Battery relocate positive wire

747mopar · Oct 23, 2017

Fran Blacker said:
While your running a new positive run a ground wire does have to be as heavy as positive cable.

Good point, they will work fine grounded to the chassis at the trunk but your better off running a negative back to the block. I ran mine to the belhousing close to the starter to keep it out of sight and close to where the most draw is. Iron vs copper, better conductivity if you run the negative.

Fran Blacker · Oct 23, 2017

Maybe you can use your old positive wire as a ground?

Ghostrider 67 · Oct 23, 2017

I'm putting mine in the back seat area in a battery box too and intend to use 1/0 as well and also ground to the bell housing.

Paul_G · Oct 23, 2017

You can buy brand new battery relocation kits. If you are putting this car together and want it to be done right, I would get rid of that split bolt and and the rest of it and buy a new cable kit.

oldbee · Oct 23, 2017

Fran Blacker said:
While your running a new positive run a ground wire doesn't have to be as heavy as positive cable.

Ah but bigger is always better! I have 1/o on mine also, yes welding cable is much more flexible.

Mike67 · Oct 23, 2017

I ground both the block and the chassis. Typically I ground the chassis closest to the battery, then take a braided jumper from the block to the chassis. Usually I weld a nut to the frame and bolt my ends to it.

747mopar · Oct 24, 2017

Mike67 said:
I ground both the block and the chassis. Typically I ground the chassis closest to the battery, then take a braided jumper from the block to the chassis. Usually I weld a nut to the frame and bolt my ends to it.

Yes they both have to be grounded but it should always be direct battery to block first with the battery cable then a jumper from the block to chassis or battery to chassis.

Mike67 · Oct 24, 2017

747mopar said:
Yes they both have to be grounded but it should always be direct battery to block first with the battery cable then a jumper from the block to chassis or battery to chassis.

Ill do that when the battery is in the factory location, but when I relocate it to the trunk I go from negative to the chassis and block to chassis with no ill effects.

Brewzer67 · Oct 24, 2017

As long as you have to replace the cable look into the stuff the roundy round guys are using now. It's built like a huge spark plug wire. Carbon and aluminum based. Super light weight and very flexible. I don't recall what the brand name is but can probably find out. It wasn't much more expensive either.

Paul_G · Oct 24, 2017

Mike67 said:
Ill do that when the battery is in the factory location, but when I relocate it to the trunk I go from negative to the chassis and block to chassis with no ill effects.

The problem I can foresee with this method; when the starting is running a couple hundred amps of power is running through a 40+ year old spot welded metal structure. Just doesnt make me comfortable. Plus, the alternator is using the chassis as the negative side trying to fully charge the battey thats in the trunk, high resistance.

On the 49 Plymouth I recently aquired, it has the battery in the trunk, and piss poorly installed. They welded a tab to the chassiss in the trunk which is good, then ran the battery negative cable to it which is good. The engine block had a thin braided grounding strap conecting the block to the chassis. which is not good. Talk about cranking slow, that braided strap is way too small to carry the starter current, which made it very stiff and crispy, not to mention a 60+ year old metal structure carrying starter current.

I ran a seperate 1 guage wire from the welded ground tab in the trunk directly to engine block, and another 6 gauge wire from the engine block to the chassis. cranks much better. The volt meter on the dash even reads a touch higher, alternator is charging better.

Mike67 · Oct 24, 2017

Paul_G said:
The problem I can foresee with this method; when the starting is running a couple hundred amps of power is running through a 40+ year old spot welded metal structure. Just doesnt make me comfortable. Plus, the alternator is using the chassis as the negative side trying to fully charge the battey thats in the trunk, high resistance.

On the 49 Plymouth I recently aquired, it has the battery in the trunk, and piss poorly installed. They welded a tab to the chassiss in the trunk which is good, then ran the battery negative cable to it which is good. The engine block had a thin braided grounding strap conecting the block to the chassis. which is not good. Talk about cranking slow, that braided strap is way too small to carry the starter current, which made it very stiff and crispy, not to mention a 60+ year old metal structure carrying starter current.

I ran a seperate 1 guage wire from the welded ground tab in the trunk directly to engine block, and another 6 gauge wire from the engine block to the chassis. cranks much better. The volt meter on the dash even reads a touch higher, alternator is charging better.

