Moving The Battery To The Drivers Side

[altezzaclub]

This came about from the twin SU conversion and needing a fresh air duct from beside the radiator. There is stacks of space down low on the driver's side, and the battery sits nicely on the castor rod frame. I put a couple of bits of thick cardboard (Pizza box!) on top of the two bolts that come up through that frame to get some clearance, and made a model out of cardboard and paper.

 

I decided to keep the plastic battery base the car came with, so made the tray to fit that very neatly. I had an old washing machine panel that was 1mm steel so I used that. I folded the edges up and put a rivet through at the corners.

Then I used thick paper (old shooting target) to make the shape of the feet. The one beside the chassis rail is dead easy, it bolts into the engine earth nut that is already fixed there. The front one bolts through the castor rod frame and the rear one goes into the engine mount. I don't have a vice so I clamped a block of steel to the bench with the foot to be folded sandwiched under a brick chisel!

Edited April 4, 2016 by altezzaclub

[altezzaclub]

Each foot I put one rivet into then put the base in the car. I used a G-clamp to fix the final position and took it out to rivet the rest of it. This is the handle of the clamp looking strange as it holds the front foot onto the battery base.

 

With all three feet attached it was amazing how it suddenly became rigid in place.

 

The battery fits neatly, so I'll hit the white base with some 'hide-everything' black, transfer the battery earth over to that side and buy 1.5M of cable to go around the radiator. The fuse box can be tucked up against the passenger's side strut tower out of the way.

Edited April 4, 2016 by altezzaclub

[BReNt]

Are you planning on relocating the fuel filter/fuel line so it doesn't go over the top of the battery? Wouldn't wanna accidentally make a spark one day and set your engine bay on fire lol.

[altezzaclub]

In the end I turned the fuel filter 90deg to make sure it had good clearance..

 

This is it finished, note that now the motor earth cable goes straight to the battery -ve, so all the starter motor current is returning through that. The body earth wire (the handy bolt was on the brake line divider) only carries the headlight/tail light current.

[altezzaclub]

The other side now has the relay box lying down courtesy of Mr Cable Tie and the +ve cable junction is awaiting my return to work when I can decide how to join the new cable to the old and then shrinkwrap them a couple of times.

 

Lot of room now for my cold air intake tube!

[jono1986]

Hey man, Don't extend the battery master cable to the starter motor, just run a new cable....a little bit different but when we do battery cable at work if its too short we just run a new cable...if you extend it the solder way it will just add a junction which will corrode and add resistance in the line, if you put a joiner in again another point of resistance....

[altezzaclub]

Fair enough- good idea!

[altezzaclub]

OK, I tidied it up when I had the engine out and realised the cable could be much shorter. I re-routed the starter/alternator wiring from the new position of the fusebox, and took the battery cable under the alty.

 

I clipped it onto the alty mount, then across the bottom of the radiator. Seeing it used to be an auto there were two pipes there for the oil cooler which were not used, so I hung it on them. Overall the engine bay has fewer wires and a lot more room, although it may not look it!! I kept the charcoal canister and the vac advance hoses on the new SU carb setup.

Edited February 28, 2010 by altezzaclub

[cuzzo]

Instead of moving it, its much smarter (more expensive) to move it to the boot.

Why did YOU move it? Just to put a fuse box there?

[SLO-030]

The fuse box is standard i think Cuzzo. Probably left it there as it was small enough to clear the air induction that will be put there i guess.

[altezzaclub]

You're dead right SLO, I have a cold air tube thats going to go right through where the battery was.

 

The fusebox was attached to the back of the battery, where it is but it was vertical, and it was much easier to move the battery to that enormous empty space than take it back to the boot.

 

Many years ago I had a Mini Cooper back when all minis had their batteries in the boot. One night the cable running to the front finally wore its way through onto the brake line, and the thousand amps vapourised the brake fluid as I went up a motorway exit.... It was an exciting time, and made me much more aware of where battery cables run!