72Duster440
Well-Known Member
I have relays for my fuel pump and my headlights, which I would recommend Crackedbacks harness for. Everything else is just off the fuse box.
Trunk Mount Battery - Wire Routing
- Thread starter mopowers
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There is no need for the heavy, ugly Ferd relay/solenoid. You can buy a 60 amp 4 pin relay that is only slightly larger than the common 30 amp Bosch relay. Since the relay is switching solenoid current only which is under 60 amps [ 35-50 amps usual range] , this relay does the job.
My understanding is that the big Ferd sol was used on their Integral Positive Engagement starters. These did NOT have a sol mounted on the starter, so the separately mounted solenoid switched several hundred amps of current to the starter itself.
My understanding is that the big Ferd sol was used on their Integral Positive Engagement starters. These did NOT have a sol mounted on the starter, so the separately mounted solenoid switched several hundred amps of current to the starter itself.
If the battery is in the trunk, a front to rear grd cable is NOT reqd. Just run a short grd wire from bat to body in the trunk. In the engine bay, run a wire from the body to the block, keeping it as short as possible.
mopowers
Well-Known Member
Isn't the purpose of the Ford relay avoid having to have a full-time live battery cable running from the trunk to the starter?
72Duster440
Well-Known Member
Yep, that's the benefit of it and the reason I made the switch.
mopowers
Well-Known Member
One more question on this. Did you guys run your neg. cable from the battery lug to the engine block? Or is it acceptable to just run that ground cable to a welded nut on the frame rail under the trunk and another ground cable from the engine to another nut on the front frame rail?
33IMP
Well-Known Member
I ran a 00 welding cable to the rear frame rail, and subframe connectors and elephant ears to complete the circuit. Probably ought to add an engine ground.
I ran one down to the frame. I also ran one to the block. Probably overkill, but with the EFI I was trying my best to eliminate trouble shooting in the future. I ran 1/0 up passenger side. My positive runs up the drivers side. I will be investigating the Ford relay in the future for not having that line hot while running.
On the past one I did, I grounded the battery to the vertical brace in the trunk that also holds the deck lid torsion rods.
DionR
Well-Known Member
Basically what I did.
I also added a 2/0 ground strap to the front of the motor and over to where the bottom of the battery tray support bracket bolted to the inner fender plus a smaller one on the back of the cylinder head to the firewall. Absolutely no problems, starts just like it did with the battery under the hood.
Now that Im thinking about it I ran one of those flat doubled headed ones off of a jeep grand that runs from the back of the block into the dash and back out to the wiper motor....
With my battery in the trunk, I ran the ground to a nut welded to the frame rail right below it. Then a ground from the rear of the RH cyl head to another nut welded to the front RH framerail down out of site. Batt charges just fine, engine cranks fine (I use the mini-starter), and ground side cable lengths and complexity are minimal i.e. no worrying snaking down to start around headers. This is on the avatar car - street/strip (408 10.5 CR). This was someone else's idea and i did it and it is simple and just works. Hope this helps!
mopowers
Well-Known Member
Do you use a sealed battery box? I'm trying to decide that next - whether to secure the battery directly to the floor, or use a sealed battery box vented through the floor.
I do not have my battery in a box. I use a battery hold down I got at Summit...you can see it in the pic here. Bolts to the floor, neg cable (not in pic) goes straight down to nut welded on frame rail. The fuel cell exit goes out a small cutout in the spare tire well at the rear so the trunk is vented naturally. I figured no need for a sealed box with that vent.
Hope this helps you!
mopowers
Well-Known Member
That does help a lot. Thank you! Are those mega fuses next to the battery? Also, what are the four relays for on the driver's side? Thank you again. I really appreciate the help.
Long story so I'll try not to bore you and everybody with too many of the details.
Bought the car as a roller and didn't like what I saw in the wiring. So I stripped EVERY wire out of the car. Designed my own wiring schematic and then got my wiring supplies and a couple fuse panels from Haywire Wiring down in Ohio (Darren the owner is a great guy!). Ran every wire one at a time per my circuit diagram. Held my breath when I got done and plugged in the battery and powered up 1 circuit at a time, measured for no current draws, shorted things to make sure fuses would blow, etc, etc. (Believe it or not, when I got all done, the only issue I had was one of the front turn signal and parking lamp wires were flipped - tough to tell which is which for those 2057 bulbs and simple to swap if wrong.) Twas a happy day!!
The panel in the trunk is a Haywire "drag panel" and has the relays to control whatever you want. It was just a convenient open spot for me to mount it in the trunk and since the fuel pump is right near there, it makes that relay/wiring quite simple. I have another small Haywire fuse panel up under the dash.
