Product Feeler: Battery Relocation Kit
 

I’ve come to realize there aren’t many options when it comes to relocating the battery so I made one of my own.

My goals were the following:

1. Reduce weight by replacing the stock 37 pound battery with a lightweight Odyssey PC-680 (14.2 lbs)
2. Use the stock terminals so no re-wiring is necessary
3. Keep the weight as low and as close to the center of the car as possible
4. Make the battery bracket rock solid (so there is no vibration)
5. Integrate a visually appealing and hopefully functional radiator shield to replace the stock battery tray and intake tray
6. Make it compatible with various intakes (including stock)*

*I've only test fit it with my AEM intake so far but I will be looking for some guinea pigs to help me design the kit for others ;)

Current Specs:

• Weight = 18.2 lbs total with battery (saves 19 lbs over stock!)
• Material = Aluminum
• Finish = Flat black high heat ceramic paint (i'll have to experiment with different finishes)

Here are some pics. Please keep in mind that this is my one and only prototype. I was designing and building at the same time so I made a few mistakes along the way. If you see an extra hole or a bent corner, something off center -- just ignore it. The finished product will be much more civilized :)

I have the time and resources to make more of these if anyone is interested. Let me know and we'll start a list for a group buy!

Now i'm going to go for a drive because my car hasn't been driven in about 3 weeks, and THAT is a travesty...

http://img2.imageshack.us/img2/3803/...elocation1.jpg

P.S. – the J-hooks will be seated elsewhere; my J-hooks were too short to put at a diagonal.

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/2503/p1013363.jpg

Pricing estimated at $199+shipping/paypal

Will set up official group buy if more than 10 people are on this list:


1. L337fpc
2. Zelse
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That looks pretty nice to me. Can you PM me a ballpark price on what you think they will cost if you pursue it?

Looks nice. Any way to get all those wires under the panel though? Maybe swing the terminal connections to the side of the battery and tuck everything neatly under?

Probably not under the panel but I could clean it up a bit. I'll see what can be done.

I still need to iron some details out so I can price it accordingly. Once i do that, i'll let everyone know the ballpark price here.

Feel free to drop hints though :lol2:

Your engine compartment look so clean! How do you clean your engine? And how do you keep it so clean? By the way, that is a nice battery box.

Look at all that space for a turbo ;)

Thanks and it stays clean by lots of TLC, Super Clean (degreaser) and a steamer jet cleaner thingy. I don't really know what to call it but it works wonders.

BAH!!!!........................................... ....................... Maybe :)

great idea. perhaps some sort of etched on thing.. rx8 / se3p ... maybee an embossed look? maybe a version that moves the battery over to the fuse box?

Very interested...

Interested if it's not too expensive.

I'd have to a see picture from the front but it looks like it won't fit cars with a GReddy kit (or most FI kits, certainly front-mount kits as well) because the charge pipes needs to run in that area.

I put my battery in the trunk. $15 plastic box from AutoZone, some 1/0 gauge power cable, a 4g ground, some terminals, and Home Depot metal. I think it cost me around $100 bucks or less.

Success!
 

I was able to re-route the wires so they aren't as much of an eyesore. It will take a little effort on your part (although pretty simple) but i think it's worth it.

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/139/p1013360.jpg

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/2503/p1013363.jpg

Putting it in the trunk was something i was trying to avoid.

It might work with some FI. I could imagine more so on the SC side than the turbo side :dunno:

i like. i'll be a guinea pig too. ;)

how much for just the intake tray?

btw: i think you have the coupler where the reducer hose goes and vice versus on your intake. i could be wrong though.

I like it, I was actually trying to lay out ideas for something like this the other day

I did a similar experiament some times back. The pic showed is the material and not yet install.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...a/SP_A0283.jpg

I don't understand why you make the plate to resist the air flow of the fans, as the original design did. When the fan is on on during idling, due to the space is tight, some hot air will be forced to pass through the radiator sponge and suck back by the rad fan(s). So, when you sprint for a while and meet some traffic jam or something that cause you stop the car, the temperature will raise quite fast. And, the gab around the coolant tank must be covered, because the PCM box has no seal and the hot air will make the PCM + ABS control unit even hotter, and also the AEM alum tubes. I would say the battery location is not bad but the battery itself cost me a bomb at my place. I just use a stand 60amp and put it at the water fluid area, where the original water tank had to be sacrificed and replaced with a modified breather tank. Just FYI, the metal plate surface temperature on my car average about 82 celcius and due to the material I use is not alum or ss, the heat transfer is not that great, so won't feel the heat on the top so much. Rotor housing outer surface temperature average about 82-84 during cruising at 120km/h (stop the car, open the bonnet and quickly get the reading) and 89-94 celcius 160-180km/h @ about 200km. Ambient temp = 30-32 celcius (from noon to evening).

To protect the coil and the aircond pump, I recommend you to make some plate that with curved or diamond edge to block & divert the hot air away.

If you are living in a country that will never have real summer, then your current ideal might be almost perfect, except need to seal off the PCM box.

