Date: Sat, 20 Dec 1997 14:36:14 -0500 It's not that difficult, but make sure you have good
thick cable, and a propane torch.
15-16ft 2awg or larger cable _______________
Date: Tue, 9 May 2000 13:15:04 -0500 I relocated the battery to the rear hatch area yesterday. Being concerned
about grounding, and having encountered 3K hesitation in the past, I may
have gone overboard on the ground wiring but it seems to work. High quality
stereo cable was used throughout. Gold plated set screw type terminal ends
were used cause I'm not so good at soldering 1/0 gauge wire.
I removed the battery and its coverings and platform. Wow, I can see the
radiator! I located the battery (Optima red top) just under the rear stress
bar on the passenger side. It is tied down with cable at the moment. I will
probably be repositioning it in the near future.
After disconnecting the negative cable from the battery I re-routed the wire
and bolted it to the alternator bracket to get good engine to chassis ground
up front. For the positive connection I ran 16 feet of 1/0 gauge wire from
the fuse block up front to the battery in the rear. For my primary ground I
used 4 gauge cable from the negative battery terminal to a bolt on the
chassis in the rear. As an extra ground and a preventative measure I ran an
8 gauge wire from the negative post of the battery to the alternator bracket
up front. I hope this will link all grounds and eliminate any grounding
problems associated with the vehicle.
I ran all cables through the cabin by using the small access hole behind the
front wheel fender liner on the driver side. This opening can be seen in
the cabin area just to the left of the wiring block behind the dead pedal.
The fender liner must be removed to use this access hole. When the dead
pedal and interior pieces are removed and the wiring block is loosed from
its perch it is easily accessed. This access can provide for just about any
size cable or wiring you need to run from the engine bay to the cabin.
This seems to work great. I can feel a difference on cornering and it
doesn't bottom out on the left front corner on dips anymore. YMMV
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1998 11:04:24 PST If your interested, I've put the details of the install in the technical section
of the San Diego RX7 Club's
web site.
See the battery information page in the Upgrades section of this web site
for info on batteries and safety. --Steve
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 10:27:18 -0500 If you're planning to move your battery you can get high quality, 2 guage,
stranded copper wire from Home Depot for $0.58 per foot. They also sell
screw clamp cable ends for the wire (I do recommend you solder them after
you clamp the ends on). You will need about 15 feet for the job (that
includes a couple feet extra just in case). Jeggs sells battery relocation
kits for $60 - $100. Total cost of my relocation was $18.
_____________
Carlos Iglesias had the following suggestion for cables:
Jeg's High Performance (1 800 Call Jegs) has the following cables/kits for
battery relocation:
_______________
Brad Barber has a picture of his
battery installation.
_______________
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 14:04:36 -0600 You can purchase an NHRA-approved battery box for less than a hundred
bucks. Might be a good investment for those moving their batteries into
the cockpit.
______________
One word of warning on relocating the battery to the hatch area - you
will need a sealed battery since this is considered to be in the
passenger compartment. See the Optimas above for one example. --Steve
______________
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 09:19:03 -0500 Michael Wilson wrote: There were two reasons not to (put battery in passenger side bin):
1. The only useful storage space in the cabin is the bin behind the
passenger - easily accessible to the driver.
2. I don't like the idea of running the high power battery cable next
to the computer on the passenger's side. I suppose that the wire
could still be run down the driver's side, but am not sure how much
extra effort it would be compared to the gain - remember, the
Hawker is only 23 lbs, significantly less than the stock battery.
If you want a BS reason we could talk about lowering the polar
moment of inertia, but that is just a cop out.
_______________
Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 23:27:08 -0500 >The rules state, and I paraphrase, that any battery in the driver's Summit Racing, 800-230-3030:
May-June '98 Catalog, page 120, there are three different NHRA-approved
battery boxes, ranging in price from $42.95 to $89.95. One kit even
includes everything you need to move the battery to the trunk: 20' of
cable, j-bolts (which must be welded to be legal), straps, washers, etc.
_________________
Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 23:49:41 -0500 Thanks for the info, however, I've seen those boxes.
The Hawker is only 6.565"long x 6.920"wide x 4.957"high, much smaller than the
27F size the Summit boxes will accept. My battery location is in the bin area
behind the driver's seat. I'm trying to see if anyone has solved the problem
of meeting NHRA specs using that area.
This is really a pain (although a necessary deal to be legal), trying to get a
box that's basically 7x7x5.
__________________
Date: Thu, 04 Jun 1998 22:44:36 -0500 Here's the deal. I talked to NHRA Division 4 Tech Chief Craig, who sent me to
the NHRA National Tech guy. Bottom line, I've high-teched him with a dry cell
battery. If I want to run on an NHRA track, legally, I have to enclose my
battery in an aluminum battery box, which is bolted through the floorboard
with 3/8" (not metric?) bolts, etc. If any 'J' bolts are used they MUST be
welded into a closed loop, etc. Plastic battery boxes, such as marine standard
boxes, are legal, but must be held to the floor with the welded-loop style
hold downs, etc.
There is no NHRA approved battery box which fits the Genesis snugly enough to
fit into the bin areas. I'm cutting bait and starting fabrication of a box
this weekend which will bolt to the floor in the driver's bin area. I will cut
the bottom of the bin out, so when you open the lid, you will see the top of
the enclosure for the Battery and the circuit breakers.
