GSX Battery Relocation

Why did I do this?

I installed the Magnus Street Intake Manifold. A battery relocation is one of many required modifications that has to be done in order to support using that part because the throttle body location moves in such a way that the battery and upper intercooler pipe share space. There's lots of other reasons for doing this, though.

How did I do it?

I used the Summit Universal battery box (with 1gauge main cables and Summit install kit)
140A DC circuit breaker (for main line)
100A DC circuit breaker (for alternator)
4-gauge in-line fuse holder with 80A BUSS fuse (for alternator)
4-way non-fuesed distribution block (main line)
2-way non-fuesed distribution block (main line)
2-way fused distribution block (audio)
15 feet of 4gauge wire (for alternator)
solder terminals for 0/1 gauge
shrink tubing (Lowes'/HomeDepot electrical) for underground junctions
some scrap steel
35-40 feet of welding wire and a couple-dozen pounds of Argon/CO2.
1 cut-off wheel

This installation DOES NOT CONFORM to any sanctioned racing requirements because there IS NO CUTOFF SWITCH on this setup. Though it would be an easy thing to install, this is a 11-12 second street/show car that does NOT have a roll cage, nor does it need some idiot joker in a parking lot cutting power to my ECU and wiping out my fuel settings. The box is sealed and vented outside the car. It's welded to the floor, and everything is shielded and protected. If the main breaker trips, it cuts power to everything electrical. The starter and everything but the alternator are connected to the main line.

The alternator runs from the battery pole of the main, so that if the breaker trips, it can't keep powering the ECU, fuel pump, etc... This is the safest way to do this. It's crucial for the main breaker to function exactly the way a cut-off switch would. Wiring the alternator on the battery side of the main breaker allows the car to kill every other system, thus stopping the alternator. If the alternator wire shorts out independently of the main, there's an 80A fuse in the front of the car, and a 100A breaker in the back. It's redundant, but necessary. Fire is bad. The car continuing to run when you wreck and something shorts out and blows the main breaker, but your alternator keeps powering the relay box because it's not home-run to the battery... still hooked up the way it is from the factory... that's not so good.

There's an added convenience to it, though. You can kill the live alternator wire for servicing the engine by resetting the alternator breaker, eliminating a hazard, but still maintain power to your ECU.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• GSX
• DSM
• Mitsubishi
• Eclipse
• how
• to
• Battery
• Relocation
• solder
• joint
• terminal
• Summit
• Racing
• DC
• Circuit
• Breaker
• Distribution
• Block
• ga
• gauge
• power
• electrical

[LmNutZ]

So when you say "split the main wire for the starter + and the main relay box" What do you mean?

Do you mean put the main wire in a distribution box and connect the starter+ to one of the posts on the box?

Then connect the main power wires into that same distribution box as well?

Sorry for the noob question.

[Jafromobile]

@LmNutZ The answer to your 2nd & 3rd questions is yes.

Normally, the alternator charge wires , starter wires, and the mains from the relay box are home-run to the battery + right in the engine bay. When you move the battery to the trunk, you need to find a new way to connect the heavy-gauge starter wires, and the mains from the relay box. You want a separate circuit for the alternator because the voltage regulator wont "see" or charge the battery and instead will just power the car. Blame Ω.

[silkrodd]

Why all the distributor blocks? Cant you just bolt up the battery wire from the rear to the original positive connection like factory? Or are you just doing it to make it look cleaner? I understand the breaker for the battery but that's it. kinda still a noob for relocating batteries.

[Jafromobile]

@silkrodd Many people who have done that found their voltage regulator didn't see the battery at the end of a long thick wire and only produced enough voltage to run the car after it was started. By using the battery as a buffer between the alternator (with its own charge wire) and the electrical system, it charges. So the voltage sees the draw on the battery rather than the electrical system. The distributor blocks just make the same connections, only neater & easier with bigger wires.

[Lokivoid]

Flux and tin your cables befor soldering them into into the connectors. Takes about 10 seconds more, it will give you a much more durable of a connection, protects the inner core from oxidizeing over time, aswell as reduces the resistence at the point of connection.

[Jafromobile]

@Lokivoid I thought of that, but I didn't have any. I couldn't find it at Lowe's? I just used flux-core solder. Would that have at least helped? Seems to be okay so far...

[twiztid0011]

help please on this video of yours

[elbobillo]

that's how you do a well job! that's an installation! i like the cleanliness of it all a+++

[fitimio001]

Ist this a bit overkill?

[nookncrannydayton]

good info. thanks for posting the video

NOOK n Cranny Auto Dayton

[eak848]

@silkrodd yea man that's what i thought to. hook a new wire from rear to old positive and bobs your uncle? probably add a fuse in between new join?

[Lokivoid]

@Jafromobile

If you want to improve the job without redoing the connection, shrink tubeing the gap between the wire and rubber bushing will help keep moisture from reaching the untinned portions of the wire. Other then that i wouldnt worrie to much about it unless you start seeing green or white rust around the connection indicateing the copper is oxidizeing. or if the connection feels warm to the touch when drawing current (indicateing to much resistence)

[Lokivoid]

@Jafromobile

Odd for lowes not to sell flux, its normaly with the solder wire in the plumbing section, Some times it is just labled Rosin or tinning based on the application it was designed for (in this case "tinning" would be more suitable" but ether one would work). Its required for bleeding copper pipe thats why find it odd they did not have it in stock. As for cored solder, problem with the stuff is unless your using vary controled and limited heat the flux core boils out to fast.