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Battery relocation and bus bar questions |
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danleym
AMC Addicted Joined: Oct/17/2009 Location: Colorado Spring Status: Offline Points: 850 |
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Posted: Feb/23/2020 at 2:53am |
Any electrical pros here?
I'm putting my battery in the trunk. I'm also going to be building a relay panel for electric fans and the headlights. Also running an MSD box. I was thinking about running 2/0 wire from the battery to a 4 way bus bar under the hood, which would allow me to distribute power to the 3 locations that need it direct from the battery: one to the solenoid, one to the relay panel, and one to the MSD. But then it occured to me that the bus bar would have to be rated for max battery cranking amps, right? And from a quick look there's nothing out there with 1000amp ratings. Blue sea makes a 600amp one that is $110, and I would need two, so I'm not buying that. That said, the rating for a bus bar is "continuous amps." Does that mean a lesser rating would be sufficient because it would only see that high amperage for a few seconds during cranking?
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Hollis Danley
1980 Spirit, 258 2000 VW Jetta TDI 2002 Jeep Wrangler, 4.0 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek |
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Heavy 488
AMC Addicted Joined: Apr/27/2019 Location: In the Status: Offline Points: 3553 |
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A cummins turbo diesel with 17:1 compression ratio draws around 600 amps with 2 batteries. How did you calculate 1000?
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pit crew
Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Jul/08/2007 Location: delete Status: Offline Points: 5341 |
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You really only have to consider the draw of the starter as your "max" load. Just because a battery might be rated at 1000 amps does not mean the car will draw 1000 amps. Well not unless you get a dead short in the main cable or try to arc weld with the battery. Just check the rating for the starter and you'll be fine. As an example my daughter has a 74 Javelin 360 MPFI with the battery in the trunk. We put a 200 amp fuse at the battery to protect the entire electrical system and in seven years have never blown that fuse even once. Edited by pit crew - Feb/23/2020 at 6:41am |
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73 Hornet - 401EFI - THM400 - Twin Grip 20 |
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Trader
AMC Addicted Joined: May/15/2018 Location: Ontario Status: Offline Points: 6882 |
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Bussman and others sell circuit 12 VDC breakers 200-250-300 AMPs that would also work. Makes for an easy battery disconnect.
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danleym
AMC Addicted Joined: Oct/17/2009 Location: Colorado Spring Status: Offline Points: 850 |
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That makes sense. I was looking at hot cranking amps available from the battery, I didn't even consider that the starter wouldn't be using all of it. I'll look up some info on the starter draw. Thanks!
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Hollis Danley
1980 Spirit, 258 2000 VW Jetta TDI 2002 Jeep Wrangler, 4.0 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek |
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6t8amxetc
AMC Addicted Joined: Mar/11/2008 Location: Washington State Status: Offline Points: 631 |
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I used these on my latest project. Seem fine so far. |
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danleym
AMC Addicted Joined: Oct/17/2009 Location: Colorado Spring Status: Offline Points: 850 |
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Thanks! Just bought those. I had been looking at one that was very similar but they were only 200 amp and a few dollars more.
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Hollis Danley
1980 Spirit, 258 2000 VW Jetta TDI 2002 Jeep Wrangler, 4.0 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek |
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PHAT69AMX
AMC Addicted Joined: Jul/07/2007 Location: West Virginia Status: Offline Points: 5919 |
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Not about wiring, but when I trunk mounted the battery, I made a 'battery mount'.
Had read in Car Craft or whatever longways front to back was not ideal since acceleration forces tended to move the internal battery plates together, no good. Supposedly it is 'better' to mount it crossways, so I made this bracket for my AMX that straddles the passenger side rear panel support bracket... |
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Heavy 488
AMC Addicted Joined: Apr/27/2019 Location: In the Status: Offline Points: 3553 |
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AGM batteries don't have the plates to worry about murdering the internals.
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purple72Gremlin
AMC Addicted Charter Member Joined: Jul/01/2007 Location: Illinois Status: Online Points: 16611 |
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And make sure your cables can carry the amps and make sure you have a very good ground..
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