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Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables???? #133518
10/07/08 05:09 PM
10/07/08 05:09 PM
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Tampa, FL
tpabayflyer Offline OP
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I bought a cheap summit battery relocation kit and I am wondering how do I connect all the fusible link connectors???? I have 2 seperate ones coming off the original battery positive cable. Do I need to get some kind of solenoid type relay???? What has anyone else done with their mostly street driven car with the battery moved to the back??? TIA TBF

Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables???? [Re: tpabayflyer] #133519
10/07/08 07:38 PM
10/07/08 07:38 PM
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Mesa, Arizona
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Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: dart4forte] #133520
10/07/08 07:43 PM
10/07/08 07:43 PM
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Overpriced Housing Central
RobX4406 Offline
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Here are two that I saved.



Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables???? [Re: tpabayflyer] #133521
10/07/08 09:55 PM
10/07/08 09:55 PM
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Carstairs, Alberta, Canada
dave571 Offline
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Quote:

I bought a cheap summit battery relocation kit and I am wondering how do I connect all the fusible link connectors???? I have 2 seperate ones coming off the original battery positive cable. Do I need to get some kind of solenoid type relay???? What has anyone else done with their mostly street driven car with the battery moved to the back??? TIA TBF




Some neat diagrams there.

The important thing to remember is keep it simple.

I'm assuming the kit came with a box, a length of wire and a 2 pin cutoff switch.

nhra rules require that the shutoff be in the positive side, and that when the switch is thrown, all electrical operation will cease(including the running of the car)

Run the big wire from the switch in the back, up to the starter relay. Just like if the battery was still up front. Route your fuse links to the same place they were(I'm assuming on the relay post).

then a short heavy wire from the switch to the plus side of the batt.

Then ground the neg side to the body with a really clean connection, and a heavy wire. You have to have a really good heavy ground on the motor to the body also(unless you plan on running a ground wire up to the motor from the trunk too).

The problem then becomes, if you flip the switch, with it set up like this, it will keep running. The alt still supplies power.

How to stop it? I have found the simplest way is to disconnect the alternator main wire from the alt. Then run a new wire direct from the alt main to the plus side of the battery,( or the same side of the cutoff switch that the battery is on). Then when the switch is thrown, the alt is isolated, WITH the battery, from the rest of the car, and it quits running.

The other plus to doing it this way, , is that you have also bypassed your ammeter at the same time, so that will never strand you again.

No solenoids etc.. needed

I'm sure you;ll get more suggestions

Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: dave571] #133522
10/07/08 10:19 PM
10/07/08 10:19 PM
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Texas
GoodysGotaCuda Offline
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I have a short cable from the battery to the cutout switch. Cable runs from there straight to the starter lug, another branches off to the starter relay (4ga or so). Held up fine for 3 years or so, I soldered my terminals onto the cable. Stuck the terminal in a vice, filled it with solder and melted it down with a torch sticking the cable into it while wet. Seems to be fine, no voltage drop issues.


1972 Barracuda - 5.7L Hemi, T56 Magnum 6spd - https://www.facebook.com/GoodysGotaHemi
2020 RAM 1500
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Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: GoodysGotaCuda] #133523
10/07/08 10:27 PM
10/07/08 10:27 PM

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Read carefully what Dave571 posted, and test it this way: Turn off ALL loads, radio, and any solid state (stereo) loads, lights, etc.

Run the car at a good high fast idle, and flip the disconnect off

The car should stop running. If not, you need to change the alternator wiring. There are several ways to do so, but probably the simplest is to run TWO hots to the trunk, a #6 or so from the alternator to the battery, or you can run an extra relay to kill the alternator, or you can buy a 4 post switch and put the small posts in the regulator supply lead.

This is very important. If you should wreck with the engine running for some reason, you want to be able to kill everything

Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables #133524
10/07/08 10:41 PM
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Another approach.

I personally like to keep a minimum of potential hot wires to the front.

Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: RobX4406] #133525
10/07/08 10:49 PM
10/07/08 10:49 PM
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Hampton, Ga.
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70dart360 Offline
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If its a street car ya really dont gotta worry bout killing the alt power with the shut off. Think about it, if your in an accident who's gonna think to look for a kill switch? I done mine like Goody did. Mounted the battery in the trunk. 1 fat ground cable straight to the frame through the trunk pan. Ran the positive to the front and put it where the normal + cable woulda went and ran a short one off the same relay post to the big starter terminal. Also made a fat ground to go from the block to the frame rail in the front. Works great, never a voltage or charging issue.


