Supercharger battery

[cogrog]

Ok i have a supercharger with an orininal jap small terminal battery fitted which is now starting to struggle to start the engine.
Options? is there a small terminal battery available with a bit more oomph.
Do i go for a bigger battery and change all the supply cables and connectors.
Do i change the battery clamping method which i am inclined to do as the +ve terminal is a bit too close to the hold down bracket.
Do i move the battery to the frunk or use one of the battery's that the racing boys use.
This question must have been asked before as woodsport seems to think the original fit is ok if you want to set light to you car.
Any info however mad graitfully received.

[PW@Woodsport]

Indeed, change the battery clamp/bracket, very poor design which is suspected to have caused previous SC engine bay fires.

[cogrog]

Thanks for comment, any suggestions as to what sort of clamp.
I dont mind welding up an alternative as i dont fancy leaving the intercooler unsupported.
any suggestions on design?

[PW@Woodsport]

Anything you like that keeps the positive terminal away from it

[ulysess1966]

I'd be interested in any neat solutions to this.

I fitted a 60Ahr battery to my SC last spring, changed the terminals and used a clamp from a scrap Citroen to hold the battery in place, but I ended up bodging a thing to keep the inter-cooler in place and I'd like to make something sensible this year.

Welding isn't an easy option for me though so if anyone has used another approach, I'd be keen to see it.

[BIGBOBO]

On my mk1a SC I drilled a hole through the bottom of the battery tray and inserted a long threaded rod with some nuts and washers to keep the intercooler up.

I also turned the battery around so the negative pole sits under the intercooler instead of the positive one. This might not be an issue on a SC chassis.

[Lauren]

I put my battery in the front of the car where the spare wheel goes.

It's not hard to make up a bracket. Can sort of see it here:

[DJJAW11]

Ok i have a supercharger with an orininal jap small terminal battery fitted which is now starting to struggle to start the engine.
Options? is there a small terminal battery available with a bit more oomph.
Do i go for a bigger battery and change all the supply cables and connectors.
Do i change the battery clamping method which i am inclined to do as the +ve terminal is a bit too close to the hold down bracket.
Do i move the battery to the frunk or use one of the battery's that the racing boys use.
This question must have been asked before as woodsport seems to think the original fit is ok if you want to set light to you car.
Any info however mad graitfully received.

I orignally had a redtop 30, on its side,with a mechanical kill switch, clamping to to battery welded in tray.
Then,went with it again,but in a battery box, and a electronic kill switch.



David

http://carpron.com/multisite/v/Upload/DJJ

[ulysess1966]

That's a good point about reversing the terminals. I don't want to buy another battery, but I'm wondering if I could make the leads longer so I could turn the battery round and keep the terminals away from the intercooler.

I started threading some steel rod (re-cycled from an old computer printer, amazing amount of stuff comes out of those...) to support the intercooler on one side, still thinking about a good way to support the other.

Bigger battery is a must, can't believe I stuck with the little one for so long.

[monkeymax]

Back when I had my SC, when I was rebuilding it, I got a battery cover from a VW Golf (plastic jobbie that was moulded, think it was a Mk3) and cut that up so it covered the battery to isolate it a bit. Something like that should avoid having to relocate it, etc.

[ulysess1966]

Monkeymax, sounds like a good plan, I might take a scoot round my favourite scrapyards next week.

The battery I have fitted is from an Astra and it has plastic covers over each terminal that cover the connections completely, but I'd like to have the intercooler supported on both sides if possible.

Out of interest, what is involved in moving the battery to the front of the car?

[Lauren]

Long battery cable for the positive and bolt the earth to the chassis, then make a mount to fit it into the front boot floor.

I did mine quite simply as you can see here:

[ulysess1966]

Thanks for the photo Lauren, that does look pretty straightforward and must be a lot less bother than having the battery in the original place when it comes to charging and so on.

I'm going to seriously consider that mod.

[kaiowas]

Thanks for the photo Lauren, that does look pretty straightforward and must be a lot less bother than having the battery in the original place when it comes to charging and so on.

I'm going to seriously consider that mod.

Just make sure you put plenty of thought into the routing of the positive cable, particularly where it passes through bulkheads etc. It's an unfused live cable with very high current carrying capability. Suffice to say you don't want there to be any possibility of the insulation chafing on anything. On ours I used proper bulkhead pass through things, it was a bit more faff that running a single cable straight through but it's not worth taking risks with this.

[elbon50]

It could be possible to locate the battery at the side of the front boot

If you wish to carry spare wheel & other items in there

Some folk have done that. Don't have a picture handy though

[ulysess1966]

Just make sure you put plenty of thought into the routing of the positive cable, particularly where it passes through bulkheads etc. It's an unfused live cable with very high current carrying capability. Suffice to say you don't want there to be any possibility of the insulation chafing on anything. On ours I used proper bulkhead pass through things, it was a bit more faff that running a single cable straight through but it's not worth taking risks with this.

Good points. That was going to be my next question, what is the best route for the cable to take?

When you say bulkhead pass-through things, what are those? I have a box of heavy-duty grommets for this sort of thing and was going to use those anywhere I needed to bore a hole.

What about a fusible link at the battery just to be on the safe side.

I've assembled all the parts for this including 3 metres of 170A cable, so I'll be working on it over the next week or so.

[kaiowas]

I've put these into the bulkheads at the front and rear of the cabin:

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/motorspor ... ough-panel

I've also got rubber boots over the terminals so that nothing live is exposed
My actual cable runs down the centre tunnel under the arm rest but that was largely determined by the fact that I also have a cut off switch in the dash so had to go via the centre console anyway plus I have no carpets so didn't really want additional cables running down the sills.

[stenky]

sure use a fuse as close to the battery as possible

[ulysess1966]

I'd rather not cut the cable if possible and have a straight run from the battery to the engine bay and use a fusible link at the battery end.

I was thinking of going down the centre tunnel, shortest distance between the two points.

As for the spare wheel, my wife's new car didn't have one and this seems to be the norm now, so I bought a 12v pump and a can of emergency tyre weld stuff for a few quid and I'll carry those instead. That said, I might check out the scrapyards for a GM pump because the one in the mother-in-law's Astra looked really good.

[PW@Woodsport]

Nearly all of my turbo and V6 Mk1 swaps get a front battery install, i find there's a nice ledge on the right for them and a simple tray does the job, it even leaves enough space for a Mk3 spacesaver spare wheel, very neat and compact solution.

Moving a little weight up front is also good.