Hey guys. So I'm in the middle of a project. I'm swapping a complete s4 to s5 interior while doing a complete dynamat with some audio wiring.

Anyway I plan on doing a front mount intercooler on the future and this got me thinking, should I relocate the battery to the back? I'm want to go with a pass. bin. Also are there specific kits for 2nd gen rx7s or do I just get one of those universal kits? Thanks.

 

Depending on how you route the intercooler piping, you might not need to relocate the battery. This is on a FD, but illustrates how you might go about it:


As far as battery relocation is concerned, I've never been too pleased with what a pre-made kit offers for its pricetag. If you visit your local welding store, you can get excellent quality welding cable for under $2/foot. Takes about 12 feet to go from the passenger side storage bin to the stock battery area. This will give you some extra so you can route and secure it nice and pretty along the bulkhead crossmember, under the driver's side carpet with the Body Harness, through the stock firewall grommet and along the frame rail.

The other bit of advice I'd strongly suggest is putting a Bus Bar under the hood to connect everything to. Having one for both positive and negative is a good idea too. Makes for convenient jumpstart points too.

One thing I am going to stress here is that if you do relocate your battery to the storage bin, do it right and build a proper box for it. Aaron Cake has an excellent one here: Project Tina, October 1, 2005: Engine Installation, POR-15 Undercoating, ECU Wiring and Battery Box Fabrication

Mine is modeled after Aaron Cake's, but with a couple adjustments made to fit a Group 48 battery which is about 1.5" longer than the stock battery and to bolt into the stock holes in the bulkhead crossmember and floor for the seat back and seat belts. Pics here: https://www.rx7club.com/build-thread...888195/page13/

Last but not least, don't forget the circuit breaker. 150 amps is a good value for this.

 

i didn't have to on mine, i kept the power steering, but i don't have AC

it runs to the front down by the oil cooler lines, i had to move them around a bit to make it work, w/o cutting on that side.

 

Search old HKS or Trust. You'll see all the piping goes to the passenger side and also keeps the PS and AC.

Check it out dawg.

 

Searched, and was not dissapoint.

 

I just downsized my battery to a motorcycle one. Relocating with a full size battery would be nice though

 

I'm running a Odyssey 9xx series battery. Larger than the pc680 and waay more cranking amps.

Fits in stock tray and allows for my IC piping to go directly above it

 

I would only relocate the battery for aesthetics.
It does free up some space for future maintenance but its not really super useable space behind the light.
If its function over form i say leave it there. If you want a tidier and showier bay go for it

 

That & that &/or a smaller Honda Civic battery rather than relocate.

 

I agree and disagree with this, as this space is very useable when approached correctly. But at the same time, relocating the battery is a rather large task and if there's no need for it, might as well leave it in place.

On my build, I put this here instead:


The new electrical center is for anything additional to the car, includes two bus bars for jumpstart points and power distribution and houses all fo the fuses and relays for all circuits added to the car. It also 'balances' the turbo control solenoids on the other side quite nicely. Form AND Function FTW

 

man thats a **** load of wiring

 

Sick hand dryer bro!

 

Just out of curiosity, how much did that 20b run you in terms of $?

 

Run a smaller group size and you'd be fine. It's easy to relocate battery. Needed: battery relocation box kit and then a power distribution box that's like $15 from jegs.

 

I have old school trust setup in my fc. it runs to the passenger side so the battery is still in the engine bay. though it's a pain to get to some parts when you have a big pipe in the middle of your engine bay

 

....Excuse me for my ignorance, but what in the world is with the two air filters and the random tube sticking out of the same general area?

 

The air filter on the intercooler is a temporary measure which will be removed and placed on the Front Turbo inlet where the red filter currently is. It was to keep the engine from eating small animals untill I could get the Y-pipe cut & welded to the correct shape to mate with another section of IC plumbing to feel into the IC and close up the whole system.

 

It was tight, but I got it to fit.
I had to move the fuse box and one of the ignition coils.
But I was able to keep the ps, ac and large battery.

 

If you move the battery to the storage bin (easy to do, it's an afternoon job if you purchase and don't fab the battery holder) then you can eliminate several feet of intercooler piping. And if you can fab up your own intercooler end tanks, you can eliminate another foot or more by bringing the pipes through the rad support.

 

freq- I'm having a hard time picturing the pop up lights fitting back where that pipe is?

 

FC2000 nose. .. sorry, I should've mentioned that.

 

my old greddy kit worked with ac/ ps and the battery all in the stock location.

 

You own a sports car. A very good one at that. Ditch the boom box idea.

And yes, a battery can remain in the front.

 

short answer is no.

 

Necessary?
No.
Desirable?
Probably.

Were I to embark on such a project, the first thing I'd do is clear away as much space as possible to optimise the piping. Clearly, the battery sits in some prime real estate and moving it is simple, with no discernable downside, so why not do it?

TL;DR...
No, you don't HAVE to relocate the battery but why wouldn't you WANT to?