Relocating battery to trunk
#2846659
11/15/20 04:23 PM
11/15/20 04:23 PM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 15,911 Central Florida
larrymopar360
OP
Stud Muffin
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OP
Stud Muffin
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 15,911
Central Florida
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I'd like to relocate battery to trunk in my '89 Diplomat AHB. Obviously, there won't be a kit out there specific to this model. Any recommendations on generic kits, and other tips? Also, do I have to buy a Gel or AGM, and does the battery have to be vented? Right now I have a big wet cell Interstate.
Thanks.
Larry
Facts are stubborn things.
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Re: Relocating battery to trunk
[Re: topside]
#2846687
11/15/20 05:31 PM
11/15/20 05:31 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,743 North Dakota
6PakBee
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I Live Here
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I've seen a couple that used vented marine battery boxes similar to this. Yes, you want to vent it. Vented Marine Battery Box
"We live in a time when intelligent people are being silenced so that stupid people won't be offended".
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Re: Relocating battery to trunk
[Re: IMGTX]
#2846978
11/16/20 11:50 AM
11/16/20 11:50 AM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,446 Michigan
MarkZ
Worthy
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Worthy
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Posts: 4,446
Michigan
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I would use the Ford starter solenoid and set it up so that the wire running to the starter is only energized when the key is in the start position. Something else to think about is if you ever run it at a track then you will be required to have a remote kill switch that is accessible from outside the car. I think the small and light lithium car batteries are down to around $300 now though. Might want to consider going that route and build a smaller battery tray in the stock location.
1987 Fifth Avenue - 512/518/D60
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Re: Relocating battery to trunk
[Re: MarkZ]
#2847013
11/16/20 01:16 PM
11/16/20 01:16 PM
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 19,534 north of coder
moparx
"Butt Crack Bob"
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"Butt Crack Bob"
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north of coder
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something i have wondered about....... if the factory put the OE battery in the trunk or under the rear seat, do you STILL have to have a remote cut off ? i have seen many a new challenger running down the track without. and if it is legal for them to be without, why ? i understand the safety aspect completely, but if a car gets tech'ed and the workmanship is good, how can a relocated battery be any different than OEM ?
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Re: Relocating battery to trunk
[Re: IMGTX]
#2847019
11/16/20 01:23 PM
11/16/20 01:23 PM
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 11,684 W. Kentucky
justinp61
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I Live Here
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One easy way to vent modern batteries is to use the small vent ports on many sealed batteries. GM puts some of theirs under the rear seat. Many including BMW does not use a sealed box, just vent tubes.
Also one thing I did Iearn the hard way is make sure your negative cable is at least 1 to 2 sizes smaller than the positive. Event the factory does this. When a worst case scenario goes wrong & the positive cable gets grounded through a short at the firewall or starter when you crank the engine, you want the short ground in the trunk to burn not the 20 foot long positive wire running the length of the car.
Here is picture of a vent tube and therre are several styles. GM's are oval.
I relocated my battery to the trunk, put it in a NHRA approved box and discovered that the battery is puking acid in the box and it's dripping out around the hold down bolts. The car has a Powermaster GM one wire alternator and according to them is functioning properly. Now I need to rethink my battery selection.
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Re: Relocating battery to trunk
[Re: moparx]
#2847059
11/16/20 02:33 PM
11/16/20 02:33 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 2,079 CA
crackedback
top fuel
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top fuel
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CA
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something i have wondered about....... if the factory put the OE battery in the trunk or under the rear seat, do you STILL have to have a remote cut off ? i have seen many a new challenger running down the track without. and if it is legal for them to be without, why ? i understand the safety aspect completely, but if a car gets tech'ed and the workmanship is good, how can a relocated battery be any different than OEM ? The cutoff is required if you relocate it. If the car is factory with battery in rear, not required IIRC. For the OP, make your own cables or have them done by someone. The kits usually don't have the stoutest wire for the project. Additionally, there are other issues to consider when placing the battery in your trunk. If you aren't going to nhra race the car, no cutoff is needed. Some use that cutoff as a theft deterrent. There is always the minimum standard and improvements from that standard.
Last edited by crackedback; 11/16/20 02:36 PM.
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Re: Relocating battery to trunk
[Re: MarkZ]
#2847062
11/16/20 02:45 PM
11/16/20 02:45 PM
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 12,238 Looking for a way out of Middl...
