Notes and obvserations on battery relocation (long)

[rapieper@yahoo.com (Ron Pieper)]

Some of this may be a rehash, but...

Car is an '87 16V.

Put the battery behind the left rear passenger.  Just tooo easy
compared to other places.  Bolted the box (cheapo marine battery box)
through the floor and was able to put nuts on from beneath, reaching
around the muffler).  Inside the box, I bolted two steel bars, maybe
3/16" x 5/8" by about 9" long.  Before I attached it all, I ran a HD
nylon strap under these bars so I could secure the battery itself and
not the box with the battery rattling inside.

Ground wire was #2 AWG, attached to rear seatbelt anchor.  The bolt is
just sitting right there, waiting...it took a lug with a large eye
(1/2" dia. hole).  

At the battery, I used marine-style battery clamps.  These are
different than auto ones because the cable attaches to a stud on the
clamp.  This let me lug the cable, and then attach it to the clamp via
the stud.  Reason here is that I now have more flexibility in any
future battery app (i.e., side terminal).

>From the battery, I ran #2 AWG welding cable forward under the back
seat.  Under the seat, on either side, there are foam pieces (I assume
for sound deadening).  I removed this, and towards the front of where
the foam is, I drilled a 3/4" dia hole with an old wood boring bit.  I
then installed (with sealant) a grommet from the local Ace Hardware.

Passing the cable through this hole, I tie-wrapped it to the brake
lines all the way to where the lines pass through a hole in the unit
body structure as they make their way into the engine compartment. 
>From there, I passed the cable forward, over the tranny and under the
FI dist. unit, to the starter.

Originally, there were two additional red wires that attached to the
+12V clamp.  I re-lugged these to a larger eye size, and attached them
directly to the large stud on the starter soleniod, of course along
with the cable from the battery.  These red wires fit fine, lengthwise.

On the (-) side, there were also two brown wires attached to the (-)
clamp along with the main ground.  I relugged these as the wire was
looking cracked and old.  I also clipped off the old (-) clamp and
lugged a new eye onto it.  One bolt and nut, with two stainless
washers, holds it all together.  Yes, it just sits there, but it's all
done with very sound connections and I'm sure will be bulletproof.

I still have work to do, that'd be to re-do all my grounds.  Someone
recently posted that there are places on the back of the engine to run
grounds; that sounds like a nice clean way to do things.  I have plenty
of #6 to do these, and some #2 left over if I need it.

Also, I have to get some corrugated split sheath (like VW uses on PS
lines) to protect the cable from beneath.  Home Depot has this.  I
don't think the cable is in harm's way from impact damage as-is (since
VW saw fit to put the brake lines there, I figure it's OK for +12V).  I
am a little concerned about chafing, but the jacket on the welding
cable is pretty thick.

I used 12.5' of cable from (+) terminal to starter, another 18" max (-)
terminal to seatbelt anchor.  The lugs were found in the screw stock
section of the local hardware store.

All #2 AWG lugs were crimped in a vise, with a screwdriver shaft laid
alongside the lug colinear with the cable, to provide a little extra
clamping.  (My vise jaws have a notch for holding pipe etc, I used
that).   Smaller lugs werer installed with a proper lugging tool.  All
wire was treated with Caig DeOxit and then coated with silicone grease
before lugging.  I put heatshrink over all lugs and 1" or so of cable. 
I did NOT solder (the welding cable wire is wrapped in paper...On a
trial piece, I couldn't get the solder to wick well, and I melted the
insulation).

Results: 
Handling: no data yet...it's not been long since I did it, and it's
been rainy, plus I've had a passenger every time I've driven it.  No
autocrosses yet with the rear battery.

Other:  the car cranks over every bit as fast as it did, but it catches
and fires up MUCH quicker.  This is no doubt due to replacing the
crummy, fraying connection at the (-) terminal on the battery.

I'll paste this text along with some photos (got a nice deal on a Sony
DCR TRV525 Digital camera - it does nice still shots too $400 woohoo!)
some week soon, and put it on the Cheapass Page.

SeeeYaaaaa, and HTH, 









=====
Cheapass Ron
"Victor" '87 16V Scirocco
"Teufelhasen" '93 Cabby <-For sale

If it ain't foggy, TURN OFF YOUR FOG LIGHTS.

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