Battery Relocation - Looking for input

[Laredo Matt]

I don't have enough room in the engine bay to fit both the battery and fresh air intake. I either need to relocate the battery to a different location or figure a way to get the air filter outside the engine bay and in front of the radiator condenser where it can get some clean air.

I'm leaning to moving the battery. I only see two reasonable options and at this stage think option 2 is the better choice.

1. Mount the battery inside in the rear cargo area. Probably the easiest solution but I don't like the idea of having a box sitting there, even if it is ultimately carpeted and finished nicely. I'm having a hard time visualizing it looking anything but out of place and odd, in addition to taking up cargo area. It would also require redoing a reasonable amount of wiring but so will option 2.

2. Drop the battery below the rear floor plan on the rear seat driver side. Cut the floor pan, drop in an aluminum box essentially. The lid would be flush mount with the floor so it would hang down about 9 1/2" below the bottom of the floor pan, about an inch lower than the bottom of the frame rail.

Cleaner and will keep me from having a box in the cargo area but also more cost, time work and then still have to redo a lot of wiring but there are added challenges I see with getting things to the battery, keeping it watertight. Just additional work.

My preference is #2. Seems cleanest but definitely most work. Perhaps I'm worried about a box in the cargo area when I shouldn't be.

Has anyone relocated a battery to an alternative location or one of the two locations above? If so, would love to see how it looks if you don't mind sharing pictures.

I'm also open to other ideas if you'd like to share. I may be missing something that is a better solution.

[tgreese]

Wim shows his engine compartment here with the battery relocated to the firewall. You'd need to replace the factory heater with an aftermarket heat/AC unit. viewtopic.php?p=225283#p225283

Dang. Looks like you already saw that.

[Laredo Matt]

Yep, Unfortunately I have my computer and front power distribution cell mounted there. It would be more painful to try and find a new location for all of that and then try and rewire, have the engine harness modified etc. .... i think...need to noodle on that one too

The plus side, I did replace the heater core and go with a vintage air system so when I finally get it done I'll be cool in the summer

a recent engine bay picture for context

[will e]

Idea: Remove the window wash reservoir. Weld in a box for a battery. If you still want wash fluid you should be able to find something in a junk yard. Old fords had them in bags.

[Yeller]

I would do option 2 and lay the battery on its side. Should make the box shorter.

[will e]

Here's a shot of my battery. It's a dual battery setup with the second battery on the driver side.

20231007_145412.jpg

Previously I hung the battery upside down inside the fender. It was an optima. This worked pretty well, I used some ABS plastic to protect it from getting smacked by a rock. BUT eventually it leaked out a bit of battery fluid. This happened while I had it on a trickle charger. They claim you can mount an optima in any position but mine leaked. Not bad, just a bit but it messed up the epoxy floor coating.

[cpfeifffer]

https://www.spectreperformance.com/acce ... er-housing


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[rocklaurence]

Ive thought about this several times. Option #2 is what I would do and I'd make it large enough for a dual battery setup and go with a AGM battery to eliminate corrosive gassing.

[Mopar_guy]

I'm planning on moving mine under the floor as well. You might consider installing a pair of terminals in the engine compartment so you can jump/charge it just in case.

[Laredo Matt]

https://www.spectreperformance.com/acce ... er-housing


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nice, thanks for the picture.

I have a bunch of stuff mounted on the passenger inner fender but with some re-jiggering that might be an option...hmmm. I'm currently considering moving the radiator overflow tank to the passenger side. Won't be able to keep factory but that's ok. I would keep the wiper fluid tank in factory location and route air intake to the driver side, where the factory overflow tank was.

[Laredo Matt]

I'm planning on moving mine under the floor as well. You might consider installing a pair of terminals in the engine compartment so you can jump/charge it just in case.

I think I might have solution to keep it engine bay. If not, a pair of remote terminals would definitely be the way to go! Knowing me, I'd add a second pair somewhere in the rear just to be safe and have both ends covered

[Laredo Matt]

Here's a shot of my battery. It's a dual battery setup with the second battery on the driver side.

