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Trunk Mounted Battery?

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Whitettype86

Young William
Joined
Jan 8, 2002
Messages
465
Who has moved there Battery to the trunk
and what kit or what did u use? Where did u mount the battery? Looking to move my battery to the trunk:)
 
I placed mine in a plastic marine battery box and set it down where the spare tire is supposed to go. I put a can of fix-a-flat in the trunk and don't carry a spare. I bought some #1 AWG welding cable and used brass battery terminals that are soldered on. The rubber is stripped back enough to fully insert the cable, check the proper orientation, heat up the connector and melt the solder inside, then place the copper cable into the molten solder. I drilled holes in the trunk large enough to insert pvc pipe into the hole with a 1/4" thick fitting on each side to hold it in place. Then thread the cable through. I ran the cable inside the frame all the way up to a hole in the frame next to the starter. The ground was bolted to the frame back by the trunk. Every year or two she won't start and it's the ground connection on the frame.

Paul Wilke
 
Originally posted by Whitettype86
Who has moved there Battery to the trunk.....)

You should have looked when you were here yesterday, could have simply answered all your questions!:)
 
Sorry to hijack the thread but since the answer seems to have been given I figure I'd ask. Why use Ti putty in the liftervalley instead of just regular hardblock?

Thanks,
 
Read the rulez!

Originally posted by DrBuick
I placed mine in a plastic marine battery box and set it down where the spare tire is supposed to go. I put a can of fix-a-flat in the trunk and don't carry a spare. I bought some #1 AWG welding cable and used brass battery terminals that are soldered on. The rubber is stripped back enough to fully insert the cable, check the proper orientation, heat up the connector and melt the solder inside, then place the copper cable into the molten solder. I drilled holes in the trunk large enough to insert pvc pipe into the hole with a 1/4" thick fitting on each side to hold it in place. Then thread the cable through. I ran the cable inside the frame all the way up to a hole in the frame next to the starter. The ground was bolted to the frame back by the trunk. Every year or two she won't start and it's the ground connection on the frame.

Paul Wilke

Suggest you read the rules before attempting this type of install.
1. The box has to be sealed and vented to the outside of the car.
2. The box and battery hold downs have to be fastened to the frame, not the trunk floor. 3/8" bolts, no open "J" hooks. Hold down bar has to be metal, not plastic, etc....yadda , yadda.;)
 
i thik if its in the trunk it doesn't have to be ventelated to the outside, but i could be wrong about that.

one thing i haven't seen yet, and the nhra makes a big deal about, is having a battery shut off switch outside the car. its not a big deal to do, but you do have to cut a hole in the back of your car.

personally it doesnt' make sence to me, its the same difference as having the battery up front.
 
well, no it isn't

with the battery under the hood, you have a firewall between you and it

and, in fact, if you relocate it, you'll need a firewall in the trunk

suffice it to say, it isn't as simple as it may appear if wish to remain NHRA legal

(better have a good reason to relocate it, in other words)
 
Spend 10

Originally posted by denn454
i thik if its in the trunk it doesn't have to be ventelated to the outside, but i could be wrong about that.

one thing i haven't seen yet, and the nhra makes a big deal about, is having a battery shut off switch outside the car. its not a big deal to do, but you do have to cut a hole in the back of your car.

personally it doesnt' make sence to me, its the same difference as having the battery up front.

Spend the $10.00 for a rulebook, and you'll find out exactly what we've attempted to put forth is exactly what you will see in section8, Para 8.1....:rolleyes:
 
...."rear firewal of .024-inch steel or .032-inch aluminum (including package tray) required when battery is relocated in trunk."

....and..."If sealed box is used in lieu of rear firewall, box may not be used to secure battery and must be vented outside of body."

...and "relocated battery(s) must be fastened to frame or frame structure with a minimum of two 3/8-inch-diameter bolts. ("J" hooks prohibited or must have open end welded shut.). Metal battery hold-down straps mandatory."


IMHO....seems like a lot of work and for what? I thought about this for making a stereo hook-up easier, but the rules made me think better of it. Either way, if you get a good tech looking at your car, your not going to race without these rules applied appropriately.

hth

P.S. Master cutoff is "mandatory when battery is relocated....power cutoff switch must be installed on the rearmost part of each vehicle and be easily accessible from outside the car body."

...again...a lot of work for little to gain.
 
I've got a couple of questions too. Does the rule book make concessions for sealed batteries, like an Optima or other? Does the rule book determine whether or not you can disconnect the ground through a master power disconnect or does it have to be on the positive side?

TIA

Adam
 
Rules are specific for "positive" side when installing cut-off.

Sealed battery is still a battery....meaning it "can" create a fire and/or give off fumes that can enter the passenger compartment. Dry cells are not mentioned in the rulebook specifically, but the rule is applied to batteries. I assume that encompasses any and all types.
 
I just finshed relocating my battery. I cut out my spare tire well. fabricated a framework under the trunk floor that bolts to the frame and sheet-metaled over the hole The battery sits on the sheetmetal and is held in place with a piece of 7/16 allthread at each corner and a fabricated top bracket. I located my master disconnect in the fiberglass rear bumper

NHRA rules on battery relocation/holdown are specific for a reason. If a battery were to break loose during a crash, it becomes a 50# acid filled/electricity producing projectile.

I can see why the NHRA insists on being picky.....For the safety of the driver and safety worker.
 
Make sure you have good grounds. Dr. Buick mentions grounding to the frame, but remember that the engine is not necessarily grounded to the frame, and most stuff inside the car is grounded to the body. So, use good grounds to connect the frame, the body, and the engine. Put them where you can easily check them, since they will get loose or corroded. (unless you weld them)
 
Check with M.A.D. Enterprises in calif- they should have everything you need- i think have a website also.
 
battery relocation story, my 84 nitrous chebby car had as turnk mounted battery, the car was the typical 100 dollar car bought from my boss, that had a good bit of rear rust, well i ran the battery cable between the chassis and body for a short 6 inch portion, all was good till i was on my way to the track, after a stop light i got on it real hard to ensure she was running good and all of a sudden all quit, i thought that i had blown another distributer rotor, not so, total electical failure, ends up that the battery cable got cut threw when i got on it and shorted the cable out, melting the terminals off the battery, ends up taht when my girlfriend said that sparks were comming from the rear end the week prior and i blew her off saying that it was " impossible", well she was right, that was the start of it, you cannot believe the heat that is involved when a 850 CCA batter shorts out on a 1 gauge wire, that is why the switch is needed and why it has to be on the positive side , if that positive cable gets cut then it shorts out, turning your car into a rolling welder, if the negitive cable gets cut, well nothing, it just makes anoter gound connection. end of story note, the car broke down infront of the welding shop that my father had an account at, so i got some cable and i ran jumper cables from the trunk battery down the side of the car wrapped around the passenger mirrior and to the alternator connection, the cables couldn't carry enough current to start the car, but they would allow it ro charge the battery and run, so my friends held the cable to the battery and the starter connection, i started it up and drove home with the jumber cable flapping in the wind, another day of trying to get to the track, and oh man wasmy then girlfriend pissed, she had left ahead of us with the tires and stuff, she sat there for an hour, and she thought i had blown her off, took an hour to explain the whole story to her.
grant
 
Originally posted by turbodave231
Here is a link to a few pictures of the battery relocation, fuel cell and fuel pump.

battery and fuel cell

Dave

Thanks for posting the pics Dave. I'm now looking into relocating the battery to the trunk & welding in a firewall.
 
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