Who's got their battery in the trunk?

[CDMBill]

X2 on Mr. p-Body's advice. Welding cable X2 and I also run hot and ground to the engine block and starter solenoid, then onto front power buss. The tech guy at Famoso who has seen my car twenty times, had me do the 2000 rpm battery cut off test last weekend for the NMCA true street deal. That tech check always makes me nervous, but it works as its supposed to: on/off.

Remember to use a battery disconnect that's rated for your current load. They are not all the same.

[Huskinhano]

Harbor Freight sells a hydraulic cable crimper with dies from #12 to #1 for about $40 on sale. I bought one for work. I used it once it seems to work fine. I'll have to open up my NEC book and see what it says about welding cable insulation. Caveman, the closest TSC I know of by NJ is in Orange county NY on 17M. There is one about 2 miles from my place in PA.

Don't forget to run a ground cable from the frame to the body even though the battery ground goes to the block. It may seem redundant but ground currents from the body need a cable or else they'll find their way back to the battery any way they can. That could mean conducting currents through bearing, gears or what ever pitting them from arcing.

[yellomalibu]

On the Chevelle, I put the battery in the trunk perhaps 15 years ago using a summit kit, which comes with 2 gauge, iirc. I grounded it to the frame below the trunk. Solid motor mounts and a ground cable from engine to frame up front seems to have been providing adequate ground. No solenoid.

I had the positive end to the starter crimped on, but routing it away from the header had it hanging down a bit. Of course a root sticking out of a dirt driveway pulled it out of the crimp. I soldered the next one on and routed it much more carefully. Beware, when soldering these, the solder can wick up the cable a couple inches, making it pretty much impossible to bend it. It may or may not matter in your situation.

In another thread, I may have mentioned I recently have been having hot start problems, which I thought had to do with putting the flat hood back on the car. After a 40 minute drive last Sunday, and the return trip of another 40 minute drive, I realize my battery just needed a good charge. :-/

[anotheridiot]

wire is wire. more strands in welding wire is what keeps them cool under load since its the outside of each strand that carry the current. Me, I tore out a 200 amp service and used the 2/0 building wire from the trunk and grounded at the frame in the back and front. Its not that big of a deal what you use as long as its big enough, and summits #2 is on the small side for my taste. They do have bolt on lugs too that you can connect the wire with a set screw and heat with a mapp torch and fill with solder.

[STINEY]

Me, I tore out a 200 amp service and used the 2/0 building wire from the trunk and grounded at the frame in the back and front.

Interesting. I have some left over from a couple of projects, never thought of using it on a car.

Might be just the thing for the TR7 though.

Was what you used Aluminum or Copper? My leftovers are aluminum.

[anotheridiot]

Mine were copper, like I said, its what I had, far overkill over #2 cable. I liked the double shielded wire got the quick scuff stuff and then an inner core thats tough insulation for any road hazards. Aluminum is 10% less load carrying than copper and the only thing I would do is try to tape or heat shrink over the ends to keep the oxidation from getting behind the insulation at the ends. Aluminum oxidizes to a white powder that does not conduct.

Sounds like a winner for a TR7, nice light weight, I would have used aluminum if thats what I pulled.

The only time you are gonna see all those amps going thru the wire is a dead short or a big ass battery charger car starter with lots of cranking time.

[Huskinhano]

wire is wire. more strands in welding wire is what keeps them cool under load since its the outside of each strand that carry the current. Me, I tore out a 200 amp service and used the 2/0 building wire from the trunk and grounded at the frame in the back and front. Its not that big of a deal what you use as long as its big enough, and summits #2 is on the small side for my taste. They do have bolt on lugs too that you can connect the wire with a set screw and heat with a mapp torch and fill with solder.

More strands make for a more flexible cable not for more amperage capacity. If welding cable runs cover most likely due to short duty cycle and the fact that they're in open air, not in a conduit. The skin effect where current runs on the outside of a wire strand is not applicable to DC circuits. The skin effect is related to high frequencies or AC circuits with poor power factors. It is not a desired condition, it'll reduce the amount of amperage a wire by something up to 60% IIRC and causes the cable to run hot.

[Scott Liggett]

I have 25 ft. of 2-0 for the battery to the trunk. I plan to run a cutoff switch.

What I am trying to figure out how to reconnect the main power from alternator and fuse panel. I am thinking of using a junction block and a large gauge wire from the starter. This is instead of running a bunch of wire to the trunk.

[cstmwgn]

I have 25 ft. of 2-0 for the battery to the trunk. I plan to run a cutoff switch.

What I am trying to figure out how to reconnect the main power from alternator and fuse panel. I am thinking of using a junction block and a large gauge wire from the starter. This is instead of running a bunch of wire to the trunk.

Not being a Chevy guy, I brought my power wire forward and attached it to a junction block and then used a shorter lead from the junction block to the starter. I drive all the power in the car from the junction block. I used a Moroso part which does not appear to still be available.

[anotheridiot]

I have 25 ft. of 2-0 for the battery to the trunk. I plan to run a cutoff switch.

What I am trying to figure out how to reconnect the main power from alternator and fuse panel. I am thinking of using a junction block and a large gauge wire from the starter. This is instead of running a bunch of wire to the trunk.

McMaster Carr 7527K26 is like 12 bucks. Just get terminal sizes from 6 to 16 ga wire. I hid a ford style post to post solenoid in the trunk, fed one side to the battery, the second to a #6 wire so only one positive is coming to the front to feed everything and a little wire to energize the solenoid.. But that was more for living in chicago and wanting yet another kill switch and no live positives in the engine bay other than on the starter. Of course switching to a four speed allowed me to keep the automatic column neutral safety as an uncommon kill, a second switch to energize the solenoid to get power to the junction block and feed the ignition and power accessories which are next to nothing anyway.

any electrical supply will have them and you choose how many circuits you want I think they go up to 20, some are all live others need little clips to energize all the terminals, but once you think outside the box with wire and pure automotive thinking the doors are opened for more possibilities.

[Matt Cramer]

I have 25 ft. of 2-0 for the battery to the trunk. I plan to run a cutoff switch.

What I am trying to figure out how to reconnect the main power from alternator and fuse panel. I am thinking of using a junction block and a large gauge wire from the starter. This is instead of running a bunch of wire to the trunk.

On the Dart, I'm planning to have one run of wire from the battery to the starter terminal, and from then on to the alternator, before the cutoff switch. Then a second run of wire after the cutoff switch to power everything else.

[anotheridiot]

On the Dart, I'm planning to have one run of wire from the battery to the starter terminal, and from then on to the alternator, before the cutoff switch. Then a second run of wire after the cutoff switch to power everything else.

Thats a way to go, I just have a big block chevy and the solenoid has enough trouble with heat from the headers which is why I stayed away from adding wire down there.

[yellomalibu]

I have 25 ft. of 2-0 for the battery to the trunk. I plan to run a cutoff switch.

What I am trying to figure out how to reconnect the main power from alternator and fuse panel. I am thinking of using a junction block and a large gauge wire from the starter. This is instead of running a bunch of wire to the trunk.

I have a power distribution block up front to run things like the fans, elec. water pump, etc. I got it in the marine parts section of the auto parts store. It is basically just a piece of phenolic material with brass strips on it, with screws in the brass.
I run a 10 gauge wire to it from the big post on the starter, and each accessory goes to one of the other screws.

I also had to run a 10 gauge wire from the alternator all the way back to the battery cut-off switch so the engine would die when the switch was cut off.

[Scott Liggett]

Thanks for the replies guys.

[malc]

Trunk mounted battery, helpful info.

This and this.