


Does anyone that has done this already have any input to my questions?

 

[toyotaturbo]

Why aren't you putting a circuit breaker between the ON/OFF switch and the battery?

And will your kill switch won't work even though you don't have the alternator hooked up to it? I had a kill switch in and didn't have the alternator hooked up and it didn't work when the car was running. I've also read you need to have it connected to the switch to make it work.


Does anyone that has done this already have any input to my questions?

The diagram shown is the way I did Sandra's car. The alternator IS hooked up to the switch. You have to run an extra wire from the alternator to the battery itself, then run another wire from the battery to the post on the kill switch. And when you do it, make sure you put the 80 amp fuse inline with it. You can take that fuse block that fits onto your stock positive battery terminal and cut it off. Then you can run all of those wires to where the alternator fuse used to be (should be on the corner of the fuse box). You can remove that fuse now because the inline fuse that you should have used is now the alternator's fuse.

 

[snowborder714]

The diagram shown is the way I did Sandra's car. The alternator IS hooked up to the switch. You have to run an extra wire from the alternator to the battery itself, then run another wire from the battery to the post on the kill switch. And when you do it, make sure you put the 80 amp fuse inline with it. You can take that fuse block that fits onto your stock positive battery terminal and cut it off. Then you can run all of those wires to where the alternator fuse used to be (should be on the corner of the fuse box). You can remove that fuse now because the inline fuse that you should have used is now the alternator's fuse.

Well, 1G's and 2G's are a bit different (I think) as my car doesn't have a fuse block on the positive terminal. But how can the switch be effective if you run the wire from the alternator to the battery then another wire from the battery to the switch?

And when you say run an extra wire from alternator to battery, do you mean 1 or 2 wires total?

Also, are you not running a circuit breaker anywhere in there? If not, why?

 

[toyotaturbo]

I didn't realize you were trying to do this on a 2G car. I've worked on a million 1G's, but have yet to touch a 2G. Only one wire comes from the alternator to the positive battery. Then run one from the positive battery to the cutoff switch. I don't run a circuit breaker because the NHRA techs have looked it over and said that they're satisfied that it's a safe wiring job the way I did it. Everything in the car shuts off when the switch is turned off. There is no power anywhere at all.

 

[turbosax2]

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=237901&highlight=kill+switch

I found this thread and it basically says that the alternator needs to be wired into the kill switch, not directly to the battery. I don't even understand how the kill switch could affect the alternator if it's not wired to it. Can someone explain this to me?

 

[RogerOlle]

I know this is an old post but if you ever got this working I'd love to know how it went.

 

[InfiniteGSX]

Not that old, and pretty much same stuff I'm doing... well somewhat. I'm doing a dual battery setup with an Isolator. Slimline Odyssey battery in the front, Optima in the rear. Alternator charge wire going directly to the Isolator and then splitting into two wires... one wire going directly to the Fuse Link in the Fuse box.

 

[Hiitman]

do you need a seperate sealed box to put your optima battery in if its relocated to the trunk? ive heard yes and no

 

[SBstar]

according to most NHRA, IHRA, etc... rulebooks you do need a box.

 

[housegsx]

If you're drag racing, probably. If it's a street car/autoX/HPDE etc you will not. I'm relocating mine right now without a box.

 

[NATAS]

Battery boxes (plastic) are dirt cheap. I just bought one for $12 the other day at a marine store. May as well just get one because you'll probably wish you did if you don't.

 

[housegsx]

Chances are that when a box is called for that the marine type will not pass tech. Probably need a Moroso for drag racing.

 

[DGajre777]

Unless you need it to pass tech, why would you put a 'sealed' battery in a box?

 

[ArticNemesis]

Unless you need it to pass tech, why would you put a 'sealed' battery in a box?

There is no need to of course.

Unless you are worried about careless people throwing items into your trunk and damaging the battery and/or terminals. Or worse, shorting the positive terminal out onto ground somehow.

 

[gy2005]

I'm pretty sure the rules require it to be in a NHRA approved box, which are almost always aluminum (moroso makes a plastic one). It also has to be vented since our cars don't have conventional trunks, and wired to a kill switch on the back of the car. All in all it's about a 200 dollar job for the box, kill switch, and wiring. It doesn't make much sense that it has to be vented since it's a sealed battery, but the rulebook doesn't make any exceptions for sealed batteries, and I'm not sure how strict the techs at your track would be about it

 

[fst91dsm]

For racing at a sealed battery box is required. the battery has to tied down in the box as well. Also a battery kill switch is needed on the outside of the car(usually in the rear), as far as I know.

 

[Hiitman]

kindof off topic but is a center taillight required at the track? i might get a hold of those old, rare all clear taillights and i reallly dont want to put a hole in em.

 

[fst91dsm]

all you need is one tail light just so your visible

 

[Hiitman]

awesome thanks.

 

[housegsx]

Ok, so I want to relocate my battery to the trunk. I just got an Optima and am pretty much ready for the project. I figured I might as well do this now because I have to tear everything apart anyway to rewire my fuel pump.

I know I need the wire, a good ground, fuse near the battery on the + wire etc. However I have some more basic questions that I can't seem to find any good answers for...

-What size wire should I use to run for the + front to the back? Is 2guage really good enough or should I be using 1 or 0 as I originally though? This also brings me to the next question..

-If I use something larger than 2guage where can I find battery terminals large enough to accept that wire? Also, everyone seems to carry terminals that screw crimp the wire like this photo.

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Aren't those junk? Shouldn't I be using one like this that I crimp myself and possibly solder as well?

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-What should I be using under the hood for a distribution block? I've seen some just put a bolt through eyelets on lugs and tighten it up and cover it in tape. I have not seen many other power distribution blocks under the hood except maybe stuff for car audio which look cheap in their clear housings and only accept 4ga wire which is too small.