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Batery relocation


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I mounted the battery in the rear back behind the passenger seat next to the inner wheel tub. Used a NHRA apporved sealed battery box with venting outside the car. Remember if you relocate the battery you must have an exposed master cut off switch at the rear in plain view, if you are a dragracer.

 

Also remember to use extra thick battery cable, I used battery cable for RV use which is massive in Gauge. Also remember to use the same for Ground.

 

 

John

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What are you trying to accomplish by moving the battery? If you are dragracing it makes a lot of sense to move it to the rear. If you're roadracing, you have more options. The main thing that is "wrong" with the stock battery location is that it is too high. Some people have rebuilt the inner fenderwell to lower the battery to the height of the frame rail in the same spot, just a foot or so lower. I think that's actually a pretty good place for it to be since it offsets some of the driver's weight. If you want the car to rotate a little bit easier you can put it way back at the very rear of the car, we've had several autoxers do that with frames that drop it down under the rear deck. If you put it way at the back you might end up adding weight due to the extra cable that needs to be run. I like the spot just behind the passenger seat, and I'm not much for moving it to the rear deck, because it is too high back there in my opinion.

 

There are a lot of cars with much worse stock battery placement than a Z. Any car with the battery right up at the front of the engine compartment is quite a bit worse off.

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I am not a big fan of moving the battery on a Z. Most V8 swaps end up tail heavy as it is. What Jon says makes a lot of sense to me.

 

One thing I absolutely think is a bad idea is putting a battery in the passenger's compartment. Those things are full of acid. If the car rolls over you risk having battery acid dripping on you. Or if the voltage regulator goes you could be breathing acid fumes. Plus batteries can burn up if the cables get pinched and short out. Running 8 feet of battery cable has to greatly increase the probability of that happening.

 

I guess if it was in a sealed box that was vented outside...

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The main thing that is "wrong" with the stock battery location is that it is too high.

 

I would agree with Jon on this. Depending on the cars intended purpose, dropping the battery might be the 'right' solution. I've done this a couple of times myself...

 

RichardEckerBattery.jpg

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The car will probly be used mostly for drag racing as there is not many tracks around here, but I would like to take it on some hill climbs as well. Im not to keen on putting a switch on the exterior of my car ! Has anyone cut out the rear compartment behind the seat and put the battery in there neatly....I think I saw a pic of that from someone on this forum....

 

I was thinking now would be the best time to move it while im doing the wiring. Depending on what happens with my setup now mabe in a year I might go to a 1jz or 2jz so I dont want the battery on the side where it will se alot of heat, also I would like to clean up the engine bay a bit, but that not all that important, just alot of people come by the shop and will be seeing my car.

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I don't have any pictures, but I installed an Optima Red behind the passenger seat. Part of the battery is in the stow away compartment and part extends out into the area behind the seat (the battery is too big to fit completely in the stow away compartment, and I wanted to still allow the passenger seat to go all the way back). Obviously I had to do some cutting to make this work as well as build an aluminum cover for the part that extends into the passenger area. It took some work, but I'm happy with the results. For access to the terminals, all I have to do is open the stow away compartment lid.

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There's another benefit for moving the battery out of the engine bay. It gets it away from all the engine heat. Batteries last longer if you keep them cooler....of course if you live in the desert there's no such thing during the summer.

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