Looking for advice on battery relocation

[kinkyllama]

I know how to do it and all I'm just looking for some tips, tricks, and need some specs.

1) What gauge wires should I use?

2) Is there any lose due to running the alternator wire so far to the battery? I'd think that'd be a big lose.

3) How should I go about grounding? Isn't grounding around the engine one of the most important for performance/response?

4) Has anyone used a kit or box that they would recommend?

5) What about the power wires for the fuse box and whatnot, what should I do with those exactly?

6) Any other advice you could give me?

Hey Kenny I know you just got the weight of the forenza, did you happen to get the rear corner weight? Or could you tell me which side of the trunk is lighter?

Thanks,
Danny

[Audacity Racing]

1) What gauge wires should I use?
Buy a spool of welding wire again... 0 gauge if possible

2) Is there any lose due to running the alternator wire so far to the battery? I'd think that'd be a big lose.
Not really, your alternator makes enough power to overcome it, and it's only like an additional 10 foot run. The welding wire has a very low resistance anyway.

3) How should I go about grounding? Isn't grounding around the engine one of the most important for performance/response?
When making didicated race cars, it's usual to run a "spinal ground." The idea is that you have a single ground wire running through the car and everything grounds to it, as opposed to the unibody. It's far more efficient than through the body and makes tracing component failures a breeze. Best way to design them is to map it out on paper and then as you build the ground put terminal blocks where you intend on tying in. I'd say two in the cabin and 3 in the engine bay. A great example of this concept is carbon fiber race cars... you can't ground to plastic and fiber...

4) Has anyone used a kit or box that they would recommend?
Just pick a batter box and build your own wiring system

5) What about the power wires for the fuse box and whatnot, what should I do with those exactly?
Simple solution to this is to remove the battery terminal from the power wire in the engine bay and just run it to the rear. you maintain the stock wiring setup with just a battery relocation and the grounding spine.

6) Any other advice you could give me?
Heat shrink all joints... don't just crimp them. Do NOT use wire nuts for anything. Map it out on paper before you do anything. Use high grade connectors, blocks, wire, etc, and be clean with it... use loom wraps.

Hey Kenny I know you just got the weight of the forenza, did you happen to get the rear corner weight? Or could you tell me which side of the trunk is lighter?
Put it on the passenger side, but with the forward edge as close to the strut mount as possible

[kinkyllama]

1) What gauge wires should I use?
Buy a spool of welding wire again... 0 gauge if possible

2) Is there any lose due to running the alternator wire so far to the battery? I'd think that'd be a big lose.
Not really, your alternator makes enough power to overcome it, and it's only like an additional 10 foot run. The welding wire has a very low resistance anyway.

3) How should I go about grounding? Isn't grounding around the engine one of the most important for performance/response?
When making didicated race cars, it's usual to run a "spinal ground." The idea is that you have a single ground wire running through the car and everything grounds to it, as opposed to the unibody. It's far more efficient than through the body and makes tracing component failures a breeze. Best way to design them is to map it out on paper and then as you build the ground put terminal blocks where you intend on tying in. I'd say two in the cabin and 3 in the engine bay. A great example of this concept is carbon fiber race cars... you can't ground to plastic and fiber...

4) Has anyone used a kit or box that they would recommend?
Just pick a batter box and build your own wiring system

5) What about the power wires for the fuse box and whatnot, what should I do with those exactly?
Simple solution to this is to remove the battery terminal from the power wire in the engine bay and just run it to the rear. you maintain the stock wiring setup with just a battery relocation and the grounding spine.

6) Any other advice you could give me?
Heat shrink all joints... don't just crimp them. Do NOT use wire nuts for anything. Map it out on paper before you do anything. Use high grade connectors, blocks, wire, etc, and be clean with it... use loom wraps.

Hey Kenny I know you just got the weight of the forenza, did you happen to get the rear corner weight? Or could you tell me which side of the trunk is lighter?
Put it on the passenger side, but with the forward edge as close to the strut mount as possible

Thanks!! I'll probably start this in about a month, finally.

[kinkyllama]

When making didicated race cars, it's usual to run a "spinal ground." The idea is that you have a single ground wire running through the car and everything grounds to it, as opposed to the unibody. It's far more efficient than through the body and makes tracing component failures a breeze. Best way to design them is to map it out on paper and then as you build the ground put terminal blocks where you intend on tying in. I'd say two in the cabin and 3 in the engine bay. A great example of this concept is carbon fiber race cars... you can't ground to plastic and fiber...[/b][/color]

Well I don't think I'll be grounding everything to it as I just don't want to spend this much time on it and I HATE electrical stuff. So that being said, I'll ground my stereo stuff to it, anything I add to the car, and anything I modify electrical as I go.

Now this ground that runs through the whole car, is it just a wire with no cover or what? I'm not fully understanding it.

[Audacity Racing]

Nah, it's just a big wire that runs front to back (insulated).

Where ever something ties into it (like a stereo) they put a terminal block. Then the wire comes back out of the block and continues on.


Think of it as if you couldn't ground to the body and you had to ground to the battery.

[kinkyllama]

Is it okay to have a power distribution block on the positive alternator wire before the alternator wire gets to the battery? The power dist block would be used to power whatever needs it in the engine bay like the fuse box. It'd either be that or run the alternator wire to the battery, then run another power wire all the way back to the engine bay. It sounds like it'd be okay but I want to make sure.

Also as far as I can reach/see without taking lots of stuff apart there are two power wires that come from the alternator area to the battery. They're both the same size, but one has a fuse (100) on it just before the battery. One's obviously the power wire from the alternator to the battery but what's the purpose of the other one and where does it come from?


Thanks

[daewoomofo]

yeah you can use a distro block, just make sure you mount it so its not just hanging loose in the engine bay.

[kinkyllama]

yeah you can use a distro block, just make sure you mount it so its not just hanging loose in the engine bay.

Any ideas as to why there are two wires coming from the alternator area?

[daewoomofo]

it might go to the starter, can you get a good pic of them?

[kinkyllama]

it might go to the starter, can you get a good pic of them?

These were the best I could get. With my hand I followed them as far back as I could and they were very close togather but I couldn't even tell if they went exactly the same way. They were in a wiring loom togather from the positive battery post to where you see the black electric tape on one of them.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z80/ ... C00421.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z80/ ... C00432.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z80/ ... C00431.jpg

Also since I posted the pic, what is the connector that has a strip of elec. tape over it to hold it down to the wiring looms right by the red power wires?

[daewoomofo]

its kinda odd that they are red, i think the origional wires from my lanos were all black. i really cant tell where they lead to. and that connector that is taped over is prolly a test port from the factory, i wouldnt worry about it. sorry i couldnt be of more help bro

[kinkyllama]

its kinda odd that they are red, i think the origional wires from my lanos were all black. i really cant tell where they lead to. and that connector that is taped over is prolly a test port from the factory, i wouldnt worry about it. sorry i couldnt be of more help bro

Thanks anyway. I'll just read through the service manuals and see if I can find any hints.