89FormulaRoth

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I’ve searched on Thirdgen.org, I’ve searched on the Web, and I’ve read Jim Horner’s Automotive Electrical book, but I still need help from someone with experience. My question is how to properly wire a relocated battery. I’ve attached a schematic of the original wiring and a picture of the original wire. I had two ideas for the wiring, one of them mine and the other one a suggestion from a friend who is an aircraft electrician.

My friends idea was to run battery cable from the hatch to the original battery location where it would be attached to a 1 to 2 fuse block. The original battery cable assembly would be cut into two pieces. One piece would go to the starter and the other piece to the alternator, coolant fan, and inline fuse to the TPI.

My idea was to run battery cable from the hatch directly to the starter. Another cable would run from the starter directly to the alternator. From the alternator, two separate wires would run to the coolant fan and the inline fuse to the TPI.

Perhaps there are things we haven’t even considered, so I’ll accept any and all ideas. Thanks for your help in advance.

89FormulaRoth

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Battery Cable Picture. I almost forgot. Where does the cut off switch play into all this? The only thing I know about that is that it goes on the positive cable.

89FormulaRoth

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Anyone?

89FormulaRoth

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Is this not a popular topic or does nobody know?

89FormulaRoth

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Would something like this work?

AudioDEO

Why dont you just go down to your local stereo store and buy a nice fused distribution block. Then run a nice 4 guage or 2 guage power wire to new batter location. Hook up the new distribution blocks to the factory connections and the new cable to the battery and ground your battery to the chassis and presto done.

89FormulaRoth

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Thanks to AudioDEO and Miles Koolmeister for replying to my question. After considerable thought on the subject, I've decided to go with the Trunk Mount Battery Helper Kit from Mad Electrical http://www.madelectrical.com/catalog/tm-1.shtml. It was recommended to another Thirdgen member by Lon Salgren.

I spoke with Mark Hamilton at length about his kit and whether or not to use a master disconnect switch. Given that my car will primarily be used on the street, I decided not to use the master disconnect switch for now. Perhaps I'll delve into this subject again in the future if I become more serious about racing and when I'm not so busy playing jet painter, husband, father, groundskeeper, etc.

I did learn a few things that I'd like to pass on to others before they make the same mistakes I did. First, welding cable is not the best choice to relocate your battery. I came across several people here and on the Web that had problems with the insulation cracking after only a couple years of usage. I bought my welding cable prior to learning this. Now I'm stuck with a bunch of 2/0 cable I can't use.

Second, use the trunk mounted solenoid. This will keep you from running a continuously live (unsafe in my opinion) cable to your starter. The cable will only be live when you turn the ignition switch.

Third, GM's stock battery cables are made of aluminum. They do the job, but I'm pretty sure that copper is a better conductor. I guess saving a few cents on every battery cable produced adds up over time.

Lastly and most importantly, study your butt off before attempting something like this. I read Jim Horner's Automotive Electrical Handbook and searched the boards and the Web. I know a lot, but I still have a lot to learn. When you really start to understand how the starting/charging system works, you can make some informed decisions on your own.

As soon as it arrives, I will read Mark Hamilton's Electrical Wiring Tech Is Made Simple http://www.madelectrical.com/catalog/tb-1.shtml. I would also say that it's invaluable to find somebody who really knows what he or she is doing. Mark was nice enough to speak with me for about twenty minutes. I could've avoided a few pitfalls so far if I hadn't listened to friends of mine who don't know any more than I do. (I fully appreciate their help anyway.)

When I receive my Trunk Mount Battery Helper Kit and have the time to complete the intallation, I'll pass on any other useful information I learn. Thanks to everyone.

izcain

You said you were mainly planning on running on the street but just some FYI.... The track will not let you run at all no matter how slow or fast you may be unless you have a master disconnect NHRA specifies that anycar with a rear mounted battery has to have it sealed and a master disconnect switch installed in order to race.

Anniversary-Z-man

iTrader: (2)

What I did was ran a 1g wire from the battery in the rear to a distribution block in the engine compartment. I then ran what power wires used to run directly to the battery over to the dist. block (ie. alt, starter, alarm etc...). I then cut the ground wire that ran from the battery to the engine (passenger side head) and bolted that to the frame rail just 6 inches from the engine. Then I grounded the battery in the rear to that same frame rail in the rear of the car in the passenger side under the carpeting. It works perfectly.
I didn't bother with any disconnect switch because I didn't want to drill any holes for that kinda stuff on my car...it's mainly a street car.

89FormulaRoth

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Whew, I finally got around to start the installation of the kit I got from Mad Electrical. Things tend to take a while when you're in the Navy and they send you away for six months at a time. Anyway, the quality is outstanding. What I didn't think about at the start was that I didn't have a good soldering iron, no heat gun, no real soldering experience, and I had no idea how to make battery cables or where to get the supplies. I've fixed all those problems now and things are going well so far. I'm a stickler for details, so it's taking forever. Still, I'm hoping to have my car completed (at least the projects I started in 2004) in under a month. I'll post pictures when I'm done. In the mean time, if anyone has any questions about the hows or where to get parts, I will be glad to share what I've learned. By no means am I an expert, though. Once again, thanks to everyone who responded.