Forgot to add, I did paint several type of car paint on the plate. Including those 'chrome' paint. All survived.

So clean,, Ill be your SC guinea pig.... One criticism, round those corners off some,, ,maybe 1/4-1/2" radius or something...

Sorry, the PCM box does have seal :) Maybe the heat just went in to mine due to the extra wire that I hooked on :)

the tray really looks nice. however, with the battery located like that you could really increase the airflow and efficiency of the radiator by not having it there.

Looks like the weak point is where the sheet metal bolts to the battery box.

Sure hope it is strong enough and doest crack.

Have you tried it at the track?

rOtor: The tray is in a good position, as it forces the the air into the radiator.

I may be interested.

Good. You have the same intake but it'd be good to test out on other cars just to make sure.

Not sure on the price for just the tray but it would be a good chunk less. I have to nail down my suppliers before i post any prices. The prototype was pretty expensive to make and i don't want to base the price off what this one cost me.

As for the intake i'll check it. It could be wrong but i'm not sure how there is a difference between three identical intake ports.

noted

I was under the impression that was the case too... which was one of the reasons i built it like i did.


It's pretty strong, especially when installed.

The area you mentioned is the weak point but it's not that weak. In my original design i had a bracket attach to where the side of the battery box bolted but it was pretty difficult to replicate when i was actually making it. I might try again but the sheet aluminum is pretty sturdy as is.

i like this, very interested

For those interested would you like me to provide the battery or just the tray?

I'm looking at it from a different perspective... the more air you can get out of the radiator, the more air you can get through the radiator. I happened to notice at a drift event, the RX8 had the intake, coolant overflow tank, and battery relocated leaving the back of the radiator completely exposed and then they ran a giant heat extrator opening in the hood right above that area.

The newer drift RX8 pics i've seen on these boards did the same thing with a v-mount setup for the radiator and intercooler

maybe specs of the battery you chose first? or at least the ones that will fit?

no no. not the intake ports. the coupler on the end towards the front of the car is supposed to attach to the throttle body. the reducer hose you have attached to the throttle body goes in its place.

and they're not identical. the coupler, if i'm not mistaken, can withstand more heat. it's thicker whereas the reducer hose is more of a sleeve.

it should say AEM right there where the intake exits the car.

and lmk about just the intake tray. i want one.

ahh, i see what you mean. I bought it used from another member and that's how it came. I didn't read the instructions :lol: so it may be wrong. I'll check, thanks for mentioning it.

Make the battery box adjustable for different batteries like Braile

Edit: You don't want to ship batteries. Its Hazardous Material.

i could probably do that pretty easily -- good idea.

I went with odyssey PC 680 because it seems to be the most reliable highest performing battery of it's size. I did a bit of research and all signs seemed to point to Odyssey and from what i've heard Braille are kind of a pile of junk :dunno:

I agree about the battery but.... If you only make it to fit that size and Odyseey changes their size or your customer has a different battery................... it will be a pain to get return shipment.

Such insightful commentary... Razz1, YOU ROCK! :ylsuper:

um. sorry.

i have it wrong. lol.

Very interested...

Im really interested! I was looking for new ways to spice up my engine bay!

+1

I like this idea as well. Will def follow the progress...

I'll def be interested as long as the pricing is good. Always wanted to do this. I think it would be best if you just sold the tray/mount with everything included except the battery. That'll be a PIA to ship

Any chance you can get one made in CF? or an overlay or something, so it'll match MS strut bar.

I think i'll stick to aluminum for now. CF would be cool but i'm not sure how it would hold up in the heat nor do i know how to make anything out of CF... yet :)

I've pretty much decided against shipping batteries for now. But I still need to research shipping hazardous material a little more. I did get some quotes for these batteries with a quantity discount and it would probably save you a few pennies if i put in a bulk order. We'll see.

P.S. - figuring out pricing at the moment, stay tuned.

Alright, after crunching the numbers and giving it a lot of thought I think this is going to be priced around $199+shipping/paypal.

This is for the tray only. I've decided against providing the battery but if I change my mind i'll let you know. I'll be making the battery tray adjustable so other batteries can fit if you'd like to go with something other than the PC680.

The current design will only work with a limited selection of intakes but i'm hoping to have other designs and test them to fit other intakes before long.

Feedback is appreciated.

how would one order it? also, im going to have to wait a bit longer. I just ordered my AEM CAI and some other accessories. I'll pick this up in 2 paychecks lol.

Well, i have to set up an official group buy to sell this on RX8club.com so you're going to have to wait for that. I'd say i'd need at least 10 people before i set up the group buy.

well im in


1. L337fpc

^+1 :ylsuper:

how about a trunk monnt setup

That was something I was trying to avoid. Originally I wanted to mount mine in the trunk but I wasn't real fond of the idea of ripping apart the interior to do it. This is a lot simpler than a trunk mount set up.

I'm fabricating another one at the moment for some more testing :)

When you figure out pricing PM me :)

Already figured it out. Updated OP.