Battery Relocation Write-Up! Questions/Comments/Suggestions welcome!

MaczPayne · 04-27-2008, 04:14 PM

I had posted this on the other forum, but also wanted it on the new and improved forum as well!

Alright, I wasn't quite satisfied with the battery relocation I had in the TII. The positive lead was ran incorrectly, the battery wasn't tied down, overall, it was just plain ugly to me. My friend and I decided to redo the whole relocation.

We're Jeep guys and a few weeks before the end of March my friend got in contact with John Kelley (http://www.geocities.com/JeepI6Power/electric.html), who builds replacement wiring kits for Jeep Cherokees and Comanches.

We had originally planned on getting the wiring kit for my Jeep, but somewhere in our conversation he mentioned the RX7 and how we wanted to redo the wiring, and surprisingly he said he could get me what I need, as long as we give him all the measurements and etc.

In case you haven't read the website,

"Works in Progress uses 1 gauge welding cable, with fine strands for flexibility and increased current-carrying capacity. This cable also has heavy-duty oil- and grease-resistant insulation, so you don't have to worry about it getting soaked with oil, grease, fuel, water, or anything else.

All connections are pressure-crimped, packed with corrosion inhibitor, and sealed twice - first with vinyl terminal tape, then with polyolefin heat shrink tubing. This makes a connection that should never be contaminated or work loose over the life of the vehicle."

The point of this writeup is to show people out there how I did the relocation. It may seem different and even overkill to some people, but after the install, I had minuscule if zero voltage drop under load (brakes, fans on high, headlights, etc.) The cables themselves are not very cheap considering how they're made. You may be able to get the supplies yourself and save some money, but this is a general idea of what's needed. All comments are welcome! If I made a mistake anywhere, please feel free to point it out.

Here's what I ordered(lengths may vary depending on how you want to run the cables):

1 - 32" red main lead from 200A breaker to terminal post on the firewall
2 - 10" red, 1 from battery + to 200A breaker, 1 from terminal post on firewall to alternator
1 - 14" red from terminal post on firewall to starter
3 - 10" black, one on each side of the motor, grounded to the frame, and one from the battery - to chassis ground.

I also refreshed the factory grounds as well. Dielectric grease was used in every connection.

I'm waiting on my Braille sealed battery so I will be using a generic battery temporarily.

Here are some pictures:

Before:

Not seen: The long red lead was ran underneath the car instead of inside. It was a real eyesore!

During:

The terminal post we used to bridge the firewall instead of running a cable through it.

Installed on firewall.

Breaker - Terminal post lead Tucked along the transmission tunnel

200A breaker installed

Finished:

Once again, all questions/comments/criticisms appreciated!! I'm always seeking to improve my work, so your comments will be duly noted for future reference.

RotaryXperiment · 04-30-2008, 06:53 PM

looks good ima do mine this weekend. u removed carpet out of bin? idk how ima mount the battery box?

MaczPayne · 05-05-2008, 01:58 AM

I took the carpet out of the bin. I will have a Deka battery soon so placement of my battery right now is temporary.

RotaryXperiment · 05-05-2008, 05:40 PM

oo i was doing mine this weekend, not too happy how it came out, ill post pics maybe tomrrow

Phoenix7 · 05-07-2008, 05:13 PM

Good post.

JunpoweR · 05-08-2008, 04:23 AM

hopefully The one you have in the car right now wont vent harmful and toxic fumes into your car.
I hope you also know these types of batteries can also explode!

Lol well We need to warn people not to use regular batteries in cars because it can cause great harm!

MaczPayne · 05-09-2008, 01:04 AM

^You're absolutely correct. The battery will only be there for a while until I get my hands on a Sealed Deka.

A note about the cable lengths:

Don't take my lengths as solid measurements, you might want to route yours differently, so measure accordingly.

