Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing

Posted By: AlexP

Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/05/15 06:29 AM

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!

Posted By: mopar65

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/05/15 06:54 AM

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

Posted By: topbrent

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/05/15 07:11 AM

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.

)

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/05/15 07:30 AM

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

Posted By: 72Swinger

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/05/15 03:48 PM

Ballistic Fabrication makes sweet battery holdowns that fit in a regular marine box.

Posted By: Crizila

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/05/15 04:25 PM

About the best bang for the $ is the kit from Summit #SUM-G1231-K. Comes with 20 ft of 1 gage.

Posted By: jcc

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/05/15 04:52 PM

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.

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/05/15 04:56 PM

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

Posted By: AlexP

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/05/15 05:21 PM

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.

Posted By: 72Swinger

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/05/15 05:25 PM

Dollar for dollar you can't beat a CAT battery group 31. 880cca.

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/05/15 05:34 PM

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)

Posted By: pittsburghracer

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/05/15 05:55 PM

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

Posted By: StealthWedge67

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/05/15 06:10 PM

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.

Posted By: Crizila

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/05/15 06:48 PM

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.

Posted By: AlexP

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/05/15 07:12 PM

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...

Posted By: AlexP

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/05/15 11:03 PM

I just picked up 25' of #1 welding wire. This will be fun.

Posted By: dvw

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/06/15 12:20 AM

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

Attached picture 8386398-F41.JPG

Posted By: dvw

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/06/15 12:25 AM

Finished with the battery's installed and cable hidden. It comes off the switch by the tail lamp and then up
Doug

Attached picture 8386403-DSC_3793.JPG

Posted By: Crizila

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/06/15 01:02 AM

Beautiful work!

Posted By: lorenr

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/06/15 01:33 AM

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

Posted By: RylisPro

Re: Optima Red Top battery box and battery cable sizing - 01/06/15 02:27 AM

I run a Deka ETX30L AGM battery inside a Moroso battery box.
Road course proven.