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Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing #1721886
01/05/15 02:29 AM
01/05/15 02:29 AM
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 10,645
Houston, Tx
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AlexP Offline OP
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Like the title says, that's what I'm set on running this time around and it's about time to move the battery to the trunk to make this hemi swap look a little cleaner. Who makes the best box for what I'm doing?

Also, what size welding wire should I use? I'm going to be running dual fuel pumps, EFI, a big electric fan and good headlights.

Thanks!


My Build thread: Let the hemi swap begin!

1968 wanna be pro touring whatchamacallit with some fancy stuff and a new roof skin.
Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing [Re: AlexP] #1721887
01/05/15 02:54 AM
01/05/15 02:54 AM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,838
Central Missouri Fort Leonard...
mopar65 Offline
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mopar65  Offline
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cant answer your question about the battery box, because i did not use one. I built some home made ones. but here is what i used for battery cable.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/25-EXCELENE-1-0-...=item2a377e91ee


3520 pound race ready 1973 Street/Strip Dodge Dart - Stock stroke 440/727 10.49 @ 125.0 on 93 pump gas & ET Street Radials. More to come... ( SGT Miller) Proudly served 12 years in the US ARMY RESERVES support our troops
Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing [Re: AlexP] #1721888
01/05/15 03:11 AM
01/05/15 03:11 AM
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Posts: 793
Utah
topbrent Offline
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Utah
Calculate your total maximum potential amperage load first. This will tell you what size cable you need.
ECU, injectors, fans, pumps, stereo, headlights, horn, tailights, domelight, A/C, signals, markers, brake lights, 12v acc, oxygen sensors, ect. 

Make sure you pay attention to the ground capabilities also. You need low resistance on that side of the circuit as well.

Depending on your grounding scheme preference, nearly 45-50 ft of 1/0 cable is probably what is spec' for your application (charge+ground).

(I would keep it simple and use a modern lightweight battery up front. )


Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing [Re: AlexP] #1721889
01/05/15 03:30 AM
01/05/15 03:30 AM
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
MR_P_BODY Offline
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Romeo MI
I assume this is in the RR.. if you have a rear fire
wall behind the seat(alum or steel) you dont need a
box for the battery... if not.. then yes you need a
enclosed box

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing [Re: MR_P_BODY] #1721890
01/05/15 11:48 AM
01/05/15 11:48 AM
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 4,302
Nebraska
72Swinger Offline
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72Swinger  Offline
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Ballistic Fabrication makes sweet battery holdowns that fit in a regular marine box.


Mopar to the bone!!!
Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing [Re: AlexP] #1721891
01/05/15 12:25 PM
01/05/15 12:25 PM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 7,506
Az
Crizila Offline
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Crizila  Offline
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About the best bang for the $ is the kit from Summit #SUM-G1231-K. Comes with 20 ft of 1 gage.


Fastest 300
Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing [Re: Crizila] #1721892
01/05/15 12:52 PM
01/05/15 12:52 PM
Joined: Dec 2003
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Bitopia
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jcc Offline
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Bitopia
It is odd that chart jumps from 4 gauge to 1/0.

And DC travels in the core of the wire unlike AC that favors the surface.


Reality check, that half the population is smarter then 50% of the people and it's a constantly contested fact.
Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing [Re: jcc] #1721893
01/05/15 12:56 PM
01/05/15 12:56 PM
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
MR_P_BODY Offline
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Quote:

It is odd that chart jumps from 4 gauge to 1/0.

And DC travels in the core of the wire unlike AC that favors the surface.




I didnt know that DC likes the core.. thought they
all used the outer area

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing [Re: MR_P_BODY] #1721894
01/05/15 01:21 PM
01/05/15 01:21 PM
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 10,645
Houston, Tx
A
AlexP Offline OP
I Live Here
AlexP  Offline OP
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Houston, Tx
Quote:

I assume this is in the RR.. if you have a rear fire
wall behind the seat(alum or steel) you dont need a
box for the battery... if not.. then yes you need a
enclosed box






It is for my RR.

I don't have a wall behind the seat, but I'd really like the box to prevent the battery from being hit by anything in the trunk. I'm going to skip the NHRA requirement and leave the trunk switch out.

I'm honestly not sold on the Red Top. I researched last night, and I'm convinced to buy a premium parts house AGM battery over the Red Top.


My Build thread: Let the hemi swap begin!

1968 wanna be pro touring whatchamacallit with some fancy stuff and a new roof skin.
Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing [Re: AlexP] #1721895
01/05/15 01:25 PM
01/05/15 01:25 PM
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 4,302
Nebraska
72Swinger Offline
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72Swinger  Offline
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Nebraska
Dollar for dollar you can't beat a CAT battery group 31. 880cca.


Mopar to the bone!!!
Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing [Re: AlexP] #1721896
01/05/15 01:34 PM
01/05/15 01:34 PM
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
MR_P_BODY Offline
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It is for my RR.

I don't have a wall behind the seat, but I'd really like the box to prevent the battery from being hit by anything in the trunk. I'm going to skip the NHRA requirement and leave the trunk switch out.