04-27-2008, 04:14 PM	#1
MaczPayne Bah! Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Riverside, SoCal iTrader: (1) Posts: 442 Rep Power: 17	Battery Relocation Write-Up! Questions/Comments/Suggestions welcome! I had posted this on the other forum, but also wanted it on the new and improved forum as well! Alright, I wasn't quite satisfied with the battery relocation I had in the TII. The positive lead was ran incorrectly, the battery wasn't tied down, overall, it was just plain ugly to me. My friend and I decided to redo the whole relocation. We're Jeep guys and a few weeks before the end of March my friend got in contact with John Kelley (http://www.geocities.com/JeepI6Power/electric.html), who builds replacement wiring kits for Jeep Cherokees and Comanches. We had originally planned on getting the wiring kit for my Jeep, but somewhere in our conversation he mentioned the RX7 and how we wanted to redo the wiring, and surprisingly he said he could get me what I need, as long as we give him all the measurements and etc. In case you haven't read the website, "Works in Progress uses 1 gauge welding cable, with fine strands for flexibility and increased current-carrying capacity. This cable also has heavy-duty oil- and grease-resistant insulation, so you don't have to worry about it getting soaked with oil, grease, fuel, water, or anything else. All connections are pressure-crimped, packed with corrosion inhibitor, and sealed twice - first with vinyl terminal tape, then with polyolefin heat shrink tubing. This makes a connection that should never be contaminated or work loose over the life of the vehicle." The point of this writeup is to show people out there how I did the relocation. It may seem different and even overkill to some people, but after the install, I had minuscule if zero voltage drop under load (brakes, fans on high, headlights, etc.) The cables themselves are not very cheap considering how they're made. You may be able to get the supplies yourself and save some money, but this is a general idea of what's needed. All comments are welcome! If I made a mistake anywhere, please feel free to point it out. Here's what I ordered(lengths may vary depending on how you want to run the cables): 1 - 32" red main lead from 200A breaker to terminal post on the firewall 2 - 10" red, 1 from battery + to 200A breaker, 1 from terminal post on firewall to alternator 1 - 14" red from terminal post on firewall to starter 3 - 10" black, one on each side of the motor, grounded to the frame, and one from the battery - to chassis ground. I also refreshed the factory grounds as well. Dielectric grease was used in every connection. I'm waiting on my Braille sealed battery so I will be using a generic battery temporarily. Here are some pictures: Before: Not seen: The long red lead was ran underneath the car instead of inside. It was a real eyesore! During: The terminal post we used to bridge the firewall instead of running a cable through it. Installed on firewall. Breaker - Terminal post lead Tucked along the transmission tunnel 200A breaker installed Finished: Once again, all questions/comments/criticisms appreciated!! I'm always seeking to improve my work, so your comments will be duly noted for future reference. __________________ Johnson TA FC in the works!

05-05-2008, 01:58 AM	#3
MaczPayne Bah! Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Riverside, SoCal iTrader: (1) Posts: 442 Rep Power: 17	I took the carpet out of the bin. I will have a Deka battery soon so placement of my battery right now is temporary. __________________ Johnson TA FC in the works!

05-08-2008, 04:23 AM	#6
JunpoweR Rotary Fan in Training Join Date: May 2008 iTrader: (0) Posts: 66 Rep Power: 0	hopefully The one you have in the car right now wont vent harmful and toxic fumes into your car. I hope you also know these types of batteries can also explode! Lol well We need to warn people not to use regular batteries in cars because it can cause great harm! __________________ --^v--JunpoweR--^v-- "90 GTUs Crystal White GT35 WB TA Project "90 GTUs Brilliant Black Restoration 1984 GSL-SE Daily Last edited by JunpoweR; 05-08-2008 at 04:27 AM..

05-09-2008, 01:04 AM	#7
MaczPayne Bah! Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Riverside, SoCal iTrader: (1) Posts: 442 Rep Power: 17	^You're absolutely correct. The battery will only be there for a while until I get my hands on a Sealed Deka. A note about the cable lengths: Don't take my lengths as solid measurements, you might want to route yours differently, so measure accordingly. __________________ Johnson TA FC in the works! Last edited by MaczPayne; 05-09-2008 at 01:07 AM..

04-30-2008, 06:53 PM	#2
RotaryXperiment Rotary Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bradenton, Fl iTrader: (0) Posts: 136 Rep Power: 17	looks good ima do mine this weekend. u removed carpet out of bin? idk how ima mount the battery box?

05-05-2008, 05:40 PM	#4
RotaryXperiment Rotary Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bradenton, Fl iTrader: (0) Posts: 136 Rep Power: 17	oo i was doing mine this weekend, not too happy how it came out, ill post pics maybe tomrrow