I got bounced at tech, don't like it, and am a marked man/car at the Houston
Raceway Park, along with three other dry cell equipped RX7s. I'm going to beat
the tech guy at his game. I understand the need for standardized rules, but
NHRA doesn't comprehend these high tech batteries.
If the box is easy to fabricate, I may make a few for some folks, otherwise I
may just make patterns, so folks can build theirs locally. Details as they happen.
______________
Date: Sun, 05 Mar 2000 07:09:08 -0600 I looked into building an NHRA legal box a few years ago, but decided not to
drag race my car and stopped the project. I did research the rules and will
reply from memory (yipes). My plan was to fab a small box from sheet aluminum
for the Hawker. It would go in the driver's bin area after cutting out the
bottom of the bin. Here is what I remember about the rules...
The battery, if it is the driver's compartment must be enclosed. The enclosure
must be SECURELY bolted through the floor of the vehicle with 3/8" bolts (how
many isn't addressed, see tech). The enclosure must be sealed, yet vented to
the exterior of the driver's compartment. Any hold down 'J" bolts MUST be welded
closed to prevent opening during an accident. Straps which encircle the battery
seem legal. IF they go under the base plate which is bolted to the car. The
battery MUST have an external cut-off switch, easily accessible, at the REAR of
the car.
The NHRA rules are vague and leave a LOT to tech at your strip. I used to be a
boat designer and realize that the old thermoformed boat battery cases meet all
of the requirements IF it bolted to the car. That would not be safe in ana
accident. The rules were written for lead/acid batteries and offered NO help for
the new gel battery technology, especially in the vent department.
I talked to NHRA's head tech guy on the phone at one point and he wasn't keen to
waver on the subject. Honestly, the guy was very negative, especially when he
learned I was talking about an import car. I should've told him I was putting it
in my Bowtie.
_______________
From: Steve Cirian (steve@ScuderiaCiriani.com) ________________
From: wael.eldasher@aya.yale.edu Did you consider http://www.racingbatteries.com
They make the Reactor, which comes in a fresh hue of baby blue :)
They offer CNC machined aluminum mounts that are very nice to compliment
their batteries. mine is mounted to the tunnel, in the bin, so I DO
NOT have to take out the ROLL BAR to remove the bins if the battery dies. I
had to take the roll bar out 6 or 7 times so far, 3 of the times was due to
the large Optima.
_________________
From: Blake Qualley (vrm2@earthlink.net) I know my example is not a 3rd gen, is a race car (no interior), and was
done a bit crudely, but I have done a tray in the bin area of my 1st gen. I
used a couple short pieces of 1.5-inch angle iron (a bit longer than the
depth of the battery), a couple longer pieces of 1/2-inch angle iron (longer
than the width of the battery), and some short scraps to create a very solid
battery tray with integrated hold down. Here are a couple pics:
http://www.u-wrench.com/RE/misc/Battery2a-s.jpg I just turned the small angle iron upside-down, put them on top of the
larger pieces of angle iron and welded them together to form the basic tray.
The battery sits on the larger angle iron and is prevented from moving
forward or back by the small pieces, which also function as battery hold
down points. Short lengths of scrap were turned on end and used to level the
tray, which was then welded to the chassis. I think, with a little care,
this could be done on a 3rd gen with acceptable results. Just a thought...
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From: Scot Kight
2awg terminals (get them at trak auto or something) 2 bucks for 2
Pair GOOD CUTTERS
Propane torch
6 Shrink tubes, the largest kind Home Depot has
Tube Electrical Solder PASTE, not regular solder
SEALED BATTERY (Hawker genesis works great)
From: "jasonh" (jasonh@sprynet.com)
From: "Mike Putnam"
From: "Robinette, Maj Robbie D."
P/N Description Price
___________________________________________________________
110-2842 Accel 20' 2-gauge cables $34.99
895-48000 Taylor Battery Kit $42.99
incl: 16' 2 gauge cable
Pre-terminating cable ends
Battery tray/ J-hooks
From: David Liberman
From: Jay Wallace (jwallace@nist.gov)
So why not put the battery behind the passenger seat? According to my
cross-weight scale measurements with a driver in the drivers seat, the car
is left-side heavy so moving the battery to the passenger side would be an
improvement. I have not looked hard in the right fender above the muffler,
but I intend to use the spare tire well for full-size spare carrying.
From: David Liberman (david@rx-7.net)
>compartment must be enclosed in an approved plastic or metal, sealed
>container that is bolted to the chassis (or floor). 'J' bolts must be
>welded closed to be legal.
From: brad barber (bradrx7@swbell.net)
From: brad barber (bradrx7@swbell.net)
From: brad barber (bradrx7@swbell.net)
Date: July 25, 2002
> I am planning on relocating my battery. I am getting an Optima and was
> looking for a nice hold down or mount or whatever you call it. .
>
> Is the area under the rear bins flat? i.e.- Some battery mounting kits
> look like they need to be bolted to a flat surface, e.g.-:
>
> http://www.rpmmoparts.com/star/star.html#battery
>
> or
>
> http://www.detroitspeed.com/BatteryMount.html
>
> If I cut out the bottom of the passenger bin, is it flat enough underneath?
>
> Anyone know the SCCA requirements/rules for relocating a battery (e.g.-
> Solo I or IT)? I have the NHRA info on my site...
>
> Anyone know of any other mounting kits for Optimas?
Date: July 25, 2002
Date: July 25, 2002
http://www.u-wrench.com/RE/misc/Battery1a-s.jpg
