what do i need to remount the battery in the trunk? is there any kit or company i should call? does the ground have to be to the motor?
68blueracer
If you get cables in that kit they must be some cheap *** cables. One decent 54" long positive battery cable will cost you almost that much money by itself.
If your going to move your battery all the way to the trunk you going to need at least 2/0 cable, not the normal 2 or 4 gauge cables. You will have to run a large ground wire all the way from the block as well or the starter will never operate. Use welding leads with the most wire strands available and get the biggest wire gauge you can afford. This cable alone will exceed the $40 for the whole summit kit. But it will start you hot engine when you come out of the 711 in August.
It's going to cost you at least $150 to move your battery to the trunk the right way. Need battery box, battery hold downs, new battery cables (+ and -), new power lead to the horn relay to powere everything else in the car. If your doing this to run the car in NHRA events you'll need the battery disconnect switch that disconnects both positive and negative wires from the battery. That switch alone will exceed the price of the summit kit.
If your going to move your battery all the way to the trunk you going to need at least 2/0 cable, not the normal 2 or 4 gauge cables. You will have to run a large ground wire all the way from the block as well or the starter will never operate. Use welding leads with the most wire strands available and get the biggest wire gauge you can afford. This cable alone will exceed the $40 for the whole summit kit. But it will start you hot engine when you come out of the 711 in August.
It's going to cost you at least $150 to move your battery to the trunk the right way. Need battery box, battery hold downs, new battery cables (+ and -), new power lead to the horn relay to powere everything else in the car. If your doing this to run the car in NHRA events you'll need the battery disconnect switch that disconnects both positive and negative wires from the battery. That switch alone will exceed the price of the summit kit.
Mark, I have to disagree with your comment "You will have to run a large ground wire all the way from the block as well or the starter will never operate." I have moved the battery to the trunk, and as Byrd3tr mentioned, ran a ground to the frame rail. My engine has all the proper ground straps in place as well, and I don't have any problem.
One item not mentioned yet is the venting of the battery box to the outside. As a lead acid battery is used, charging or discharging, a corrosive explosive gas is given off. These must be vented to the outside. One hundred percent sealed batteries aren't too much of a problem. But the rulebook still states compartment must be sealed off or box must be tight and vented to the outside.
The correct battery cutoff switch will have to be used as well. When the c/o switch is turned OFF, the engine must stop. Alot of cars don't, this will not pass NHRA Tech Inspection. One must either interupt the IGN circuit or kill the alternator circuit. Flaming River makes a switch to do this function. Running extra wires to the rear to do this is a pain, but, can be a life saver, not only for the driver, but, for others as well.
The correct battery cutoff switch will have to be used as well. When the c/o switch is turned OFF, the engine must stop. Alot of cars don't, this will not pass NHRA Tech Inspection. One must either interupt the IGN circuit or kill the alternator circuit. Flaming River makes a switch to do this function. Running extra wires to the rear to do this is a pain, but, can be a life saver, not only for the driver, but, for others as well.
The flaming river switch is great. They make two versions. One has two posts and the other has four. The four post version allows the alternator to be connected.
You don't have to run a ground back to the motor. Just ground it in the trunk. If you have a rear firewall you don't have to use a battery box. If you use j-bolts they have to be welded so they can't come off the battery base.
I bought a kit from Summit and it had Taylor battery cables/connectors and the battery mounting plate. I don't remember what it cost me.
You don't have to run a ground back to the motor. Just ground it in the trunk. If you have a rear firewall you don't have to use a battery box. If you use j-bolts they have to be welded so they can't come off the battery base.
I bought a kit from Summit and it had Taylor battery cables/connectors and the battery mounting plate. I don't remember what it cost me.
I haven't seen a switch like this. Why do you need to disconnect the negative cable? All of the switches I have seen are meant to be used on the positive side of the battery.
Because if the engine is still running following an accident the alternator will continue to generate power even if you disconnect the battery. I don't believe it will if you disconnect it's ground.
You can do the same thing by installing a switch in the output wire from the alternator between the alternator and the main splice that feeds the whole car. Either way you need two sets of contacts in that switch.
As far as grounding to the frame rail you can do that IF you use your old ground cable to connect from the motor to the front frame rail and something to connect the front frame to the rear frame or where ever the new negative ground cable is.
The engine is electrically isolated from the rest of the car by the rubber motor and transmission mounts, except for two little braided ground straps which are not rated to carry the several hundred amps of cranking current. The front subframe is also electrically isolated from the body of the car by the subframe bushings, except for one or two more braided ground straps.
If you have a high compression car, you will have starting issues if you use the wrong cables.
You can do the same thing by installing a switch in the output wire from the alternator between the alternator and the main splice that feeds the whole car. Either way you need two sets of contacts in that switch.