70 Dart Swinger 72 D-100 440 shortbed 76 Pinto, 68k 21mpg!
Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: RobX4406] #133526
10/08/08 09:45 AM
10/08/08 09:45 AM
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W. Kentucky
justinp61 Offline
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Rob
Would a relay up front do the same thing as you're diagram? Pick up the feed from the starter relay (main feed), that way when the kill switch is thrown the relay opens and the feed to the alternator is broken. It would charge through the kill switch would be the only difference, plus you only have one wire running to the front.


Where (in the car) did you guys run you're main wire to the front? I've thought about running it up the drivers side along the door sill and through the firewall. This way it's not exposed under the car.

Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: justinp61] #133527
10/08/08 11:36 AM
10/08/08 11:36 AM
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Texas
GoodysGotaCuda Offline
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Quote:



Where (in the car) did you guys run you're main wire to the front? I've thought about running it up the drivers side along the door sill and through the firewall. This way it's not exposed under the car.




Thats what I did, ran it through the interior. I used a grommet through the firewall that was there (think its for factory clutch linkage?) to keep it isolated. No issues


1972 Barracuda - 5.7L Hemi, T56 Magnum 6spd - https://www.facebook.com/GoodysGotaHemi
2020 RAM 1500
[img]https://i.imgur.com/v9yezP9.jpg[/img]
Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: GoodysGotaCuda] #133528
10/08/08 12:58 PM
10/08/08 12:58 PM
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Hampton, Ga.
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70dart360 Offline
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Me too, didnt want it under the cars to get beat and knicked up and cause a problem.


70 Dart Swinger 72 D-100 440 shortbed 76 Pinto, 68k 21mpg!
Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables???? [Re: tpabayflyer] #133529
10/08/08 11:10 PM
10/08/08 11:10 PM

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Well, I didn't use a cut off switch.
What I ran was some double ott welding cabling wire, with welding disconnects. Ran an 8 guage wire to stater relay.
do yourself a favor, and get yourself a marine style battery box for your battery. Vent it out thru the trunk or something.
Those Hydrogen fumes will rot the metal in the trunk !

Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: RobX4406] #133530
10/08/08 11:32 PM
10/08/08 11:32 PM

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Quote:



Another approach.

I personally like to keep a minimum of potential hot wires to the front.





Rob, the way you have that set up, the solenoid is redundant. If you just run the wire you show, IE jumper around the solenoid, and run the alternator "hot" to the battery direct, you don't even need the solenoid

So far as running the cable, I used to run mine the same route as the tail lamp harness, except I believe I ran mine up the pass side.

Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables #133531
10/08/08 11:41 PM
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These aren't mine, they are suggestions I've found and on this board over the years.

If you run that line from the alt to the Batt +, it's hot all the time. The relay is there to kill power when the Kill switch is activated. No more hot wires to the front.

Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: RobX4406] #133532
10/09/08 04:11 AM
10/09/08 04:11 AM
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Third Stone from the Sun
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This post would be good for the Tech Archive since so many here move their battery to the trunk.
Scott

Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: Scotts72Rallye] #133533
10/09/08 06:34 AM
10/09/08 06:34 AM
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Baton Rouge, La.
StandOnIt Offline
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One thing to think about. If you put the battery in the trunk without the master cutoff and take it to the track at all, it will not pass tech inspection. Not even for street test and tune.


76' Volare, 5.9 magnum w/Iron heads. New best 10.68 at 123 mph 1/4 mile.
Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: StandOnIt] #133534
10/09/08 09:38 AM
10/09/08 09:38 AM
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Tampa, FL
tpabayflyer Offline OP
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Thanks for the info guys... I looked around for one of those borg warner #S605's and can't find a listing for it???
I was not planning on putting a master cutoff in the trunk but maybe I should as will be taking the car to test & tune quite a bit..... I was wondering how you guys spliced into the new + bat cable with 2 fusable links coming off the original + bat cable?? It looks pretty easy to do if I just add the borg warner solenoid if i can find one or something similar... Is a distribution block going to work as well?? TIA TBF

Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables???? [Re: tpabayflyer] #133535
10/09/08 10:42 AM
10/09/08 10:42 AM
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North Riverside IL & Lowell IN
GTXKen Offline
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Depends on your goal

If you want to move the battery to the trunk and you are NOT going to the track its much more simple but there are two ways to do it.

