Battery Cable Upgrade Project
12-31-2002, 12:36 AM
#16
Nordschleife Master
Thread Starter
Sure Scott, I'm up for a beer anytime you stop in Minneapolis town. I just didn't want to suck you down the wrong road on electrics expectations. This battery cable kit will be great, but it won't totally solve all the problems in your life, like limp dick. <img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" />
Drop me a line when you come into town and we can go have dinner and such. If you want in on the battery cable project, let me know.
Tom, yeah, 3/4 is a baby. In my boat building daiz
I popped 4 1/2" diameter through 3" of tight squeezed,low resin fiberglass. Those holes could snap your wrist when they hung up.
Anyway, this is an easy hole pop and there is nothing underneath that you will hit if you don't go crazy and punch it in 8 inches.
I guess I would like everyone that is still interested to sound off as I need a couple key supplies to fork over money for.
Drop me a line when you come into town and we can go have dinner and such. If you want in on the battery cable project, let me know.
Tom, yeah, 3/4 is a baby. In my boat building daiz
I popped 4 1/2" diameter through 3" of tight squeezed,low resin fiberglass. Those holes could snap your wrist when they hung up.
Anyway, this is an easy hole pop and there is nothing underneath that you will hit if you don't go crazy and punch it in 8 inches.
I guess I would like everyone that is still interested to sound off as I need a couple key supplies to fork over money for.
12-31-2002, 12:52 AM
#18
Big thirst, Sore Thumbs
Rennlist Member
Napoleon
Rennlist Member
Napoleon
Try drilling a 2 1/2 hole through computer flooring with a hole saw. layerd wood steel and masonite. so theres no right bit and when it hangs aint nothing to give.
Had to drill some 1 inch mounting bolts on 1/4 steel covered concrete flat. So the head of the steel bit was digging concrete till you got through the steel. Masonry bits were fine for the concrete, but by hole two the steel bit was dead.
Went to home Depot and ended up buying 7 more bits. 8 Bits 8 holes.
Had to drill some 1 inch mounting bolts on 1/4 steel covered concrete flat. So the head of the steel bit was digging concrete till you got through the steel. Masonry bits were fine for the concrete, but by hole two the steel bit was dead.
Went to home Depot and ended up buying 7 more bits. 8 Bits 8 holes.
12-31-2002, 02:45 AM
#21
Banned
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: San Diego
Posts: 1,635
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Iceshark,
I would suggest adding another ground cable to your package. To be specific..... a chasis ground to block ground. You can actually supply a longer bolt for the chasis ground that runs through the firewall. You can then use a nut on the new "stud" in the engine bay, to attach the chasis to block ground. I have been doing this for years and it seems to help with the erratic gauge syndrome <img src="graemlins/xyxwave.gif" border="0" alt="[bigbye]" />
I would suggest adding another ground cable to your package. To be specific..... a chasis ground to block ground. You can actually supply a longer bolt for the chasis ground that runs through the firewall. You can then use a nut on the new "stud" in the engine bay, to attach the chasis to block ground. I have been doing this for years and it seems to help with the erratic gauge syndrome <img src="graemlins/xyxwave.gif" border="0" alt="[bigbye]" />
12-31-2002, 10:31 AM
#25
Nordschleife Master
Thread Starter
Turbo Tim,
Yes, I already have a supplemental ground from the engine block to the forward frame rails which I supply with the headlight kit and anyone can pick that up if they like. The forward lights are the most voltage sensitive consumer in the car so you want to take care of them.
Frankly, I don't know why the 944 frame/body is such a poor conductor and where all the bottle necks are. I suspect it has something to do with the adhesive/undercoating and construction methods used in attaching the sheet metal. We get great rust free cars but a consequence is they sure don't conduct juice very well.
The early 944 owners should see a big improvement in grounding as they will now have a direct ground connection from the engine block to the battery rather than exposed copper strap from battery to sheet metal and then exposed strap from firewall to block. There is a reason even Porsche (almost as inept as Lucas in electrics) quit doing that.
I'm also going to add the adjustable voltage regulator to the menu for people that haven't put that in yet. That makes a HUGE difference in bringing up the battery to full charge faster and removing that load from the system. When you have an undercharged battery sucking 40+ amps trying to get charged it really puts the poor alternator under seige with all the other electrical loads.
People have to understand that an alternator that is rated at 115 amps can't even dream of putting out full voltage at that load. Voltage starts falling off once you pass about 40 amps of draw. So you don't want the battery adding to your draw load.
As I suspected, most of my suppliers seem to be on vacation this week so I guess I won't get too far in firming up supplies and quotes on the remaining open items until next Monday.
Yes, I already have a supplemental ground from the engine block to the forward frame rails which I supply with the headlight kit and anyone can pick that up if they like. The forward lights are the most voltage sensitive consumer in the car so you want to take care of them.
Frankly, I don't know why the 944 frame/body is such a poor conductor and where all the bottle necks are. I suspect it has something to do with the adhesive/undercoating and construction methods used in attaching the sheet metal. We get great rust free cars but a consequence is they sure don't conduct juice very well.
The early 944 owners should see a big improvement in grounding as they will now have a direct ground connection from the engine block to the battery rather than exposed copper strap from battery to sheet metal and then exposed strap from firewall to block. There is a reason even Porsche (almost as inept as Lucas in electrics) quit doing that.
I'm also going to add the adjustable voltage regulator to the menu for people that haven't put that in yet. That makes a HUGE difference in bringing up the battery to full charge faster and removing that load from the system. When you have an undercharged battery sucking 40+ amps trying to get charged it really puts the poor alternator under seige with all the other electrical loads.
People have to understand that an alternator that is rated at 115 amps can't even dream of putting out full voltage at that load. Voltage starts falling off once you pass about 40 amps of draw. So you don't want the battery adding to your draw load.
As I suspected, most of my suppliers seem to be on vacation this week so I guess I won't get too far in firming up supplies and quotes on the remaining open items until next Monday.
12-31-2002, 01:03 PM
#26
[quote] There is a reason even Porsche (almost as inept as Lucas in electrics) quit doing that <hr></blockquote>
Ouch, that's harsh <img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" />
Ouch, that's harsh <img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" />
12-31-2002, 01:36 PM
#27
Big thirst, Sore Thumbs
Rennlist Member
Napoleon
Rennlist Member
Napoleon
<a href="http://www.landroverclub.net/Club/HTML/Humor_electrics.htm" target="_blank">http://www.landroverclub.net/Club/HTML/Humor_electrics.htm</a>
12-31-2002, 02:01 PM
#28
Nordschleife Master
Thread Starter
Michael and Sid, I've told this story before. I was at a party in London and met the Chairman/Managing Director of Lucas, this was back around '91.
I joked to him I finally met the "Prince of Darkness". The joke didn't go over too good. <img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" />
But since I owned an Austin, I have a God Given Right to bad mouth Lucas until the day I die.
I joked to him I finally met the "Prince of Darkness". The joke didn't go over too good. <img src="graemlins/roflmao.gif" border="0" alt="[hiha]" />
But since I owned an Austin, I have a God Given Right to bad mouth Lucas until the day I die.
