This is topic Battery Relocation woes in forum Tech Talk at Northern California Ford Owners  .


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Posted by CA FiveOh (Member # 7429) on :
 
Hey guys,

Perhaps someone can shed some light on this, as I am having major troubles after relocating my batter to the trunk. Here's how I have it ran: 2 Gauge JL Audio power cable to the starter solenoid on the drivers fenderwell, 4 guage power cable from the solenoid to the starter. The battery is grounded with 2 gauge cable to the frame rail in the rear with the use of a master ground lug. From that same point, another run of 2 gauge cable goes up to the front where the original ground point was on the engine block. I changed up all my grounding the other day, in hopes that it would solve my problem, but it still does it.

Here's my dilema...motor cool or luke warm, and the car starts right up with no problems. If I drive it for like 15-20 miles or more, shut it off, it will not crank over fast enough to start. I don't know if I should make the solenoid to starter cable 2 gauge also??

I'm also thinking about switching over to a 3G style alternator, as I don't think the stock 95A unit, with it's dinky 10 gauge charge wire, is enough. Plus I don't know how well the stock starter can handle the demands of higher compression, plus turning the pulley of the ProCharger while starting.

This is so frustrating as I cannot take the car on a longer distance drive if I plan to stop anywhere...unless I plan on sitting around for an hour while the motor cools off! Someone has to have some ideas for this!

Thanks,
Kyle
 
Posted by illwill510 (Member # 3788) on :
 
same thing happend to me. I just put it back in the front. Also, the battery was constantly loosing power with a long lead to the back of the car.
 
Posted by MikeD. (Member # 8060) on :
 
Possibly dont use power cable for an amp use battery cable. The Strands are a lot thinner in speaker wire than in battery cable which will cause a lot of resistance. (resistance is electricitys enemy) Also if that wire is too thin it will heat up a lot faster and again cause more resistance. Use #2 all around and thicker stranded wire. Also cover where ever you have it grounded up so the elements cant get to a make it corrode. just my .02

[ March 29, 2009, 01:10 PM: Message edited by: MikeD. ]
 
Posted by whitelx91 (Member # 8317) on :
 
I had a few of the same probs. For 1 definately use 2g or even 0g for everything. So run batt pos to solonoid, batt neg to frame,(use as big of a bolt as you can and also clean the surface very well, run at least 3 or 4 grounds from the block to the frame using 2g wire, run the charge back wire off alt to batt side of solonoid,(10g is fine), and then 2g to the starter. Your problem is you are either running to small of wire and when it gets hot your losing voltage or you dont have enough grounds.
 
Posted by soulsoffire (Member # 7872) on :
 
Yeah i have a question regarding the install do i need two solenoids one in the front and one in the back or just one? Also when bolting the case to the frame do i need to cut the remaining bolt/screw thing dont know what to call it, and were does the clear tube attach to. Pics would help or link u=if you know them thanks.
 
Posted by 5OHS5OH (Member # 4665) on :
 
When I was building demolition derby cars, I always bought my battery relocating wire from a welding supply store. It may be a cheaper way to go for you.
 
Posted by 50DADDY (Member # 3076) on :
 
I used to run the ground all the way to the motor and had no probs.Make sure you use good fine strand cable too.
 
Posted by phildog (Member # 1214) on :
 
I would recommend running double O wire, which can be purchased by the foot at any welding supply store. It has lots of many very fine strands, and is easy to maneuver to the front of the car.

Electricity travels on the OUTSIDE of the copper strands of wire, not within the strands, as pointed out (incorrectly) earlier. I always go for a higher count of fine strands of wire.

I am no electrician, but my dad and I both have double O battery cables and zero issues with voltage drop. Another deposit of .02 [Wink]
 
Posted by Blind (Member # 3052) on :
 
I used 0 awg wire for my relocation in my `89, battery is grounded through the trunk to one of the quad shock mounting bolts on passenger side.

engine is grounded from power steering bracket bolt to a swaybar mount bolt on the drivers side

I have a 3g alt and a mini starter, so my 3g alt power line runs straight back to the switch at the trunk and joins the battery's + wire

the other side of the switch goes up to the mini starters solenoid.


I have never had a problem with charging or starting.
 
Posted by BCINGUU (Member # 2397) on :
 
I had the same problem, it seems the starter has to draw more current when it's hot. I ran an extra 4 gauge cable from the battery in the trunk (so there are 2 cables hooked together at the ends) and the problem cleared up.
 
Posted by SteveL (Member # 1241) on :
 
That would be a way to check but you have to be very careful.

When the car is hot and hard to start, run a jumper cable from the negative side of the battery to the engine block. It will likely require two cable clipped together to be long enough. If the car starts, you have a bad ground.

Disconnect the jumper cables from the negative terminal / engine block and connect the cables to the positive terminal and the hot side of the starter solenoid. You need to be *very careful* when using two jumper cables clipped together so that it doesn't touch the car. If the car starts, the positive battery cable probably needs to be a larger diameter.

To correct some other misconceptions...

DC current such as batteries does not just travel on the skin of the coper strands (the so called skin affect). High frequency AC signals do.

It doesn't matter if the cable is lots of small strands (which makes it flexible) or one big hunk of copper (which would be difficult to bend). What matters is how much copper is in the cable. A larger cross section will have lower DC resistance.

[ April 01, 2009, 06:09 AM: Message edited by: SteveL ]
 
Posted by 92stangLX (Member # 3252) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Blind:
I used 0 awg wire for my relocation in my `89, battery is grounded through the trunk to one of the quad shock mounting bolts on passenger side.

engine is grounded from power steering bracket bolt to a swaybar mount bolt on the drivers side

I have a 3g alt and a mini starter, so my 3g alt power line runs straight back to the switch at the trunk and joins the battery's + wire

the other side of the switch goes up to the mini starters solenoid.


I have never had a problem with charging or starting.
+1 ground to your quad shock mount
 




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