Battery Relocation
 

What size fuse/breaker does everyone run with 2 gauge wire?

Looking at a group 51 battery and then my pass bin, it seems it will fit without any cutting, maybe not setting flat and bolted down, but it's not like it's going to tip over or go anywhere in the bin. Cheapest sealed 51?

Also silly me thought that I could easily remember which wires went where with the stock battery setup. Now that I'm reassembling everything it's not so easy to recall. Anyone care to show close up pics of how you arranged and connected the wiring in the stock battery location?

not sure what you are asking, but here is an answer...the ground wire attaches to the body, and the power wire attaches to the fuse block :shrug:

you will have to cut the bin to run wires...and to make a tie down.

I'm using a sealed gel cell miata battery that fits nicely (westco) with no additional cutting. I used a 200A breaker, but with 4AWG wire.

also I'd think that this might make the grounding problem in FD more noticable being that the engine is no longer wired to the battery. Or does the battery to chassis to engine work just as well?

The wiring question was referring to what everyone did with the stock wires around the battery? I plan to run the 2awg power wire to the starter, then run a wire from the starter to the fuse block (smaller wire that will fit along the side of the fuseblock using a ring terminal. Then should I just run the ground wire that used to hook onto the battery to the chassis?

Also I can't seem to figure out where this one wire goes. It comes out of the bottom of the main fuse block and is hot when I power up the main fuse block. All I need is a nice clear, close-up picture of the stock wiring around a battery in the stock location.

I'm having starting problems, I'm wondering if my battery relocation has something to do with it. Starter and solenoid are good with brand new battery. Just clicks, have to turn the ignition over a few times before it catches and starts. Maybe I should run a direct power wire to the starter?

so the westco battery fit w/o bin hacking? what did you use for tie down?

I've been looking into doing this as well. The kit just seems way to pricy for wire, a box and a fuse. If anyone has pics, that woud help out greatly.

Here is my setup..about $165 for everything needed.

http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/4595/batt019nc.jpg

http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/4906/batt038lc.jpg

http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/1572/batt045nj.jpg

good idea, I ditched my spare, i bet a 51R would fit in it's place! I should relocate all my relays and fuse boxes to my spare tire well too, my engine bay would win 1st prize at the fair with that setup :bigthumb:

but anyway, anyone have an answer as to where my mystery wires go?

I ended up cutting the bin 3" below the top and wedged my 51r inside and slid forward toward the front of the bin, leaving more space in the bin for my 10 disc changer.

I grounded the Neg. terminal to the bolt in the rear seat rail. I also added additional grounds inside the engine bay and ran 2 guage wire from the Neg. terminal throught the cabin to the engine bay. I also have the 2 Guage running from the Pos. Terminal to the fuse box in the engien bay with an inline 200AMP fuse about 12" from the Pos. terminal.

/\ I'm curious about this also?

I don't think it is a battery relocation issue. I think its has more to do with bad grounds (maybe) and/or a bad clutch switch (i don't know). Mine does exactly the same thing and I have not done the relocation.

I turn the key and get a click, turn the key a few more times then she finally cranks the starter and the car fires right up. I had this problem since I picked the car up two plus years ago. Another thing is when the key is held in the start position ( I hear the same click) then I can let the clutch out and back in tell it turns the starter and fires the car up.

That's why I'm leaning torwards the clutch switch. I have also checked all my grounds already and they seem to be in good contact.

Thanks
Joe

I guess I need to short the clutch switch to verify.

what mystery wires? the ground from the battery to the engine block?
if so, completly remove that, and just ground the battery to the chassis (where ever you move the battery too)

yes...I used some brackets, bolted to the bottom of the bin...bins out of car for this...and ran some long studs into the brackets with and adjustable (length) bar from a hardware store. I don't have any pics yet...If I get a chance, I'll snap a few. It'd look better if I painted everything black.

Is this the mistery wire you speak of?

2awg wire to the starter sounds a bit extreme and probably not a good idea. You shouldn't have to rewire your starter for this mod.


you can cut the neg. side terminal off at the "junction" on the chassis. looks real clean.

very common in FD's

pics would be awesome

that's the mystery wire, I thought i had already connected it . . . oops. What I NOOB I am!


Which ground are you saying to totally remove? I would want to keep any engine to chassis grounds. The only groudn I see removing is the stock one that goes from the battery to the chassis. I'm thinking about making a custom grounding plate on the firewall. I'll run a 6 gauge wire from the battery to it and then branch this off to UIM, Engine block, etc. What do you guys think? Unnecessary?

great now you're making me paint them :rolleyes: ;)

that's the one...you can kind of see the spot I cut (between) thru the fuse blocks
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...p/cf9ed06e.jpg

and the plate idea is probably overkill, but if you want it for looks it'll do no harm.

You want GND's to be as short as possible (less resistance). I grounded the intermediate iron to the chassis, the UIM to the firewall, and two grounding wires off the battery.

I'll see about getting pics of my battery

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...p/0fa1c831.jpg

I was thinking relocating my battery but dont want to go through all the hassle and then not be able to pass tech at the race track. Has anybody been able to do a clean relocation and still pass tech with an approved battery box?

on a side note how do you liek the MSD? Is that just a 6 or their DIS?

Glad to see those engine bay pics, it's helping me decide between polishing everything or powdercoating black texture (I powdercoat myself so this is almost free to do, and maintenence is nothing)

I have no problems passing tech at SCCA AutoX events


I had ignition break-up above 14psi in the upper rpms...simple install of the 6A on the leading coil, cleaned up the entire power band. One thing I didn't know about the 6A was the rapid fire hits below 3k rpms, makes for a little more peppy throttle.

well I had one of the legs of the ground coming off the side of the engine (black with yellow tracer) going to the larger fuse box instead of the power wire (red in the pic attached).

So I know that's where the red goes, but where does the yellow ground one go? (don't say the engine block, the lug in the middle (white in pic) bolts onto the side of the engine)