Battery relocation

Blkkbgt

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I have a few upgrades/mods that I plan on doing this coming winter.

One of them is the removal of the stock coolant tank and putting a smaller Ford tank in the location of the battery.

So with that said where is the best place to put the battery?

I know that the passenger side rear corner wont be the best place for it since I turn corners with this car. I was thinking about relocating it to the spot in between the strut towers and slightly forward. Would this option be to high?

What about putting it under the passenger rear seat?

Also does anyone have any experience with Dyna Batt batteries?

Thanks.
 

David Hester

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You are correct. While moving battery to trunk works great for drag racing, you really want the weight between the axles for road courses. Do you plan to use a rear seat? There really isn't any room under the cushion. I had mine in the floor behind the passenger seat.
 

99COBRA2881

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I have a few upgrades/mods that I plan on doing this coming winter.

One of them is the removal of the stock coolant tank and putting a smaller Ford tank in the location of the battery.

So with that said where is the best place to put the battery?

I know that the passenger side rear corner wont be the best place for it since I turn corners with this car. I was thinking about relocating it to the spot in between the strut towers and slightly forward. Would this option be to high?

What about putting it under the passenger rear seat?

Also does anyone have any experience with Dyna Batt batteries?

Thanks.

Make very sure when you relocate the overflow to the battery location that the overflow is still the highest point in the cooling system. Otherwise the coolant crossover tube on the DOHC becomes the highest point in the cooling system. All the air in the system goes to the crossover where it has no way to escape.

I ditched my relocated overflow setup in favor of the '00 cobra R degas bottle with an overflow bottle in the fenderwell.

As for a lightweight battery, I swear by the Odyssey PC680. Weighs about 15# and still carried my car through an entire 30 minute session in 38° temps last spring with an alternator that was putting out 5 volts. Fixed the alternator, jumped the car and ran 3 more hours of track time that day during my race school.
 

Blkkbgt

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Make very sure when you relocate the overflow to the battery location that the overflow is still the highest point in the cooling system. Otherwise the coolant crossover tube on the DOHC becomes the highest point in the cooling system. All the air in the system goes to the crossover where it has no way to escape.

I ditched my relocated overflow setup in favor of the '00 cobra R degas bottle with an overflow bottle in the fenderwell.

I don't have a DOHC I have a SOHC 2v engine in my car. Is the 00 R degas bottle small and actually available? It seems like anything specific to that car is next to impossible to find and is treated like gold.

I was actually thinking about using the overflow tank from a ford ranger due to its smaller size and the fact that it looks like it will fit in the battery area with very little modification and it will still allow my coolant system to operate the way ford designed it.
 

Blkkbgt

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You are correct. While moving battery to trunk works great for drag racing, you really want the weight between the axles for road courses. Do you plan to use a rear seat? There really isn't any room under the cushion. I had mine in the floor behind the passenger seat.

I was actually thinking about doing a rear seat delete with some dyna mat to keep the noise down and free up that space. I figured I could lay the smaller battery on its side to make sure it all fit.
 

99COBRA2881

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I don't have a DOHC I have a SOHC 2v engine in my car. Is the 00 R degas bottle small and actually available? It seems like anything specific to that car is next to impossible to find and is treated like gold.

I was actually thinking about using the overflow tank from a ford ranger due to its smaller size and the fact that it looks like it will fit in the battery area with very little modification and it will still allow my coolant system to operate the way ford designed it.

Still applies to the 2v, Id think it would be even more of an issue with the thermostat being right there in the intake.

I bought a used Cobra R degas bottle off ebay but I had to fab two aluminum barbed reducer fittings to make it work.

Doesnt matter what overflow is used, it has to be the highest point in the cooling system. Just keep that in mind and itll work great. :beer:
 

Blkkbgt

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Still applies to the 2v, Id think it would be even more of an issue with the thermostat being right there in the intake.

I bought a used Cobra R degas bottle off ebay but I had to fab two aluminum barbed reducer fittings to make it work.

Doesnt matter what overflow is used, it has to be the highest point in the cooling system. Just keep that in mind and itll work great. :beer:

I understand what you are saying about the air in the system issue but as it stands right now my radiator hose sits about 1 inch higher then my overflow tank.

I don't think my system works the same as yours does because my overflow comes off the top of the rad and into the overflow tank that in tern ties into the lower radiator hose.

From what I gather there is two or three different bottles that ford makes for other cars that should fit in the battery location and still keep the bottle at the same height it is now.

Good info non the less. Thanks.
 
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Sirl

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X2 on the Odyssey PC 680.
I've had mine for nearly 4 years now, in the stock location, on its side.

I do keep it on a battery tender while not in use, but its got plenty of cranking power, and never let me down.
 

NVR2L8

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IMO, the battery relocation should be right rear, as far back as possible behind the rear axle.

This location will accomplish the most effect in the front / rear weight distribution. Also, the far right location will help to offset the weight of the driver, which helps the corner weighting of the car.

