Battery in the trunk?

68rustang · Nov 10, 2005

I am currently working on wiring up my 68 with a kit from EZ wiring. While doing so I have moved the battery to the trunk using the kit from Summit Racing. My questions are:

Should I put a fuse inline with the postive lead at the battery?
If so where can I find such a fuse?

I have seen 175A "Mega Fuses" but my reading says a starter can pull almost double that.

I can run the postive lead up to the starter and be fairly confident the insulation won't chafe, get cut, cause a short and possible fire. However from my days installing amplifiers we always put fuses as close to battery as we could.

Am I being paranoid? Should I just be careful where I run the wire and hope for the best?

BB1966 · Nov 10, 2005

I cant say that I have ever seen a fuse in the main cable from the battery but thats not to say you could not do it. I am just going to run my cable as safe as I can and fuse the main wire powering the rest of the car.BTW is the EZ kit a Mustang specific or universal??? How is the instsall going so far???

68rustang · Nov 10, 2005

I have never seen it either, at least not for the main power. I see it all the time for amplifier installations. I am just nervous aboout running a direct battery "hot" the length of the car with no protection. If the insulation were to get cut there isn't anything to break the circuit.

The EZ kit is a universal 21 circuit kit. I have not done much with it yet. I have been focusing on the EFI harness lately. However when I do get to the chassis harness it looks like it should be pretty straight forward. The EZ wiring kit is pretty nice.

94CobraPace · Nov 11, 2005

Also remember that if you go to the track, NHRA requires a external cut off switch. "Most" tracks are not that strict on test & tune nights & let it pass.

rufusbooth · Nov 11, 2005

Suggestion, move your starter solenoid to the trunk along with the battery. Way the solenoid is connected to the battery with a short cable and the long cable running the length of the car is not energized until you engage the starter. Much safer.

Cheers,

Rufus.

68rustang · Nov 11, 2005

That is a good suggestion. The only problem is I am running a late model 302, T5, and starter from a 95 so I was planning on eliminating the remote solenoid.

Edbert · Nov 11, 2005

Having done a similar project let me make a few notes.

Do not even think of putting a fuse in between the B+ and the starter, the battery can provide over 700 amps, enough to fry just about any fuse I've ever seen.

The place for the maxi-fuse is in between the B+ and the fuse box, that way it can protect all the circuits except the starter itself.

Use what is called "welder's wire" for the primary, it is also called 1ga., most remote battery kits come with a thinner cable than that.

If you use a late-model starter you get to dump the fugly solenoid, plus you get a higher torque and lighter weight device.

68rustang · Nov 11, 2005

Edbert said:
Do not even think of putting a fuse in between the B+ and the starter, the battery can provide over 700 amps, enough to fry just about any fuse I've ever seen.

This is why I am asking. I don't know of a fuse that can handle the current, but I still think running a B+ lead the entire length of the car is asking for trouble.

The place for the maxi-fuse is in between the B+ and the fuse box, that way it can protect all the circuits except the starter itself.

I referred to the maxi fuse only because they are the highest rated automotive fuses I have seen.

If you use a late-model starter you get to dump the fugly solenoid, plus you get a higher torque and lighter weight device.

These are some of the reasons I am wating to keep the setup I planned on going with.

Jimmys66 · Nov 11, 2005

Dumb question. How do you get to dump the solenoid? I'm using a aftermarket mini starter and would love to dump the solenoid if at all possible

I put a shut of switch on my battery box. It works for several things. If I need to work on something off, with the switch. The solenoid sticks on, off with the switch. One of my 40 year old wire shorts or something starts sucking juice off the battery.....you get the picture. It also works as a simple security device.

BB1966 · Nov 11, 2005

The late model small starter has a solenoid on it like a Chevy.

Edbert · Nov 12, 2005

All the solenoid really does is allow current to pass throught it to the starter when the ignition switch is turned to the start position. SO on a late-model starter you just connect the battery positive (the big wire) to the big post on the starter, and then run the small wire from the ignition switch to the on-board solenoid and you're done. The engine should already be grounded to the chassis somewhere.

Similarly you can drop a bunch of wiring by using a late alternator too. Between the starter and the alternator swap you can dump about 10 small wires in favor of one! You still need the big wire for the starter (no change from stock) and you still need the meduim one for the alternator (no change from stock). But you lose a bunch of ugly wiring and simplify/beautify the setup considerably.

Jimmys66 · Nov 12, 2005

Cool, thanks for the info. I'm getting ready to rewire the car and one of my priorities is to eliminate as much wire under the hood as possible.

Wow, there is a HUGE price difference between both companies wiring kits!

Battery in the trunk?

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