IMGTX
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I Live Here
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I would use the Ford starter solenoid and set it up so that the wire running to the starter is only energized when the key is in the start position. I agree, but I had a starter work loose during a race. Went to start he car up later and boom lit up the negative cable like a Christmas light. If I had sized them both the same I probably burned the whole car when the 20 foot long positive wire lit up too. The starter solenoid method is good but doesn't prevent what happened to me. Instead I put the starter back on and replaced the negative cable. Back in business. something i have wondered about....... if the factory put the OE battery in the trunk or under the rear seat, do you STILL have to have a remote cut off ? i have seen many a new challenger running down the track without. and if it is legal for them to be without, why ? i understand the safety aspect completely, but if a car gets tech'ed and the workmanship is good, how can a relocated battery be any different than OEM ? I agree. I do know the positive wire on the new Charger's feel an awful lot like a fusible link. The cover is more rubbery and less like plastic. It runs inside the car too so.....hmmm
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Re: Relocating battery to trunk
[Re: justinp61]
#2847065
11/16/20 02:53 PM
11/16/20 02:53 PM
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 12,238 Looking for a way out of Middl...
IMGTX
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I Live Here
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I relocated my battery to the trunk, put it in a NHRA approved box and discovered that the battery is puking acid in the box and it's dripping out around the hold down bolts. The car has a Powermaster GM one wire alternator and according to them is functioning properly. Now I need to rethink my battery selection.
That sounds like it's overcharging the battery. Even though it's a one wire alternator it has to get a "Sense" of the voltage in the system to regulate it. If it is thinking the voltage is low it will crank up and overcharge your battery and still test fine on a bench tester. Check your voltage and see what it is at the battery and alternator when running and shut off. I may be wrong but I think it will be too high at the battery when running.
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Re: Relocating battery to trunk
[Re: Gavin]
#2847538
11/17/20 12:41 PM
11/17/20 12:41 PM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 15,911 Central Florida
larrymopar360
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Stud Muffin
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Central Florida
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Some good info thanks. I'm going to take a real close look at my Charger police battery setup. Of course that's boxed and vented and setup from factory for in car. I've never seen one of them have an issue. I think I will forgo any kits.
Facts are stubborn things.
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Re: Relocating battery to trunk
[Re: jlatessa]
#2847678
11/17/20 03:48 PM
11/17/20 03:48 PM
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 12,238 Looking for a way out of Middl...
IMGTX
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The factory reduces the shorter cable by at least 1 gauge on the cars I have measured. I prefer 2 sizes smaller. There are a lot of naysayers who claim it's not important but when my starter wire grounded I didn't know it until I went to start the car. It saved my car. Some people claim they are safer riding a motorcycle without a helmet too. In your case since you are using 2/0 cable I would run nothing bigger than a 4 gauge short cable. Even a smaller ground won't help if both wires are so big they will not burn before the battery explodes. In an ideal wiring your ground wire should be the minimum size needed to start the car and the extra size of the positive is insurance against that worst case scenario. After it's cranked you only need a 10 or 12 gauge positive wire for most cars to run on, so the 4 gauge is plenty if it cranks OK.
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Re: Relocating battery to trunk
[Re: justinp61]
#2847702
11/17/20 04:29 PM
11/17/20 04:29 PM
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 12,238 Looking for a way out of Middl...
IMGTX
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Deka 1000 CCA group 24 lead acid marine starting battery. That should be a good battery for the job. When I first see acid spillage it's usually because overcharging or overheating is boiling the battery acid. In the trunk it will not be overheating. When I looked up your battery the pictures I saw made it appear to be sealed (no removable top caps) and vented with the GM style oval vents. If it were me. I would do the following. 1. Hook up a Voltage meter and check for voltage going over 15v while driving and racing if that is your application. Bench testers do not spin an alternator as fast as driving/racing it will. 2. Hook up an ammeter and check the flow of current. It should be near to nothing once the battery is recharged after starting. 3. Hook a vent tube to the vents and place that tube into a jar to see if the acid is coming out of the vent tubes or possibly a crack in the battery. Definitely a little puzzling because you seem to have done everything correct.
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Re: Relocating battery to trunk
[Re: IMGTX]
#2848831
11/19/20 09:22 PM
11/19/20 09:22 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,462 Omaha Ne
TJP
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Just to muddy the water a bit An electric circuit consisting of a source of DC power and a wire making a complete circuit is required for DC electricity to flow. (See DC circuits for more information.) A flashlight is a good example of a DC circuit Current shown flowing opposite of actual electron movement Although the negative charged electrons move through the wire toward the positive (+) terminal of the source of electricity, the current is indicated as going from positive to negative. This is an unfortunate and confusing convention. Ben Franklin originally named charges positive (+) and negative (−) when he was studying static electricity. Later, when scientists were experimenting with electric currents, they said that electricity travels from (+) to (−), and that became the convention. This was before electrons were discovered. In reality, the negative charged electrons move toward the positive, which is the opposite direction that people show current moving. It is confusing, but once a convention is made, it is difficult to correct it. MORE CONFUSION??? HERE
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