As far as grounding to the frame rail you can do that IF you use your old ground cable to connect from the motor to the front frame rail and something to connect the front frame to the rear frame or where ever the new negative ground cable is.
The engine is electrically isolated from the rest of the car by the rubber motor and transmission mounts, except for two little braided ground straps which are not rated to carry the several hundred amps of cranking current. The front subframe is also electrically isolated from the body of the car by the subframe bushings, except for one or two more braided ground straps.
If you have a high compression car, you will have starting issues if you use the wrong cables.
It cost me a small fortune to mount the battery in the trunk. You don't have to buy the Optima or the DSE tray but I don't see how you can avoid the other costs.
In rough numbers...
$150.00 Optima Battery. Venting issue is by-passed by using an Optima battery
$150.00 Connectors. I used high end, hi-power car audio connectors for looks and quality in connections
$150.00 Detroit Speed and Engineering Battery tray
$120.00 2 gauge, 4 gauge and 8 gauge wire
$50.00 Misc.
Note: My car won't see the drags so I used a quick disconnect terminal instead of an external switch.
Note: I'd suggest putting a Ford solenoid 1 foot off the battery for saftey.
Rick.
In rough numbers...
$150.00 Optima Battery. Venting issue is by-passed by using an Optima battery
$150.00 Connectors. I used high end, hi-power car audio connectors for looks and quality in connections
$150.00 Detroit Speed and Engineering Battery tray
$120.00 2 gauge, 4 gauge and 8 gauge wire
$50.00 Misc.
Note: My car won't see the drags so I used a quick disconnect terminal instead of an external switch.
Note: I'd suggest putting a Ford solenoid 1 foot off the battery for saftey.
Rick.
MarkC quotes:
One should have a 2/0 AWG, or bigger, strap/cable going from engine block to subframe, or as MarkC suggests, the two grd straps will burn up quickly.
After one installs the battery in the trunk, one should check charging voltage at the battery posts. Those of us with external adjustable regulators can adjust the voltage to bring it within the proper voltage, i.e., nothing less than 13.8 v.
All the switch has done is taken out the battery in the parallel circuitry. The alternator is still supplying voltage/current for the rest of the electrical system, until alt field circuit is opened up, or its output is interrupted.
One should have a 2/0 AWG, or bigger, strap/cable going from engine block to subframe, or as MarkC suggests, the two grd straps will burn up quickly.
After one installs the battery in the trunk, one should check charging voltage at the battery posts. Those of us with external adjustable regulators can adjust the voltage to bring it within the proper voltage, i.e., nothing less than 13.8 v.
If your car is running and you lift the positive battery cable off the battery what happens? Cause thats all your doing by installing a single contact disconnect switch in your trunk.
The answer is:
Nothing, if your alternator is working, because it it self exciting once it starts to produce an output since it sences voltage right at the first big splice in your wiring harness on the alternator output wire. That's why you need to interupt the output of the alternator as well as disconnect the battery.
The answer is:
Nothing, if your alternator is working, because it it self exciting once it starts to produce an output since it sences voltage right at the first big splice in your wiring harness on the alternator output wire. That's why you need to interupt the output of the alternator as well as disconnect the battery.
Moroso makes a cut off switch with the alternator field circuit cut off built in. The switch should be wired in the positive cable leading to the starter. I highly recommend you use a ground cable from the engine block to the trunk that ties into the battery ground cable. Using the chassis to conduct the ground circuit provides excessive resistence due to 30 year old spot welds, rusty bolts and other faulty connections. I use 2/0 marine grade copper cable. Be careful as some companies sell copper clad aluminum wire. This stuff melts under high resistance!
As for the box issue, I recommend the Moroso battery box as it is both NHRA and IHRA accepted (I had these approved personally when I worked there)making sure to install the external vent tube. This box sells at Summit for $89.00 and can be mounted anywhere.
If wiring in a one wire alternator, use 8 ga wire min and run it directly to the battery side of the cutoff switch. This ensures that the engine will shut off when the switch is activated.
As for the box issue, I recommend the Moroso battery box as it is both NHRA and IHRA accepted (I had these approved personally when I worked there)making sure to install the external vent tube. This box sells at Summit for $89.00 and can be mounted anywhere.
If wiring in a one wire alternator, use 8 ga wire min and run it directly to the battery side of the cutoff switch. This ensures that the engine will shut off when the switch is activated.
I am using a 4 post switch. When the switch is flipped it shuts everything off. If you wire the 2 post switch correctly it will shut everything off as well.
I understand what you are saying but there is no reason to run the negative cable all the way back to the engine block. A couple of big braided ground straps will do the trick.
I understand what you are saying but there is no reason to run the negative cable all the way back to the engine block. A couple of big braided ground straps will do the trick.
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