Moving Starter Battery Forward

[Titus A Duxass]

Hi All,
I am going to move the starter battery from the engine bay to under the right seat.
This will let me fit a better air filter and have a place for the expansion tank.

Other than LLoydy has anyone else done this?

Any tips?

Cheers
TAD

[CovKid]

Well VW certainly did. Seems straightforward enough.

[itchyfeet]

Diesel I assume?
Do they take more power cranking then petrol? ( higher compression)

[CovKid]

Should be fine with a nice new fat cable though.

[Titus A Duxass]

Was diesel now petrol.
It's the things like the earth strap, do I extend the one from engine to negative or make a new one.
The positive side is relatively easy, I just need to find some low cost high amp terminal blocks over here.

I want some like the ones that you describe in the wiki Covkid. The nearest that I've found are 30 euro!

Maybe I can pick some up in Folkestone in September.

Do they sell then in Maplins?

[CovKid]

Cheap enough: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Automotive-Ma ... 338470217b" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for the busbars. Maplins don't do anything that heavy.

Just earth the engine out (does no harm to have an extra one) and run a new braided earth to chassis inside the new battery box. No need to extend earth since the entire chassis is earth anyway. Also, if you're moving the battery, just continue on to the dash as I did with an extra heavy-duty connector like the one above (even if you don't use it straight away) as you'll then have the backbone for uprated lighting etc.

Obviously you'll need the lugs for perfect connectors. I got them at toolstation which is located inside most branches of Wickes and surprisingly much cheaper than most online places including ebay.

Toolstation Folkestone
(Inside Wickes)
Unit 2b
Three Acres Site
Park Farm Road
Folkestone
CT19 5GA

I know yours is a diesel battery setup, but the rest can be found in the WIKI as you know: https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/VW ... ain_cables" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Once your battery has been moved and a new busbar available under the dash, you can transfer lights, fan blower etc to that, bit by bit in your own time. At least it'll be there. I'm not familiar with the diesel main cables but I guess you can substitute the exisitng battery positive in engine bay for a busbar (for simplicity), run that to the starter nut and on to new battery compartment. Thats more or less it.

[itchyfeet]

Was diesel now petrol

never had a diesel, resisted all my life smelly things

[Titus A Duxass]

Was diesel now petrol

never had a diesel, resisted all my life smelly things

I was happy with mine, the German government wasn't.
I'm now very happy with the extra 45ps that I gained from the conversion (and a green sticker from the German government).

[Titus A Duxass]

Cheap enough: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Automotive-Ma ... 338470217b" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for the busbars. Maplins don't do anything that heavy.

Just earth the engine out (does no harm to have an extra one) and run a new braided earth to chassis inside the new battery box. No need to extend earth since the entire chassis is earth anyway. Also, if you're moving the battery, just continue on to the dash as I did with an extra heavy-duty connector like the one above (even if you don't use it straight away) as you'll then have the backbone for uprated lighting etc.

Obviously you'll need the lugs for perfect connectors. I got them at toolstation which is located inside most branches of Wickes and surprisingly much cheaper than most online places including ebay.

Toolstation Folkestone
(Inside Wickes)
Unit 2b
Three Acres Site
Park Farm Road
Folkestone
CT19 5GA

I know yours is a diesel battery setup, but the rest can be found in the WIKI as you know: https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/VW ... ain_cables" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Once your battery has been moved and a new busbar available under the dash, you can transfer lights, fan blower etc to that, bit by bit in your own time. At least it'll be there. I'm not familiar with the diesel main cables but I guess you can substitute the exisitng battery positive in engine bay for a busbar (for simplicity), run that to the starter nut and on to new battery compartment. Thats more or less it.

Cheers dude, all useful stuff.

[lloydy]

only just got back from hols.. there is photo's and description in my thread, but it can be hard to find things as its so long!
What i did
1, battery under seat
2, earth from battery to factory fixing for multivan seat (basically a captive nut right next to the battery
3, decent size live cable from battery out and up to the engine bay, terminated on firewall to a 300amp junction box.
then from junction box
one cable to starter
one cable to alternator
one cable to the black box with all the wires in it
4, earth from engine block (use existing one from alt bracket) to the battery tray using the captive nut for the battery clamp.

pretty sure you don't need number 4, but why not... earths help

happy to supply you with pics and links to what i bought if you like.

my next job is replace the cable up to the front, going to use 10mm2

[Titus A Duxass]

Cheers Lloydy.
I thought about tunneling to the original 12v main line first and then running a new starter motor feed.

[CovKid]

Battery positive, starter positive, alternator output and post in black box in engine bay are all one so you only need to run batt positive to starter positive and from there to alternator output and post in black box in engine bay. Think of it as one big connection but spread out. Where the battery is placed is unimportant really - everything terminates at starter although nice fat cables important.

Basically this (Type2 but principle the same) :



The bit marked "12v to ignition switch" can come from battery or starter since its on the same circuit.