SteveA922

Sorry to dig up such an old thread but I'm installing my battery in the trunk as well and had one comment and one question. Comment: Another reason to place the battery in the trunk is for weight distribution. The fronts of the cars are a bit nose heavy and tail light, taking 40+lbs off the nose and putting it in the rear doesn't hurt. Question: You guys that placed the batteries in the trunk, did you run your grounds all the way to the engine compartment and attach it to the frame there, then a short ground to the block? Or did you come straight off the battery and to the frame in the rear, then run a few grounds from the block to the frame in the front? Thanks.

Kerrmudgeon

Just make sure you use #1 gauge cable for the long run up to the starter, and I prefer to run a negative cable as well instead of using the frame as a ground. I mounted my 66 battery in the corner of the top compartment (plenty of room) in a marine box strapped down with the braided strap it came with. And I put a hard rubber wedge underneath it between the 'glass floor and the frame for extra support. Worked well.

Pop Chevy

There's nothing wrong with a frame ground, that's how C-3's were made. Short ground wire from batt to frame then a short one to the engine.

cbernhardt

I moved the battery in my '59 to the trunk, ran 1/0 cables for the positive and negative to the engine compartment. The negative lead was attached to the frame with 1/0 cables connected from there to the block and heads, especially important if you are running EFI.

Charles

SteveA922

Interesting. I too don't understand why a cable to the frame right next to the battery isn't sufficient but many I talk to and respect don't like the idea. Thanks for the replies!

wmf62

I grounded mine in the rear to the frame and then ran a ground from the frame to the engine in the engine compartment. it has been that way for over 10 years with no problems..,.

the ONLY potential problem I see is having a loose or poor connection to the frame on either the front end or the rear end.

Bill

Plasticman

And Bill is running EFI, with the electronics (CPU, Dist. module, etc.) mounted to the panel to the rear of the old battery mount area.

As stated, good tight ground connections to and from the frame work just fine.

Plasticman

SteveA922

Awesome guys, thanks again for the advise and opinions.

59BlueSilver

Don't mean to hijack this thread but I'm getting ready to install A/C. Right now this area in my trunk is devoted for my jack & equip. I would have to relocate it and I hate having to do things over.
The battery is difficult to remove from stock position but manageable (don't ever lose the strap!). How much more difficult is it to install/remove with A/C? Anybody have any pics?

jim lockwood

Grounding the battery near the mounting point and using the frame for ground is completely sufficient. In fact, the frame will carry significantly more ground current than any practical cable you could install.

As for the size of the (+) cable, larger is always better if you want the starter to spin enthusiastically. 1/0 or 2/0 would be good choices.

Jim

wmf62

I used welding lead cable...



Bill

cbernhardt

I used welding cable also. Not because it is a better conductor, but because of it's flexibility, easier to handle and snake around corners.

Charles

Powershift

I used # 2/0 fine strand welding cable (from welder's supply house) with soldered ends. Starter had plenty of voltage available thru this size cable even under "locked rotor" conditions. Cable was very flexible for its size......and was undoubtly "oversized" for the application.

If I remember the voltage drop was like 0.1 volt at around 500 amps. Most of the time the starter current draw is only a percentage of this number.

Larry

Plasticman

Bill,

Think it was 1/0 welding cable.

John

wmf62

; you ought to know
Bill