Well I'll say that the straps are rated for amperage just as the cable is. The added length of cable adds negligible resistance VD = [2 x K x L x I] / CM., it's probably not even measurable on meter lol!
The frame is welded and does present some additional resistance, but I'll ask what does a cast iron block present???.
My rationale is that the block is set on rubber motor mounts held by bolts (typically) I've never measured the difference in the way the factory did it or the way I do it but I really don't think there is any real difference, electrically or in performance. And I understand most peoples disagreement of my thoughts on it.

Sixpactogo · Oct 24, 2017

Mike67 said:
Ill do that when the battery is in the factory location, but when I relocate it to the trunk I faith the chassis and block to chassis with no ill effects.

Paul_G said:
The problem I can foresee with this method; when the starting is running a couple hundred amps of power is running through a 40+ year old spot welded metal structure. Just doesnt make me comfortable. Plus, the alternator is using the chassis as the negative side trying to fully charge the battey thats in the trunk, high resistance.

On the 49 Plymouth I recently aquired, it has the battery in the trunk, and piss poorly installed. They welded a tab to the chassiss in the trunk which is good, then ran the battery negative cable to it which is good. The engine block had a thin braided grounding strap conecting the block to the chassis. which is not good. Talk about cranking slow, that braided strap is way too small to carry the starter current, which made it very stiff and crispy, not to mention a 60+ year old metal structure carrying starter current.

I ran a seperate 1 guage wire from the welded ground tab in the trunk directly to engine block, and another 6 gauge wire from the engine block to the chassis. cranks much better. The volt meter on the dash even reads a touch higher, alternator is charging better.

Grounding continuity is way more important than the size of the wire. Chassis grounding presents no problems if done correctly. You can have a 500 MCM cable between the negative battery post and the engine block but if the connections are not making good contact you will have the situation that you described. The best way to verify your grounding connections is with an Ohm meter. I have 6 body grounds in my 68 Charger and they all seemed to be proper grounds. When I verified each of them, all but one showed .3 ohms or less except one. It was 28 ohms. That particular ground was between the chassis and bell housing. I lifted it and cleaned around the bolt again. The reading went to .2 Ohms. You don't get much better than that. Point is.....Test it and verify! Clean and secure connections on both sides of the battery are detrimental.

Mutant66 · Oct 25, 2017

inri said:
Based on the responses here I believe it may be best to run a new positive cable wire from the trunk to the engine bay, remove the existing kerney and run new wires from the trunk battery for the two other connections to the engine bay.

On a side note, I have several heavy duty jack stands but I prefer to keep the car off the ground with the 4x4 posts. I have the rearend on stands but the front end on wood. The stand tend to dent up the undercarriage and the 4x4 posts are very solid. Are these not a good idea?

They sell these plastic protectors that go over the jackstand as well. I have some cheap things I bought from Harbor Freight and the plastic frame protectors were right next to them for $8. Here's a similar thing but at Summit https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...UP4N5cMkWcLxyP9c7JRgvPKSqhVsYdShoCfdwQAvD_BwE

joemish · Oct 25, 2017

inri said:
Hi guys,

As you may know I am converting my '69 RR that was raced into a street car with a Gen3 HemiView attachment 530262 . I've asked a few questions so far to help with the conversion and I've had great answers which allowed me to make progress.

My question now is;
The battery was relocated to the rear trunk with a On/Off switch. The positive gauge wire that runs from the trunk to the front is tied into a weird bolt where other wires touch it and then go to their proper location, i.e. starter, fuse, ignition etc.

As you'll see in the photo the positive wire runs to the screw bolt thingy and then smaller gauge wires come off that to make their connections. What is the best way to do this seeing how other positive wires will need to be touching/connected to the positive cable? I don't like the way it looks.

Thank you very much!

I would worry more about your stacked blocks than loose wires. someone bumps into the rear or front of the car and you've got a humpty dumpty.

451Mopar · Oct 26, 2017

Sixpactogo said:
Grounding continuity is way more ... The best way to verify your grounding connections is with an Ohm meter.

That is a good way to test, but most DMMs can't source the current needed to make good low resistance measurements. A good constant current (high current/low voltage) power supply across the connection (basically makes the connection a shunt), then measure voltage across the connection, then convert to ohms (V/I=R).

Battery relocate positive wire

747mopar

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Fran Blacker

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Ghostrider 67

Jack Stand Racer #6..and proud of it!

Paul_G

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oldbee

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Mike67

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747mopar

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Mike67

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Brewzer67

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Paul_G

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Mike67

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Sixpactogo

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Mutant66

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joemish

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451Mopar

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