Also, DEKA makes the same battery (15 lbs.), and less than $50. "Seconds" for less than $40. Same performance.

:beer:
 
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wheelhopper

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I left the battery in the stock location, I simply installed the Odyssey PC680. They are great batteries for the size. I figured just swapping it removed 20lbs from the stock location and I would just add weight, I was trying to remove, by having to add 0 gauge cables all the way to the trunk by placing the battery there. I have sinced found these batteries, which weigh only 3lbs, that I will use next. That is almost like completely removing the battery, IMO.

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productdetails.asp?RecID=9405
 

Sirl

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$270. for a battery? to lose 15 lbs?
hrmm.... dont know about that. thats a lot of money for a battery.
 

David Hester

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IMO, the battery relocation should be right rear, as far back as possible behind the rear axle.

This location will accomplish the most effect in the front / rear weight distribution. Also, the far right location will help to offset the weight of the driver, which helps the corner weighting of the car.

Also, DEKA makes the same battery (15 lbs.), and less than $50. "Seconds" for less than $40. Same performance.

:beer:
Ummm. Not so sure on a road course. Moving the battery WAY back creates more polar moment. Ask anyone who has driven an older Porsche with the extra weight of an engine hanging out behind the axle if that is a good idea.


Try this. take out the battery and hold it next to your chest and spin around. Stop quickly. Now hold it at arms length and spin. Stop quickly. Not as easy. Keep it between front and rear axles.

Lightweight battery in stock location works, and yes, you do loose some weight loss advantage with the heavy cable if you move battery to passenger area, but I needed a "Stock" battery weight to make minimum weight. (that and 40-80 lbs of lead in the trunk over the rear axle depending on how much fuel I was carrying.) Moving it in front of the rear seat area did help front-back weight bias and reduced polar moment.
Another advantage using a stock battery, is I bought one years ago. 3 year warranty, and I got it replaced every couple of years for free. raced the car for 7 years on "one" battery purchase. Plus if it fails, you can get a replacement at Advance/AutoZone in just about any town. Not everyone carries the small ones.
 
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gcassidy

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You can do something like this:

guagebatpop2.jpg


I've also seen Odyssies and Brails on their side on the floor. You just need to be sure the terminals are isolated.

I just ran an Odyssey in front.
 

NVR2L8

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Ummm. Not so sure on a road course. Moving the battery WAY back creates more polar moment. Ask anyone who has driven an older Porsche with the extra weight of an engine hanging out behind the axle if that is a good idea.


Try this. take out the battery and hold it next to your chest and spin around. Stop quickly. Now hold it at arms length and spin. Stop quickly. Not as easy. Keep it between front and rear axles.

Lightweight battery in stock location works, and yes, you do loose some weight loss advantage with the heavy cable if you move battery to passenger area, but I needed a "Stock" battery weight to make minimum weight. (that and 40-80 lbs of lead in the trunk over the rear axle depending on how much fuel I was carrying.) Moving it in front of the rear seat area did help front-back weight bias and reduced polar moment.
Another advantage using a stock battery, is I bought one years ago. 3 year warranty, and I got it replaced every couple of years for free. raced the car for 7 years on "one" battery purchase. Plus if it fails, you can get a replacement at Advance/AutoZone in just about any town. Not everyone carries the small ones.

Yes, I agree with your rationale, kind of like the effect of rotating mass.

However, when I started modding my 3800 lb. GT500, the front weight was 58% and the rear was 42%. Moving a 31 lb. battery from front to rear would amount to almost a 2% benefit, almost the best cost/benefit change you can make.

Lastly, I do not think the 15 lb. battery behind the rear axle will be a huge negative effect.

Thanks for your input.

:beer:
 

David Hester

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:beer:
Last time I corner weighed my car, I was amazed a plastic Igloo cooler with 6-8 lbs of ice and water I use with my CoolShirt moved just 8-12 inches in the passenger area made a difference with cross weighting.
 

gcassidy

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:beer:
Last time I corner weighed my car, I was amazed a plastic Igloo cooler with 6-8 lbs of ice and water I use with my CoolShirt moved just 8-12 inches in the passenger area made a difference with cross weighting.

'Cause your car only weighs 1600 pounds. :poke:
 

David Hester

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oh.:p

1749 with my butt in the seat. Still was amazing to me how just a few inches made such a difference, as in so many things.......
Movin on.
Can you feel a few extra lbs moved around? Not likely, but if you are looking to make everything optimal, you have to think about where you are sticking stuff. Gas weighs around 6 lbs per gallon and I'm not sure I can feel that 30-36 lbs off the rearend toward the end of a race, but then again, I've been told before, I'm not a real sensitive person sometimes. :dw: Wait. that may be something else, too. :rollseyes
 

David Hester

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Much like my hairline....Good news I don't have those pesky cowlicks I had in grammar school. ;^)
Wait. That's regress. Sorry.

Back on subject. I vote for Odyssey, on its side, under rear passenger seat. LOL
 
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