That damned mess in the footwell
Discussion
If it helps your decision, I opted for a Varley 30 based on my usaul better to be safe than sorry over kill mentality, over 2 years now & its never failed to start the car. Had many tests when all the cars electrical equipment has been required due to extreme weather conditions, it even started & got me from Chedder to Bath one rainy day with no working alternator (alternator burnt out the night before).
Hopefully the picture link works & you can see the alloy fixing strap I made which bolts through the floor & uses the fuse board mounting bolt. Excuse the messy wiring & tatty carpets as this was during an Emerald install at the time.
Hopefully the picture link works & you can see the alloy fixing strap I made which bolts through the floor & uses the fuse board mounting bolt. Excuse the messy wiring & tatty carpets as this was during an Emerald install at the time.
Thank you very much for the photo, I've been struggling to think how I'd bolt it all down - your strap idea helps enormously.
The Varley Red Top 15 idea is really growing on me now. I'll build a mock battery and set about a trial fixing this weekend to see how it all goes together.
In the meantime I'll keep myself busy trying to divert the fuseboard wiring up towards the bulkhead
I'm OK at wiring but really don't fancy the idea of hacking all the wiring just yet
The Varley Red Top 15 idea is really growing on me now. I'll build a mock battery and set about a trial fixing this weekend to see how it all goes together.
In the meantime I'll keep myself busy trying to divert the fuseboard wiring up towards the bulkhead
I'm OK at wiring but really don't fancy the idea of hacking all the wiring just yet
As you say, if you gain two inches of leg room the carpet is short by two inches. For an exact match lift out a seat and pull up the carpet under it. If you are lucky you will find the tunnel or rear shelf bits are more than big enough and go a long way under the bit you have just lifted. You should find a big enough bit to fill the gap. The challenge is finding a some that is not too glue impregnated.
Barreti said:
Those of you who have shuffled things around down there and/or removed the battery box, can you tell me what you did to tidy everything up afterwards.
The passenger footwell mat won't fit any more so I'm looking for clever ideas for how to finish it off when I've made the changes.
I went with one of the Odyssey batteries and Have mounted it dead center above the fuel tank in the boot. I had a metal bracket made up which bolts through the bulkhead in 4 places to secure it. I've used nuts tack welded to washers in a hole the same size as the nut, so there is no bump under the carpet from the passenger side and run all new earth and 12v high quality batt cables. So far its proved very good even after being left for a week or so in the snow!The passenger footwell mat won't fit any more so I'm looking for clever ideas for how to finish it off when I've made the changes.
Regarding the footwell mess, I did a similar thing to another Pheader and mounted the fusebox behind the passenger seat (using all original cable lengths. I currently have all cable runs going up under the centre console and dropping out right at the back. It still needs finishing and making a bit neater but it works just fine for now. I'm running an Emerald ECU, so I've cut out a whole birds nest worth of crap from the loom both from behind the dash and in the footwell, and have binned the crappy Meta alarm and have replaced it with something neater and more modern. The end result is that I have just two relays (fuel pump and master), and the Emerald box in the footwell which sit right against the back of the footwell beind the original foot pad thing (trimmed a bit to fit). I then used some spare carpet from when I retrimmed the interior to cover up any bare fiberglass in the new extended footwell and moved the mat forward a bit so it looks like it should be there. End result looks OEM, but I can sit in the passenger seat fully outstreched and only just touch the back of the footwell with my toes (and I'm 6'3"). First time I tried it in the garage I fell asleep for a couple of hours so its properly comfy for passengers now
Due to the size of the Emerald and the Griffith dash design mine and BB's sit above the glove box on a bracket I made up out of the side of an old washing machine. I've got no mess in the footwell now due to the reduced wiring, just a short girlfriend so no need to move the battery or fuses.
The only reason I'd move the fuse board is if i had to keep changing fuses, but I don't, so it seems an awful lot of work mucking about with the loom etc for no real discernable benefit. Also, for those car's that leak, the area behind the seats is always a collection point and you're moving the fuses nearer to it? We also use the space behand the seats when touring for tools and other items you may want to lay your hands on more easily, so that would be compromised. Are people having to change the fuses that often, or need to get to the battery that often ?
I can understand moving the battery for leg space, but with lot's of touring on the continent and elsewhere the boot's out as an option as the space is too precious, therefore the most I'd do is to use a smaller battery and make up a new battery box fixed in the same way as currently, in essence thats only going to give a few inches anyway . . . stick to the short girlfriend option
The only reason I'd move the fuse board is if i had to keep changing fuses, but I don't, so it seems an awful lot of work mucking about with the loom etc for no real discernable benefit. Also, for those car's that leak, the area behind the seats is always a collection point and you're moving the fuses nearer to it? We also use the space behand the seats when touring for tools and other items you may want to lay your hands on more easily, so that would be compromised. Are people having to change the fuses that often, or need to get to the battery that often ?
I can understand moving the battery for leg space, but with lot's of touring on the continent and elsewhere the boot's out as an option as the space is too precious, therefore the most I'd do is to use a smaller battery and make up a new battery box fixed in the same way as currently, in essence thats only going to give a few inches anyway . . . stick to the short girlfriend option
BliarOut said:
spend said:
Johno said:
stick to the short girlfriend option
.. or shorten the legs a bit. Its only the top bit that you use anyway.. No Max's amongst our ranks I hope
Another question for you guys, before I throw this open to the wider audience of PH and risk making myself look a complete pillock !
The Varley Red Top 25 looks a promising solution, so I've bought one of them.
