LT1-LT4 Modifications 1993-97 Gen II Small Block V8

Trunk mounted battery guys come in

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Old May 21, 2007 | 11:33 AM
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Default Trunk mounted battery guys come in

I discovered someone had installed a battery tray in the trunk of the Z recently so I thought I'd use it. Already had cables run and everything. Found the 4 ga wire stuffed behind the PCM. So I just joined the cable to the positive under the hood and grounded the battery and I've got power. However it's really draggy when trying to start. I know most run the positive cable to the starter with dist blocks and all that but I've seen it done this way before. I'm not gonna take the trouble to rewire this crap so I'd take the tray out before I did that. Anyways, I'm not much of an electrician. So what's making it so draggy? Once I get started it's fine but I'm afraid I'll tear up the starter or break the housing on it (for the 4th time). Do I need to check my ground or is it the hot wire to the stock wire that's the problem?
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Old May 21, 2007 | 11:57 AM
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make sure you have a good clean ground....how did you make the connection with the stock positive....if its hard starting you probably are having a voltage drop which could be from high resistance at any termination point(make sure they are good clean connections)....also what is the cca of the battery? you are going to have some voltage drop along the length of the 4ga especially since you are connecting to a stock wire and not the starter. if your using a older stock type battery it my not be sufficient
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Old May 21, 2007 | 12:09 PM
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Battery is relatively new. Not sure of the cold cranking amps right off hand but I wanna say 825. It's the higher end Everstart. Always did me good up front. I used a nut and bolt to connect to the two wires together. I'll go over the connections and clean them up and try again.
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Old May 21, 2007 | 12:11 PM
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I did this last year , without any problem what so ever? I'm attaching a drawing how to connect everything. I found it here on LS1tech worked for me.
Should be same for LT1 as for LS1.
The cut off switch is a option.
Attached Thumbnails Trunk mounted battery guys come in-relocate-batt-schema.jpg   Trunk mounted battery guys come in-battery-reloc.jpg   Trunk mounted battery guys come in-connection-front.jpg  
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Old May 21, 2007 | 12:29 PM
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if it seems like its dragging switch to bigger wires. should pick it right up. 4 gauge is kind of small for doing this either go to 2 or 0 gauge and it should be solved and make sure you have a GOOD ground.
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Old May 21, 2007 | 02:23 PM
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When I was searching, I read guys using 8 and 10 ga wire. Maybe I read it wrong. I figured the size of the wire wasn't my problem. Oh well, I'll tinker with it. I'll start with the ground wire.

Last edited by dhdenney; May 21, 2007 at 08:50 PM.
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Old May 21, 2007 | 02:31 PM
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Originally Posted by vikingramair
I did this last year , without any problem what so ever? I'm attaching a drawing how to connect everything. I found it here on LS1tech worked for me.
Should be same for LT1 as for LS1.
The cut off switch is a option.

I didn't really set it up like you got it. I just hooked the hot right to the stock wire and grounded the battery and that's it. Probably not a good setup anyway.

Last edited by dhdenney; May 21, 2007 at 04:19 PM.
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Old May 21, 2007 | 04:21 PM
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I checked the connections and put new washers around everything for good clean contact and no change. Oh well, I'll just take the tray out. Just using it cuz it was there. It's not worth it to me to go to bigger wire and run it all. I don't even want to take the 4 ga wire out there's in there!
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Old May 21, 2007 | 05:00 PM
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Man just use some welding cable. Wiring isn't hard at all, run the power cable from the battery in the back to the starter, run 4-8ga from starter to alternator, and then run a separate 8ga wire to the distribution block from the battery. Take some 0-2ga welding cable and use the grommet where the tray is located, run it underneath the car to the frame rails by the exhaust and ur done. You just need larger wire.
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Old May 21, 2007 | 08:46 PM
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Originally Posted by I8ASaleen
Man just use some welding cable. Wiring isn't hard at all, run the power cable from the battery in the back to the starter, run 4-8ga from starter to alternator, and then run a separate 8ga wire to the distribution block from the battery. Take some 0-2ga welding cable and use the grommet where the tray is located, run it underneath the car to the frame rails by the exhaust and ur done. You just need larger wire.
Like I said I was just trying her out since it was already there. I don't want to put any money into it. My dad said 4 ga wire was like $3.50/ft anyway. I think I could easily spend $50 on buying wire and I have $13 in my checking account right now.
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Old May 21, 2007 | 08:51 PM
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However I might save the tray for the turbo car. I might need the room.
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Old May 22, 2007 | 02:05 AM
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thanks for those pics they really help out
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Old May 22, 2007 | 05:36 AM
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Yeah I'm definitely gonna save that diagram.
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Old May 22, 2007 | 06:52 AM
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running the 4 ga and just connecting the two terminals is probably giving you too much voltage drop...on all my battery relo's i use 1/0 and connect with a distribution block and haven't had any problems....i guess back to the front she goes
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Old May 22, 2007 | 08:37 AM
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Yeah I put it back up front. I'll know what to use on the turbo car. I guess whoever put the tray back there figured out the 4 ga wasn't enough either--that's why they weren't using it. They ran the 4 ga through the firewall, under the carpet and everything. I was gonna at least try it.
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