1. just running the long cables to the trunk but this leaves you with one long cable which is hot all the time and is a potential fire hazard.

2. if you add a solenoid in the trunk wired to the starter relay that same cable is hot only when the ignition is turned which now eliminates the fire hazard.

If you are doing this for weight transfer and will be going to the track

3 look at the drawing from Mad electrical in dart4forte’s post, its really the only way to wire the car where it will shut off all electrical power from the rear of the car

I went with #2 option, I may end up converting to #3 at some point.

This could be a whole lot simpler if rules would allow for a disconnect switch to be on the negative side of the switch.

GTXKen

Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables???? [Re: tpabayflyer] #133536
10/09/08 10:45 AM
10/09/08 10:45 AM
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Brookeville, Md
Mr.Yuck Offline
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I wouldn't do it. There is no real need and it can be a PITA. leave it alone and e'bay the kit.

Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables???? [Re: tpabayflyer] #133537
10/09/08 12:09 PM
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Looking for a way out of Middl...
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You need to make the positive battery wire to the front at least two sizes larger than the ground.

If they are the same size and you get a ground in the system they will both heat up like a heating element. If you make the short negative cable in the trunk smaller only it will heat up and reduce the chance of a fire.

I had this happen during a race. The starter came loose and grounded the positive cable. It toasted the negative cable but the positive cable was stone cold. I ran 00 welding cable from front to back and a 4 gauge ground in the trunk. If they had been the same size then the positive wire would have lit up also and been a 20ft burning wire.

If you run a solinoid on the main battery cable to only make the main positive live only while cranking it will eliminate that specific problem once the car is running, but it is still a hazard when cranking.

Don't make the negative smaller make the positive larger.

Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: StandOnIt] #133538
10/10/08 12:04 AM
10/10/08 12:04 AM
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Balt. Md
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Quote:

One thing to think about. If you put the battery in the trunk without the master cutoff and take it to the track at all, it will not pass tech inspection. Not even for street test and tune.




Wanna bet ?? Ron

Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: 383man] #133539
10/10/08 12:08 AM
10/10/08 12:08 AM
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Carstairs, Alberta, Canada
dave571 Offline
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It does depend on the track.

At our local track there is absolutely no way they would let you run with a batt in the trunk, and no master shutoff.

Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: dave571] #133540
10/10/08 12:29 AM
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Arlington, Texas
earlybee Offline
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Lots of new cars from the factory have the battery buried deep in the trunk. Do they pass tech?

Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: earlybee] #133541
10/10/08 12:50 AM
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So Cal
HealthServices Offline
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Quote:

Lots of new cars from the factory have the battery buried deep in the trunk. Do they pass tech?




If the car is stock with no mods yes. My old mercedes did 11.90-12.20 stock without a problem with tech. I did have to have a helmet though.


but yes it does depend on the track.

Last edited by HealthServices; 10/10/08 12:57 AM.
Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: tpabayflyer] #133542
10/10/08 12:54 AM
10/10/08 12:54 AM
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So Cal
HealthServices Offline
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Quote:

Thanks for the info guys... I looked around for one of those borg warner #S605's and can't find a listing for it???





common part.

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?MfrCode=BOR&MfrPartNumber=S605


Allen Here's a novel idea, let's not throw a bunch of parts at the car hoping it will fix the problem and instead spend a little time diagnosing it first. Life was a little easier when I was just a wrench.
Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: HealthServices] #133543
10/10/08 01:04 AM
10/10/08 01:04 AM
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Balt. Md
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383man Offline
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I have my battery in the trunk as I wanted it to look like the Max Wedge's did with the trunk mounted battery and I did not mount a cut out switch at first. I went to the track and forgot I had not put one in yet and they did not even check for it. And that was at 2 different tracks. Ron


Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: 383man] #133544
10/10/08 01:35 AM
10/10/08 01:35 AM
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So Cal
HealthServices Offline
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The track safety guys are funny. Sometimes they can be a hardazz and other times they are ok. The ones I've seen never had a check off list so it is easy to forget to look for something. Rules state if you have a gas tank in the trunk you have to have a metal firewall between the trunk and the passenger compartment. They never asked me about it but gave me a hard time about the centercaps being on the wheels.