It has more CCA and higher rating than the 15, but the size is actually a better fit
15 is 200 x 77 x 133 13ah cca550
25 is 182 x 77 x 168 16ah cca680
And heres the daft question I can't ask the battery supplier till tonight because he's out.
the 25 has female terminal connectors - so what do I put on the end of the cables?
I don't mind putting on new connectors because my + and - have different nut sizes which has always driven me mad.
Do I use loop connectors and bolt them into the battery
Or convert to post connectors somehow
Which is best, and how do I stop whatever screws into the battery from coming undone?
Or is it easier to change my order to a battery with post connectors?
Tks
Ian
The Varley Red Top 25 looks a promising solution, so I've bought one of them.
It has more CCA and higher rating than the 15, but the size is actually a better fit
15 is 200 x 77 x 133 13ah cca550
25 is 182 x 77 x 168 16ah cca680
And heres the daft question I can't ask the battery supplier till tonight because he's out.
the 25 has female terminal connectors - so what do I put on the end of the cables?
I don't mind putting on new connectors because my + and - have different nut sizes which has always driven me mad.
Do I use loop connectors and bolt them into the battery
Or convert to post connectors somehow
Which is best, and how do I stop whatever screws into the battery from coming undone?
Or is it easier to change my order to a battery with post connectors?
Tks
Ian
Edited by Barreti on Wednesday 3rd March 11:43
IMO its all a question about how much / how good contact you get between the cable - connector and connector -battery. I kind of keep in mind the battery - ground chassis fixing as being fairly poor (why I duplexed it). The nice big std posts and fat connectors with plenty of contact to the cables are probably overkill - but are proved to do the job well in millions of circumstances.. Using ring terms and bolts just means you have to pay extra attention to assembling them - not insurmountable.
Thanks for the quick response Dave.
I can't make my mind up if ring terminals and bolts are a stupid idea or a dumb one TBH
everything I can find relating to battery terminal connectors seems to be for posts.
But the idea of being able to drop a spanner straight onto the bolt kind of appeals, and it will be lower profile I guess.
I also have a pair of quick release connectors that I got ages ago but haven't fitted, but they are for posts. They would also raise the profile of the battery quite significantly.
I can't make my mind up if ring terminals and bolts are a stupid idea or a dumb one TBH
everything I can find relating to battery terminal connectors seems to be for posts.
But the idea of being able to drop a spanner straight onto the bolt kind of appeals, and it will be lower profile I guess.
I also have a pair of quick release connectors that I got ages ago but haven't fitted, but they are for posts. They would also raise the profile of the battery quite significantly.
Got hold of the battery supplier tonight (they answered the blooming phone at 18:45!)
They are sending me a set of terminal adaptors FOC which convert female terminals into posts, so I can figure out how I want the battery to attach at my leisure
Great service from the people at Nimbus Motorsport who really do know what they are talking about and how to treat customers.
They are also up for coming down the the Growl if there's some interest in them attending.
FFG
They are sending me a set of terminal adaptors FOC which convert female terminals into posts, so I can figure out how I want the battery to attach at my leisure
Great service from the people at Nimbus Motorsport who really do know what they are talking about and how to treat customers.
They are also up for coming down the the Growl if there's some interest in them attending.
FFGEdited by Barreti on Wednesday 3rd March 20:38
A quick update to this thread in case there is anybody interested.
So I could judge if it really was worth the expense of a new dinky toy battery I made a couple of mock-ups as shown here against the battery box
Varley Red Top 15
Using picture 1 as a reference, the RT25 I bought is a tad smaller left to right, and a tad taller. Depth in both is the same.
Odyssey PC925
I'm getting a new battery box / foot plate / hole in the carpet hider made now. I'll tell you how I've gone about that when it arrives.
Oh yes, notice the shape of the bottom of the battery box in that last shot. How it is raised in one corner to go over the body/chassis bolt and how it moulds to the floor channels where the captive nuts are in the GRP
Clever I thought, considering its only a battery box.
So I could judge if it really was worth the expense of a new dinky toy battery I made a couple of mock-ups as shown here against the battery box
Varley Red Top 15
Using picture 1 as a reference, the RT25 I bought is a tad smaller left to right, and a tad taller. Depth in both is the same.
Odyssey PC925
I'm getting a new battery box / foot plate / hole in the carpet hider made now. I'll tell you how I've gone about that when it arrives.
Oh yes, notice the shape of the bottom of the battery box in that last shot. How it is raised in one corner to go over the body/chassis bolt and how it moulds to the floor channels where the captive nuts are in the GRP
Clever I thought, considering its only a battery box.
Edited by Barreti on Friday 19th March 12:34
Well I gave up with the flaming wiring. I'll probably have another go at it as my winter job 2010
I did however, change the battery to get more footwell space.
These pictures show my replacement footwell box and battery. The outside dimensions of this box are the same as your battery.
And here is the finished complete article.
The ECU is very snug down the right hand side, the same as it was previously and the relays etc are tucked down the side of the battery bracket to protect them from stray feet. I might still move these and tuck them up just for aesthetic reasons, but for now they are safe there.
Shame I forgot to reattach the bit of carpet that covers the wires on the right before taking the photos
And I can pick the entire thing up with one hand
I did however, change the battery to get more footwell space.
These pictures show my replacement footwell box and battery. The outside dimensions of this box are the same as your battery.
And here is the finished complete article.
The ECU is very snug down the right hand side, the same as it was previously and the relays etc are tucked down the side of the battery bracket to protect them from stray feet. I might still move these and tuck them up just for aesthetic reasons, but for now they are safe there.
Shame I forgot to reattach the bit of carpet that covers the wires on the right before taking the photos
And I can pick the entire thing up with one hand
Edited by Barreti on Sunday 25th April 22:54
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