Thread: Battery Woes

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What size cable for the 9' long positive cable?

I ran a #4AWG battery cable from my battery in the trunk through a (gray) electric pvc pipe clamped to the frame. The pipe endes about 6" from the starter. It starts my BBc with no problems. The grounds are of the same wire size. All lugs are soldered.

Originally Posted by rspears

OK, so I made a plywood box to check space, and it looks like moving the battery to the trunk is the only way to make this work and not look like caca - too many things were positioned based on that little battery volume. A question:
Charlie mentioned running the ground cable to the frame, then a short frame to block cable up front. In the trunk I have a very convenient body mounting bolt that threads into a nut welded into the frame, pinching the fiberglass body between the body brace plate & the frame (frame nut, anti-squeek body welting, fiberglass body, internal bracing plate, washer & bolt). Seems to me that putting the battery ground atop the internal brace plate, then using a similar bolt up front for the block ground will work fine. I have a 3/8" bolt into a nut welded into the frame on both ends carrying the current. Battery positive will penetrate the trunk floor and run direct from the (+) terminal to the starter, with a jumper to the bulkhead to get (+) power into the cabin. Sound OK to you guys?

That's EXACTLY how I've done it for years Roger.
Use a #1 weldig lead for yer run to the starter, and a short piece of 8 for your jumper to cabin.
Most new cars are wired this way.
Just to verify I just looked under the hood of the wifes 300C Chrysler.
Will I see ya Sunday ??????

New car manufacturers for sure don't run any heavier cable then necessary. The Ford Racing starter I'm using came with a 4awg cable - which I replaced with a 1awg from the trunk to the starter. The ground is the same 1awg and is fastened to the the bell housing near the starter with the frame and body separately grounded with woven straps and brass bolts - kinda overkill for a steel bodied car, but it was only a few bucks more to make sure.

I'll be picking up an Odyssey PC1200 tomorrow morning - they did not have the SAE terminals in stock at this store, and have to get them overnight. I have an idea on mounting at the end of the gas tank that will keep the battery out of sight behind upholstery panels, yet pretty easy to get to if the need arises and not giving up any valuable trunk space. Bulkhead terminals at the side firewall will be maintained up front to facilitate charging, and jumping if the need ever arises. NAPA is getting me a right angle connector for the positive terminal end, which will make the heavy #2 cable easier to handle.

So late yesterday the guys at XS told me that my battery was delivered to them by a guy from the next business park down the road - no explanation, as the address on the package was right. The post office simply took it to the wrong street address The tested it, and came back with this:

Battery came in at 13.0 volts. It passed a 110 amp 15 sec load test at 10.8 volts, no problems. It had no problem delivering 350 + amps to simulate a starting cycle. We believe the problem lie elsewhere. I hope this helps.

I went back and asked if they checked the system volts at the simulated starting cycle, and they advised it fell to ~9V, which they thought would be "plenty" to fire injectors, etc. However, when I told them that it cranked and fired immediately with my Jeep battery they admitted that it sounded like a larger battery might be the right approach and they have offered to credit my S680 cost against a S925, which is above & beyond what they have to do. I countered with a request that they credit me against a new S1200, as it packs more power into a package almost the same size as the S925's. Going out to work on the cable/tray install now.

To close the loop, yesterday I got the new battery tray mounted and ran, secured and connected a new #2 positive feed direct from the battery (+) to the starter, leaving my old #4 from the starter to the body bulkhead connector to feed the cabin and to provide an external connection point for voltage checks, charging, jumping if needed, etc. The ground is from the (-) battery post down to a 3/8" body bolt into a welded frame nut 18" from the battery, and then from another body bolt up front to the cabin bulkhead, and outside from that bulkhead to the block. The bigger 1200 size battery cranks faster, and (so far) fires almost immediately on every start attempt.

Pepi nailed this one back in post #9. Even though there are a bunch of cars/trucks out there running the little 680 series batteries without problems (a friend has two injected SBF's and has never had any issues) mine just needs more "kick" during crank. The gear drive starter draws some amps, and with my PB relay start system every crank fires my injectors batch mode - all eight triggering together which pulls a bit more juice, too. Seems like my inconsistent starting has been that at times my system voltage was dropping down to the point that my spark was a little weak, and my injector pulses may have been inconsistent, too. Hopefully this one can go into the "Problem Solved" box, but I'm still going to be watching it for a while.

Ain't too late to throw yer bags in the trunk, and still do "The Great Greybeard Adventure" Roger !!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by DA34GUY

Ain't too late to throw yer bags in the trunk, and still do "The Great Greybeard Adventure" Roger !!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, I know Don, but I think it's best for me to keep a little closer to home for now. It would almost certainly do fine, but we've got a ton of stuff going on this summer. We're planning to do Des Moines Goodguy's at the end of the month. You guys travel safe! How many in the caravan leaving your place tomorrow?

7 or 8 leavin here Monday @ 7 am, 4 in route from Flordia, N.Carolina, Kentucky and Alabama pickin up Dennie (sg4365) in Memphis TX, then pickin up
Fast Charlie Edwards in Amarillo around noon.
Then boogalooin to ALBY 4 the nite.

Ok, Roger, far be it from me to be the "Pic Police" but we're 4 pages into your thread and the only pic you've posted of this process is of a 12" ground strap that you snagged from some website. While you have excellent verbal skills, we just can't go this far on "word pictures" alone! I'm just letting you know before Mike (34-40) shows up. After all, he is the Chief of the Pic Police!!

Glad you got your problem solved.

Say very glad to here you have made progress, piece of mind is a good thing. Custom building a car takes a little time to sort out the bugs. Besides if we did not have these little adventures we would be missing part of the fun.
Cool enjoy your ride it's a nice one.

Originally Posted by randyr

Ok, Roger, far be it from me to be the "Pic Police" but we're 4 pages into your thread and the only pic you've posted of this process is of a 12" ground strap that you snagged from some website. While you have excellent verbal skills, we just can't go this far on "word pictures" alone! I'm just letting you know before Mike (34-40) shows up. After all, he is the Chief of the Pic Police!!

Glad you got your problem solved.

When it comes to pictures and posting them.. WHO? IS THE PIECE OF CHALIFE? RANDY???

Roger, we're all glad it's come together for you.

About the best I can do for a picture is one of the battery sitting in the new tray/shelf at the end of the gas tank. It was attaching to the plywood bulkhead and resting on the wheel well so I just cut a piece of 3/4" plywood, attached a piece of 1.5" angle iron to the front edge with bondo & screws, then used more bondo & screws for the bulkhead attachment, and a bit of bondo on the wheel well. The battery tucks into the dead space by the gas tank, and we lose zero trunk space. With the AGM gell no enclosure is necessary, as there's no off-gassing.
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Good to hear you got the gremlins exorcised from the electrical system!!!! Should work fine and the battery install will work just fine!!! Glad you guys are getting all this electrical and battery issues resolved with the EFI Fords!!!! Time I get around to doing mine it'll be a cake walk!!!!!