20231007_145412.jpg

Previously I hung the battery upside down inside the fender. It was an optima. This worked pretty well, I used some ABS plastic to protect it from getting smacked by a rock. BUT eventually it leaked out a bit of battery fluid. This happened while I had it on a trickle charger. They claim you can mount an optima in any position but mine leaked. Not bad, just a bit but it messed up the epoxy floor coating.

Thanks for sharing.

The picture shows passenger side, correct? It sounds like that but also almost looks from the image like it could be driver side. It looks like you cut the inner fender and sunk the battery to have clearance to close the hood. If so, do you have a picture showing the inner fender and how far down it sits?

Is your engine stock or carbureted or do you have an air intake you routed to the other side?

[will e]

Here's a shot of my battery. It's a dual battery setup with the second battery on the driver side.

20231007_145412.jpg

Previously I hung the battery upside down inside the fender. It was an optima. This worked pretty well, I used some ABS plastic to protect it from getting smacked by a rock. BUT eventually it leaked out a bit of battery fluid. This happened while I had it on a trickle charger. They claim you can mount an optima in any position but mine leaked. Not bad, just a bit but it messed up the epoxy floor coating.

Thanks for sharing.

The picture shows passenger side, correct? It sounds like that but also almost looks from the image like it could be driver side. It looks like you cut the inner fender and sunk the battery to have clearance to close the hood. If so, do you have a picture showing the inner fender and how far down it sits?

Is your engine stock or carbureted or do you have an air intake you routed to the other side?

It's the drivers side. I have another battery in the stock location. I did a dual battery setup a while back. With the portable power packs I probably wouldn't bother now.
My engine is an AMC block. I run a holley truck avenger. My rig is for off roading and camping and the old school stuff works fine and is reliable.
I'll take some pics and measurements for ya. Like I mentioned, I previously had the battery hung upside down in about the same location. I used a thick strip of aluminum on top of the firewall to distribute the weight. There are lots of optima battery boxes available. Just keep in mind that while they advertise that they can be 'mounted in any position' mine leaked just a bit while on a charger.

I'll post some pics but be warned. My engine compartment is much more cluttered and no where near as clean as yours.

[Mopar_guy]

One thing to mention is that keeping batteries out of the engine bay makes them last longer. Batteries don't like heat is why you see a lot of OEM applications have shields around them.

[sonoraed]

mine is mounted in the drivers side fenderwell on it's side redtop of course been that way for 2 years no problem

[ntsqd]

This is an FSB, not an FSJ, but it's the concept I'm thinking of. The tray is three point mounted with SRE's because that chassis is a C-Channel and the degree of flexing is/was an unknown. I didn't want to build it rigid only to have the chassis flex tear it apart. For those not familiar with FSB's this is directly under the pass side rear seat. Both batteries in this truck are Group 65's, they're not small.


As far as the wring is concerned, it need not be all that big of a deal. Use a marine two post isolated stud in the engine bay near where the battery was and where the existing cables will reach. All of those connections remain the same, they're just going to the studs instead of the battery directly. Then bring both power and ground cables, of the same size(!), from the battery to the isolated studs. DO NOT simply ground to the frame back near the battery. Bring the ground from the battery up to the stock location or to a stud. Anyone who's built a drag racer, moved the battery to the trunk, and found that it cranked slow will understand why you want both power and ground cables. The frame has enough resistance at high currents to making starting, particularly hot starts, a problem.
Alternately you can use a marine battery switch instead of the isolated studs if you have more than one battery like the above FSB does. With that switch you can self jump-start or run off of either battery. In my FSB the rear battery is the "house" battery and most of the electrical that I have added to the vehicle runs off of it.

This is the front battery in the same FSB with the battery switch shown, but more important to a two battery system is the black box with the yellow piece seen under the switch. That is the Blue Sea Systems Automatic Charge Relay that charges both batteries regardless of the switch setting (unless that is 'Off').


A point of concern if you're going to build a box under the rear seat, do not make the box from aluminum. Make it from steel and weld it into place. Bolting an aluminum box to the steel structure will be the cause of the corrosion that I'm guessing that you're hoping to avoid by using aluminum. All it will take will be a little moisture to get between the the two metals and instantly you've got galvanic corrosion going on.