Yes, those are Megafuses by the battery. One is for the main power feed that goes through the cut-off switch and then over to that drag panel and then on up front to feed the whole car. The other is on the 4ga alt charge wire circuit coming back to the battery (I use a single wire alternator). The last thing I want to see is my car burn from an elec short!! I have a Ford relay in the trunk to keep the starter cable dead except during crank, etc, etc. I built a lot of safeties into the circuitry - some are redundant. But with the batt in the trunk and the cut-off switch on the positive cable (STUPID NHRA rule!!), and having to make it so the cut-off kills the engine and car, these things are just part of what I did.
Hope this helps...sorry if too many details. Always happy to try and help people like I get help on here too.
Bought the car as a roller and didn't like what I saw in the wiring. So I stripped EVERY wire out of the car. Designed my own wiring schematic and then got my wiring supplies and a couple fuse panels from Haywire Wiring down in Ohio (Darren the owner is a great guy!). Ran every wire one at a time per my circuit diagram. Held my breath when I got done and plugged in the battery and powered up 1 circuit at a time, measured for no current draws, shorted things to make sure fuses would blow, etc, etc. (Believe it or not, when I got all done, the only issue I had was one of the front turn signal and parking lamp wires were flipped - tough to tell which is which for those 2057 bulbs and simple to swap if wrong.) Twas a happy day!!
The panel in the trunk is a Haywire "drag panel" and has the relays to control whatever you want. It was just a convenient open spot for me to mount it in the trunk and since the fuel pump is right near there, it makes that relay/wiring quite simple. I have another small Haywire fuse panel up under the dash.
Yes, those are Megafuses by the battery. One is for the main power feed that goes through the cut-off switch and then over to that drag panel and then on up front to feed the whole car. The other is on the 4ga alt charge wire circuit coming back to the battery (I use a single wire alternator). The last thing I want to see is my car burn from an elec short!! I have a Ford relay in the trunk to keep the starter cable dead except during crank, etc, etc. I built a lot of safeties into the circuitry - some are redundant. But with the batt in the trunk and the cut-off switch on the positive cable (STUPID NHRA rule!!), and having to make it so the cut-off kills the engine and car, these things are just part of what I did.
Hope this helps...sorry if too many details. Always happy to try and help people like I get help on here too.
mopowers
Well-Known Member
Not boring at all! I appreciate the input. Thanks for the lead on Haywire. I was just looking at their site and it looks like they've got anything anyone would need when it comes to automotive electrical systems. I'll definitely looks into them when it comes to picking up supplies.
I may shoot you a PM when I get deeper in this wiring hole. My 66 Dart doesn't have a wire in it, so I'm basically starting from scratch and don't want to buy a universal harness. I'd rather build what I need.
A couple more questions - when you designed your won schematic, did you use a computer program, or just drew it out by hand? Do you use relays for every circuit?
Send a PM anytime. There are people on here a heckuva lot smarter than me but I'm always willing to lend a hand.
To answer your questions...pencil & paper. And an eraser too!! Relays for all high current items - fuel pump, separate ones for the twin rad fans, trans cooler fan. Maybe do the headlights next time like Crackedback on here sells a harness for. My car was a strip car that I made into a street legal car so that is why I started from scratch and stripped EVERY wire out and tossed them in the trash to start.
To answer your questions...pencil & paper. And an eraser too!! Relays for all high current items - fuel pump, separate ones for the twin rad fans, trans cooler fan. Maybe do the headlights next time like Crackedback on here sells a harness for. My car was a strip car that I made into a street legal car so that is why I started from scratch and stripped EVERY wire out and tossed them in the trash to start.
Should have mentioned that Darren at Haywire Wiring works days and he and his wife run this business in the evenings. So he answers the phone in the evenings when many are working on their cars and come up with questions. Quite handy!! And just a great guy to work with.
Ran them inside, positive and ground. Passenger footwell. G3 hemi with passenger side starter, so a short wire from the bottom to the starter and short wire to alternator too.
Will use these bulkheads for powering fuse boxes and grounding inside and out.
Will use these bulkheads for powering fuse boxes and grounding inside and out.
@Kendog 170 @crackedback or anyone else who may have done this, what grommet did you use in the clutch rod hole?
Ok, thanks. It was a stick. But now I know what to look for. Maybe it’s repopped.
Edit. Maybe the one that’s there will work. I pulled it out of the way and never thought to consider using it. Sometimes I wonder about me…
Sure enough, mine’s kinda rough. Classic has them.
MD2514 - 1967-74 Mopar Firewall Clutch Boot ; A, B & E-Body
MD2514 - 1967-74 Mopar Firewall Clutch Boot ; A, B & E-Body
Detroit Muscle Technologies has them too. And they generally ship out the day of or day after placing an order. Make you up a good list of any/all gaskets/plugs you need and get it all on one order for the same shipping cost! They have a plethora of these kind of hard to find parts. (Also have a nice 8-3/4" chunk gasket for $10...always seem to need some of those!)
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