If they see a familar car at the track they tend to just wave you on esp if they think someone checked you once before.


Allen Here's a novel idea, let's not throw a bunch of parts at the car hoping it will fix the problem and instead spend a little time diagnosing it first. Life was a little easier when I was just a wrench.
Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: HealthServices] #133545
10/10/08 06:46 AM
10/10/08 06:46 AM
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Baton Rouge, La.
StandOnIt Offline
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Geezzz, our guy will kick it out in a heartbeat. One the other hand, there was a track here that would let you run with brake cables draging the ground..lol You right, may just be my track...One more question. Is there a special need for you to put it in the trunk or you just want it there? (eg, battery tray rotten. etc.)


76' Volare, 5.9 magnum w/Iron heads. New best 10.68 at 123 mph 1/4 mile.
Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: dave571] #133546
10/10/08 08:19 AM
10/10/08 08:19 AM
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Brookeville, Md
Mr.Yuck Offline
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Quote:

It does depend on the track.

At our local track there is absolutely no way they would let you run with a batt in the trunk, and no master shutoff.




Ditto, Ron where do you race? Capitol, 75/80 and M/D all check for an on-off switch if the battery is in the trunk

Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: HealthServices] #133547
10/10/08 04:48 PM
10/10/08 04:48 PM
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Tampa, FL
tpabayflyer Offline OP
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Thanks... I will order up a solenoid... As far as my situation goes, I don't think I need to have the trunk cutoff yet as my car is pretty mild and runs low 13's... I have only been teched once in about 10 years and thats because the track's insurance company was roaming around...
TBF

Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: Mr.Yuck] #133548
10/12/08 01:38 AM
10/12/08 01:38 AM
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Posts: 27,421
Balt. Md
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383man Offline
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Quote:

Quote:

It does depend on the track.

At our local track there is absolutely no way they would let you run with a batt in the trunk, and no master shutoff.




Ditto, Ron where do you race? Capitol, 75/80 and M/D all check for an on-off switch if the battery is in the trunk




I have run at Cecil and Mason Dixon. In fact this pic is from Mason Dixon and the tech guy never checked much of anything on my 63. I had the hood up and he came over and said...........is that a 426 ??? I said why yes it is and he said well then 426 is your car # today and thats about it. Ron


Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: 383man] #133549
10/12/08 05:17 PM
10/12/08 05:17 PM
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Bristol, Va
fasteddie Offline
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Mark at MAD Electrical http://www.madelectrical.com/ has a kit that will help you with all the cables and pieces you need to hook it up right.


2003 Bristol Dragway Sportsman Champion

2016 Bristol Dragway Power Hour Champion
Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: tpabayflyer] #133550
10/14/08 02:56 AM
10/14/08 02:56 AM
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Indiana
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Indiana
Instead of using a Ford starter relay , which has no neutral safety terminal, use a Jeep relay . It looks like a Ford relay but it has an extra terminal for the neutral switch . You can get it at NAPA , Echlin # ST-83 .

As far as the starter shorting out, run a strap across the terminals on the starter , then run a cable to the ST-83 . This way the starter cable is only "hot" when the starter is engaged .

I run this setup on my '65 Belvedere .


'65 Belvedere II - 446-Indy,727 transbrake,Dana 4.56


'38 Plymouth 4Dr - 408SixPack, A518, Dana60 4:10
Re: Moving battery to trunk.. how to connect the cables [Re: Pentastar440] #133551
10/22/08 08:13 AM
10/22/08 08:13 AM
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Posts: 1,628
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Red383 Offline
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Quote:

As far as the starter shorting out, run a strap across the terminals on the starter , then run a cable to the ST-83 . This way the starter cable is only "hot" when the starter is engaged.

I run this setup on my '65 Belvedere .




I read somewhere that it wasn't a good idea to "run a strap across the terminals on the starter" I can't remember why they said not to though.

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