Relocated the battery, and did it right..(In my eyes at least!)

[Mopar318]

Well after a year my motorcycle battery died. I was sort of tired of not having enough reserve to shut off the car and play music for a few minutes.


I decided to relocate my battery, even though it is something I never really like to see. Because of this, I think I took a different approach. I did my best to hide the box, and make it apear somewhat factory. This is a sealed box, and is vented to the outside of the car.


Used a morroso battery box with 2 gauge copper wound AWG welding cable. I solderd and crimped on the ends using a 200watt soldering iron. (Big Sucker)


First thing is to attach the cable that is going to the truck to the factory harness. I bolted my connections together, and then used a waterproof heavy duty heat shrink. It is the stuff that has an adhesive that melts as you shrink it.


http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d48/Mopar318/IMG_0585.jpg






Bolted box and battery down through spare tire well. Drilled holes for vent and ground strap


http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d48/Mopar318/IMG_0584.jpg


http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d48/Mopar318/IMG_0583.jpg


Secured top, and cut a square out of my spare tire cover and put it back in.


http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d48/Mopar318/IMG_0582.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d48/Mopar318/IMG_0581.jpg

[RoadWarrior222]

FAIL!!! used a red wire for a ground strap :D

---------- Post added at 09:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:24 PM ----------

Something was bugging me about the vent, just remembered why, the gas you're trying to vent is hydrogen, which is lighter than air... it won't fall out.. it might work if you figure out flow through venting, intake in high pressure air, outlet in low pressure air.

[Mopar318]

Its a sealed AGM battery, but the vent is required anyways per rules. If it were to explode or something the vent tube would at least give a path for most of the gas to exit the vehicle.

Used what I had. Red cable was a good length for the ground strap and had it in the box, and welding cable is always black.

If I ever need to jump it I can still do it under the hood via fuse box connection point.

[zin]

Even if the battery was of a more conventional style, since the box is sealed the gas would take the intended path. The new ZR1s and higher end Benzs have batteries in the "trunk" area, but have a 1/4" tube venting to the outside, so I'm sure you'll be fine too.

My only potential criticism would be that the ground seems to be only to the body. Often, even on tube chassis cars, not running a dedicated ground wire, poor grounding will occur, most notable being "slow" starts, but other demanding conditions as well.

Otherwise, looks great!!

Mike

PS another handy way to seal the cable /heat shrink (on larger cables) is to squirt some RTV inside before you heat it, it'll ooze out some but that ensures all the metal is encapsulated.

[Force Fed Mopar]

Mine is grounded the same way and starts fine, I do have a 1000CA battery though :)

[johnl]

Gotta agree, redundant grounds are a good thing.

You might run an 8 or 10 gauge ground wire back up front and connect it to the harness' main ground at the cylinder head, now you have all the system could ask for - a chassis ground in the wheel well, a harness ground, and an engine ground.

[bfarroo]

The only other thing I worry about when relocating the battery to the trunk is that if that longer run if wire should short out somewhere then the wire will burn until the battery explodes or the wire burns through. I put some 150amp circuit breakers at both ends of the power run so the battery and alternator are protected.

[RoadWarrior222]

Good point, a piece of branch bounces up on the highway and strips the insulation or something and you're riding with a bomb next to the gas tank.

[Mopar318]

Battery has a Nissan Fuse-able link on the power side battery terminal. Just like the Stock nissans do which will blow if there is a short or you hook up cables wrong.

[johnl]

Battery has a Nissan Fuse-able link on the power side battery terminal. Just like the Stock nissans do which will blow if there is a short or you hook up cables wrong.

Perfect.

[bfarroo]

The alternator will still produce power so that will either burn the wire or blow the alternator after the battery fuse blows. Thats why I put circuit breakers at both ends.

[jpgl]

hello i relocated the battery in my sons shadow i used the cable from a wrecked bmw worked great i also ran a smaller ground cable from front to back .