I'm honestly not sold on the Red Top. I researched last night, and I'm convinced to buy a premium parts house AGM battery over the Red Top.




I've been running Die Hard(I believe it is) in my
race car and in my Rampage.. the one in the race car
has been in there for YEARS.. never even had a charger
on it... we did some testing on the Optima batteries
at Chrysler(the battery lab did) to see if we would
go with them in production... they werent that great
and didnt go with them... also being that I run a
alt on all my junk I use the standard auto battery
and not the marine ones.. they have a different way
of being used(without a alt)

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing [Re: MR_P_BODY] #1721897
01/05/15 01:55 PM
01/05/15 01:55 PM
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,179
PA.
pittsburghracer Offline
"Little"John
pittsburghracer  Offline
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Give these a look. Been using them for many years in Matts and my cars and really like them.


http://www.diehard.com/products/automotive


1970 Duster
Edelbrock headed 408
5.984@112.52
422 Indy headed small block
5.982@112.56 mph
9.42@138.27

Livin and lovin life one day at a time




Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing [Re: pittsburghracer] #1721898
01/05/15 02:10 PM
01/05/15 02:10 PM
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 4,319
Puyallup, WA
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StealthWedge67 Offline
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Puyallup, WA
Not that there aren't good & poor batteries, but I know that when I was younger, I spent about a year working in a battery factory. We had a few different specs of batteries (based on lead core surface area) that we built in a number of different color cases. Then, you guessed it, we slapped on stickers from just about every battery brand available! I slapped on stickers from Napa, to DieHard, to every Auto Parts store brand you can think of. All the same batteries. Other than the newer Gel-type batteries, my experience working for GBC (General Battery Corp.) tells me that the reason they all look the same, is because they are.


LemonWedge - Street heavy / Strip ready - 11.07 @ 120
Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing [Re: StealthWedge67] #1721899
01/05/15 02:48 PM
01/05/15 02:48 PM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 7,506
Az
Crizila Offline
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A word of caution on older batteries. They may pass a load test, and still not be up to cranking the engine over and firing the ignition at the same time. The last few times I have been out to the track, the car started fine cold off the trailer. No problem driving to the tech lane and teching in. Warm the motor up, drive to staging and shut down and wait for the call. Go to start up, good crank - no fire. As I would release the ignition switch to the run position ( drop out the starter ) the motor would try to fire. Cold motor & starter, no problem. Heat soak a bit in staging and the current draw went up enough to keep the ignition from firing the plugs. Starter draw was in specs. Voltage drop tests were all under .1 volts. Battery TESTED good. Installed new battery. Problem went away.


Fastest 300
Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing [Re: Crizila] #1721900
01/05/15 03:12 PM
01/05/15 03:12 PM
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 10,645
Houston, Tx
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AlexP Offline OP
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AlexP  Offline OP
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Houston, Tx
I like sealed batteries, so the AGM is the best of both worlds in terms of performance and safety.

I need to move the battery to the trunk to support the accessories in the rear. Two fuel pumps and an eventual amplifier.

Also, I need the battery out of the engine bay to allow for me to mount a centrifugal supercharger on the drivers side of the hemi. A good trade off...


My Build thread: Let the hemi swap begin!

1968 wanna be pro touring whatchamacallit with some fancy stuff and a new roof skin.
Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing [Re: AlexP] #1721901
01/05/15 07:03 PM
01/05/15 07:03 PM
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 10,645
Houston, Tx
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AlexP Offline OP
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AlexP  Offline OP
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Houston, Tx
I just picked up 25' of #1 welding wire. This will be fun.


My Build thread: Let the hemi swap begin!

1968 wanna be pro touring whatchamacallit with some fancy stuff and a new roof skin.
Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing [Re: AlexP] #1721902
01/05/15 08:20 PM
01/05/15 08:20 PM
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 9,844
MI, usa
dvw Offline
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I used -02 cause It was laying around. Made the tray from 1/2" steel angle. Since this is a racecar I ran 2 battery's. The best thing I did was add brackets up along the trunk drip edge. That way the cable can run up out of sight.
Doug

8386398-F41.JPG (91 downloads)
Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing [Re: dvw] #1721903
01/05/15 08:25 PM
01/05/15 08:25 PM
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MI, usa
dvw Offline
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Finished with the battery's installed and cable hidden. It comes off the switch by the tail lamp and then up
Doug

8386403-DSC_3793.JPG (121 downloads)
Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing [Re: dvw] #1721904
01/05/15 09:02 PM
01/05/15 09:02 PM
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Az
Crizila Offline
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Beautiful work!


Fastest 300
Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing [Re: Crizila] #1721905
01/05/15 09:33 PM
01/05/15 09:33 PM
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Washington State
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lorenr Offline
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Washington State
What about battery weight?

When I started this post I thought that someone would comment on battery weight. I'm under the impression that the reason many use the "red top" is because they are more durable, weigh less and are smaller. Does someone make a better AGM battery?

I need something that will fire a high compression road race car and is lighter than a lead acid battery. I kind of thought that might be an AGM battery.

Lithium ion batteries are the ticket but are just much money.

Loren


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