Battery in trunk

kb426 · October 30, 2007, 06:30:03 PM

If you have the space this might be an option.

freddrew · October 30, 2007, 08:12:40 PM

The RF wheel well is a good spot for a battery. It leaves space in the trunk for a 12 pack. My 46 Ford pickup has this battery arrangement. I built the box with a lid to protect it from wheel splash and it is mounted directly to the frame. I also ran extra cables to the top of the engine that can be used to Jump start my vehicle or someone else's if necessary without having to get dirty.

Fred

wayne petty · October 30, 2007, 08:25:26 PM

now a bit of theory

ben franklin got it wrong.. electrons flow from - to +...

polarity was changed from + ground to - ground to avoid body corrosion problems..

the body (if it's not fiberglass ) needs to be grounded, the engine needs to be grounded, the frame needs to be grounded... (a ground on a part in a spray booth is a great idea...even if it's fiberglass.)

the starter takes up to 400 amps and is grounded usually through the mounting pad to the engine block or bellhousing ...(clean the paint off the mounting surfaces)

if you run a ground cable from the back of the car to the front be sure to run individual 10 or 12 gauge circuts to the body and the frame.. from what ever point you elect to termanate the cable.. be sure that if you use a terminal block that it is rated for that much amperage... 3/8 bolt size is good... smaller terminal blocks are available on front wheel drive cads under the hood... they may even be large enough for starter duty ...

if you hook the ground to the frame in the back and pick it up at the front. there will be less voltage drop on the ground circut as the frame can pass more amperage through it larger surface area..

welding cable is made out of fine wires to make it flexable...and may be more flexable than you need...the insulation may be wrong for longest life. but it will work ..

truck electric shops make their own battery cables out of heavy duty battery cable not welding cable... they also have the proper terminals, and some of them soldier them on...not just krimp them with a hammer...

most radiators also like to be grounded also... longer life ...

there more but i have lost my train of thought...

for those wanting to pass a high current load through a panel delco #1965246 is an output post insulator for 50dn heavy duty alternators.. it has a 1/2" id fits in a 11/16 hole and has a 3/16 sholder/pilot that can be shortened... or drill the other side to 11/16 and they become cheep bulkhead terminal...

the inside square part is 7/8" the outisde of the square is 1-5/16 hope this helps some rodder...if someone needs some. pm me.
an image is available at
http://198.208.187.182/internet/ViewPartImage.jsp plus 1965246

purplepickup · October 30, 2007, 08:47:15 PM

Quote from: "wayne petty"most radiators also like to be grounded also... longer life ...

there more but i have lost my train of thought...

Were you about to talk about electrolytic corrosion in an engine because of poorly grounded circuits?

wayne petty · October 30, 2007, 09:17:41 PM

Quote from: "purplepickup"
Quote from: "wayne petty"most radiators also like to be grounded also... longer life ...

there more but i have lost my train of thought...
Were you about to talk about electrolytic corrosion in an engine because of poorly grounded circuits?

well i can...

since people never change their antifreeze it becomes acid.. dissimular metals found in engines and this antifreeze cause an electric charge to disolve your softer engine parts... usually the aluminum or pot metal this disolved metal gets redeposited in the radiator tubes and heater core... yea but what this got to do whith what purplepickup ask.. if yo ground the radiator and the heater core to the engine block and chassie. there will be no differnce in voltage between the parts .. no voltage differnce between the parts means no disolving of the engine parts by electrical deposition..

the acid can still dissolve the metals but it is much slower...

the anodes that come on a special radiator caps sacrifice their bulk metal part to the acid charge . this reduces the electralisis...

some boats a few years ago had the propellers eaten away because of a short to ground in the battery circuts...i have forgotten exactally what was found to be the culpret...but props are not cheep...

Crosley.In.AZ · October 30, 2007, 09:22:52 PM

I run a ground strap from the chassis to my aluminum radiators in the old cars.

48builder · October 31, 2007, 12:10:45 PM

Quote from: "wayne petty"
if you hook the ground to the frame in the back and pick it up at the front. there will be less voltage drop on the ground circut as the frame can pass more amperage through it larger surface area..

So Wayne seems to think that connecting to a stud on the frame is a good idea. That was my original plan. I am using a 3/8" terminal block stud at the front, and was running heavy vables from there to the frame, engine black, and body. Should work. I'll think on it a bit more.

I am using these on the inner fender for terminals.

http://order.waytekwire.com/CGI-BIN/LANSAWEB?WEBEVENT+L0E1C6A4279430800F590022+M37+ENG

48builder · October 31, 2007, 12:12:22 PM

Quote from: "kb426"If you have the space this might be an option.

Thought about mounting it there, but my PCM fit nicely there. I will post a couple pics of my box. I cut out the spare tire well, and built a box to sit in its place. The box hasa section for the battery and one for tools, etc. It has a cover with hinges.

Walt