Ice_Wolf

Well, I decided to go with the Optima Yellow Top D34/78 because along with having the SAE posts, it also has the GM side posts in case I use the battery in a GM vechicle. I figured there's no point in getting the one without the GM side posts because they were rated the same, just that this one had the side posts. Here is the battery I bought:

http://www.optimabatteries.com/publi...cal_specs.html

Anyways, after looking at Advance Auto Parts, I found this battery:

http://www.optimabatteries.com/publi...cal_specs.html

Now I'm rethinking my battery choice. Would this battery not work for an automotive application? It says they are for commercial (large) applications. It's got better specs than the one I bought, but the only downside is that it's a decent amount larger. Any ideas on this?

I'm also planning on relocating the battery to the passenger storage bin. This is the best write-up I've found for it so far:

http://www.fc3spro.com/TECH/HOWTO/BA.../battrelo.html

I've been reading that 2 gauge is the best way to go if you're going to rewire the battery, and that going anything bigger is pointless in the fact that it doesn't bend worth a **** and is very costly. Many people use 4 gauge, and it will work, but 2 gauge appears to be the better choice. Also, I read that Aaron recommended just using the copper wire because the oxygen free wire was pointless because it will oxidize just as fast as the regular stuff and that the"thin wires" are just as pointless too. I plan on using copper crimp type battery cable lugs and using solder to secure the wire to the lug along with covering it with heat shrink tubing and dielectric grease. It's said the best way to solder is to use a small butane or propane torch since you need some serious heat to melt the large amount of solder required. I bought some gold-plated battery terminals to use with the new Optima too. I bought the type that you set the wire on it and bolt the small plate on to sandwhich the wire onto the terminal. These are the best ones I've used this far in terms of reliability and connection quality.

Now that I've rattled all of that off, do you guys have any suggestions for material types, methods to connect parts, wiring size, or anything else? Thanks so much for the help everyone.

88rxn/a

iTrader: (6)

i bought 2 gauge recently from a hardware shop. it was a welder's cable. pretty damn flexible and pretty cheap. NAPA wanted like 70 bucks for 25 feet (way more than i thought i would need) and the hardware store wanted 40 bucks. the welders cable was WAY more flexible.

cloudzero

iTrader: (1)

Here's a few pictures so you can see how i kinda relocated my battery. there's the stock spot


New power distribution block 2ga in and 4/8ga out

battery put into storage bin with circut breaker, green wire is on a fused link and runs to the rewired fuel pump


another battery in the storage bin shot

opened up engine bay

Ice_Wolf

Yea, I plan on going with the welder's cable stuff too. I've read that a lot of people are using that and had great success with it. How much wire did you actually end up needing? Some places say like 30 feet, but that seems a bit much.

ericgrau

iTrader: (1)

http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

You need something that will handle 70A continuouly, and have a small voltage drop during 200A of cranking.

70A continuously: 8 gauge
70A continuosuly, voltage drop: 8 gauge causes 0.5V voltage drop. 6 gauge causes 0.3V voltage drop.
200A cranking, 5' of wire: 4 gauge for 0.5V voltage drop. 2 gauge gives 0.3V voltage drop. 8 gauge gives 1.3V voltage drop. Note that the 200A is only for the first instant of cranking, after that it drops below 70A. So even losing 1.3V just for that first instant isn't so bad.

0.5V is a little too much according to the alternator installation instructions I read. Then again, your wire might isn't a full 5' long, so you could get by.

So basically 8 gauge is bare minimum, anything larger than that is better. But past ~6 gauge the improvement is very minor.

RETed

Holy ****!
That's a nice install!


-Ted

Ice_Wolf

So, any ideas about the two battery choices I listed? I'm really tempted to get the bigger one, but I have a feeling that it won't fit in the storage bin and also that it isn't going to work correctly for an automotive application and is made for commercial vehicles. If I decide to get the bigger one, I can take the one back that I have now seeing as how it hasn't been installed yet.

cloudzero

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Ted
i usually try to take my time and do things right instead of half assing stuff
You will probably use close to 30 ft of wire if you re-wire everything under the hood. I ran new power wires to the started and the alternator. Maybe about 12-14 feet to run from the power block to the battery. Plus if you hadn't done it it's a good time to replace all the ground wires.
Just one little tip, it's a lot easier to do the battery relocation before you install the rollbars. i learned that the hard way.
I'll try to get some better pics and instructions for how i made my rear bin here in a day or two for you. You can fir a pretty good size battery back there. AS you can see i just have an optima red top and thats plenty big enough for all the power i need.

MaczPayne

iTrader: (5)

^Yes, do post how you did the setup in the bin... I need to redesign mine.

Ice_Wolf

Alright, I get myself 30 feet of the 2 gauge wire and work from there. The only real thing that I'm wondering about now is if it's possible to use that bigger battery, or if it won't work with an automotive application. For some reason, the battery at the store didn't list an amperage/hour rating whereas the one I have has all the stuff listed on it. *shrug*

I like the setup that's on FC3Spro.com and think that's the way I may go. I see some people do a single circuit breaker and then just use a power distribution block in the engine bay instead of doing two circuit breakers. What would the reason be for doing this? Cloudzero, what was your reason for using the "distribution block" type terminals on your battery?

88rxn/a

iTrader: (6)

i bought this instead of 2 curcuit breakers...
http://www.cardomain.com/item/STISDB01448L
the plastic isnt the strongest but i dont think ill need that strong of plastic to cover it!? im gonna place it on the drivers side shock tower with self tapping screws...
it has the 1/0 gauge on one side (for the battery cable), one 4 gauge on another (for the main fuse block under the hood...), and four 8 gauge holes on the other for the alt, a E-fan and such.
edit** if you call them they have another one the exact same but the setup of the gauges sizes are in different spots, just switched around.

Ice_Wolf

Alright, I went back through and read some of Ted's old posts and he poses a really really good point about using two circuit breakers instead of one and a distribution block. Let's say the alternator or starter shorts out. It will only blow the CB on that side of the main power wire. Now let's say the battery shorts out. It will only blow the circuit breaker in that side of the battery instead of taking out other things with it. I'm not sure if this is the best way to describe it, but if you go back through you'll see why Ted did it that way. I'm pretty dead set on doing it that way now too. I know fore sure I'll be using the copper battery lugs with solder and a butane torch and cover them with heat shrink and dielectric grease, and also make sure to wire wheel/wire brush/degrease the grounding locations. Along with doing the relocation I'll be doing the regrounding procedures too.

So now I've gotta decide for sure if I want to go with the terminal style I have now and what battery I'm going to use for sure. Idk why, but I'm very tempeted to get that bigger Yellow Top, but then again it's going to require a completely custom battery tray because it's got such a stupid shape to it, and it's huge. I'm not so sure it'll fit in the storage bin either without cutting the **** out of it...

clokker

iTrader: (2)

It shows.

I'd like to see how you brought the cable from the bin up to the front of the car, i.e., where did you transition from inside to outside?

Ice_Wolf

Well, I think I'm going to stick with the battery I have now, mostly due to not being able to find a box that'll fit the bigger one, and the fact that the bigger one won't fit in the storage bin. If I wanted a box for it, it'd have to be custom made, and I'm not talking about just a few J-hooks, strap, and a tray, this would have to probably be custom created out of aluminum. At least with the size I have now I can buy some nice pre-fab tray setups and just use a simple j-hook setup to tightly secure the battery.

So now my last decisions, which terminal setup do I use and what should I do about securing the battery. Guess I'll just have to search and look at a few setups...