Planning a dual battery setup... Got some Q's.

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Lka1988 said:
450 Dude's setup looks real good. But I don't have enough room in the battery tray to do that... I would have to relocate a few things. Plus I want a full-size battery, in case I decide to change the configuration.

I've been going through the engine compartment lately, trying to find a good spot to mount another battery....going to test-fit the Optima (sans height adapter) and see where it fits best. Tomorrow.
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Look at the picture of mine and you will notice behind the air filter my third battery. This yellow top Optima is not so tall and fit very well.

Also look I installed the window washer bottle at the driver side.

IH8MUD.com Forum - View Single Post - Dual Battery Question....don't shoot, I've searched....really!!!
 
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robmir said:
LOL ...... You asked for it, so tight your seatbelt because the light will come :grinpimp:

Oh Lord, this forum is so much fun :flipoff2:
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Bring it on - I hope he knows his stuff on this subject... because I do... Ifind it a bit rude to say someone is wrong without explaining....
 
MaddBaggins said:
Good luck getting a good answer. I asked for some data to back up his claims on a brake line thread. I got squat.
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Same thing in the recent "E85 conversion" thread. A few pompus sounding posts followed by a Houdini act.
 
Rob,

I remember seeing your setup some time ago, quite unique. Never seen a triple battery system before. :hhmm:

So a Yellow Top will fit at the back of the engine compartment... What did you use for a tray?
 
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Just came back in from test-fitting the battery. I liked Rob's suggestion, but he doesn't have the cruise control module to ruin, like I probably did...:rolleyes:

And I know you guys like pics, so here they are:

1- OEM spot taken up by emissions crap (outlined in green)
2- This is the spot I plan to use (again, outlined in green)
3- Overhead shot of #2....excuse the mess....
OEM_93-97.webp
final_idea.webp
final_overhead.webp
 
More...

1- Overhead of battery test-fit
2- Lookin' good.
3- Straight-on shot...the white arrow shows where the battery is, in case you can't find it... It fits!! :D
testfit_overhead.webp
testfit_angle.webp
testfit_flat.webp
 
Lka1988 said:
Rob,

I remember seeing your setup some time ago, quite unique. Never seen a triple battery system before. :hhmm:

So a Yellow Top will fit at the back of the engine compartment... What did you use for a tray?
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I fabricate my own trays so I did both the rear and the PS front battery tray.

I installed several aux batteries using the OEM tray and at the end, mine were cheaper, cleared better the air condition hose and winch cables and battery is better clamped to the tray. :grinpimp:

Regarding the back battery tray, I added a heat shield because the exhaust manifold is on this side and Optimas hate high ambient temp.

Oh Boy, I forgot you have a 3FE engine so my setup doen´t fit yours :bang:
 
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robmir said:
I fabricate my own trays so I did both the rear and the PS front battery tray.

Regarding the back battery tray it has also a heat shield because the exhaust manifold is on this side.
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Oh, alright.

I'm mounting my 2nd battery on the opposite side as yours (USDS), but the exhaust on the 3FE is on the DS as well... Funny how that worked out. :lol:

How many :banana: is it to make a tray? I have a few sheets of steel and access to a MIG welder...
 
Lane, I'm in the same boat as you. Well, cruiser actually.

3FE'ng it, so engine compartment location for the second battery is tough. Where you have red one located in those pics is a good spot. Putting a tray there shouldn't be too tough.

I thought in a dual battery system, the batteries have to be identical? I'm obviously mistaken.

If this works out I might do your setup, instead of what I was thinking. I was envisioning putting one in the cab then one in the engine compartment. But it would be so nice if I could just stuff it in the engine.
I'll upload a schematic I'm doing after a second.
 
I basically want a battery for starting then one for aux stuff that would normally drain my starter battery. Good idea or no?

Here's my schematic, very basic.

Lane, you should enlighten me see you've come to understand it better than I have.




You should definitely get a good fusebox for your setup though. I've seen good ones other users have put with their setups and they're real nice. That way, you can centralize all those KC Inline fuses and then it makes it easy to add more things. Just a thought.
 
Lka1988 said:
Oh, alright.

I'm mounting my 2nd battery on the opposite side as yours (USDS), but the exhaust on the 3FE is on the DS as well... Funny how that worked out. :lol:

How many :banana: is it to make a tray? I have a few sheets of steel and access to a MIG welder...
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My dad was a supplier for the electroplating industry so we fabricated uncounted steel tanks which were later protected against corrosive liquids with PVC linning (we close the bussiness many years ago) so for me doing the tray is a peace of cake. It doesn't mean I love to weld but when needed I am game.

For the side walls I use aluminum sheet painted in black and bolted to taps welded to the steel tray.
 
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Red Beard said:
Lane, I'm in the same boat as you. Well, cruiser actually.

3FE'ng it, so engine compartment location for the second battery is tough. Where you have red one located in those pics is a good spot. Putting a tray there shouldn't be too tough.

I thought in a dual battery system, the batteries have to be identical? I'm obviously mistaken.

If this works out I might do your setup, instead of what I was thinking. I was envisioning putting one in the cab then one in the engine compartment. But it would be so nice if I could just stuff it in the engine.
I'll upload a schematic I'm doing after a second.
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Same age, too. :lol:

If you're putting the batteries in parallel, without an isolator, then AFAIK they have to be identical.

I don't actually have a second battery yet, I just stuffed mine into different spots, and that was the best spot.

And as for the schematic... Did you use photobucket? My computer is weird and won't show photobucket pics.
 
One more option worth looking at:

http://www.bepmarine.com/showproduct.cfm?productid=859

Simple to install, remote button to parallel (jump) starter battery mounted in the cab, on/off/both modes. Clean and easy. I bought a momentary switch from a 4 runner (clutch cancel) pulled it apart, printed graphics, put it back together and now it is mounted in my dash. Jump starts without leaving the driver's seat.

I was also able to get 2 Optima D34Ms in my battery tray rotated at 90*. Very tight fit, snug enough that they aren't going anywhere. I did have to get out a dremmel and cut out a small corner of the plastic battery tray to fit the batteries. I thought I had a pic somewhere, but couldn't find it.

Happy to snap one if anyone is int. in seeing this setup, let me know.
 
So is it OK to run a Gel type battery, specifically an optima yellow top, in the cab? I have been curious about this cuz finding a spot under the hood is difficult for the early models.
 
Flip Dog said:
So is it OK to run a Gel type battery, specifically an optima yellow top, in the cab? I have been curious about this cuz finding a spot under the hood is difficult for the early models.
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I lost a little bit my faith in yellow top Optima's but you can put them anywere inside the cabin, and this is very healthy for them since heat is their worst enemy.

If you like a more profesional look you can find in marine stores plastic battery sealed enclosures with have a hose to release any gas from the battery away of the box to the outside of the vehicle.
 
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xiero said:
One more option worth looking at:

http://www.bepmarine.com/showproduct.cfm?productid=859

Simple to install, remote button to parallel (jump) starter battery mounted in the cab, on/off/both modes. Clean and easy. I bought a momentary switch from a 4 runner (clutch cancel) pulled it apart, printed graphics, put it back together and now it is mounted in my dash. Jump starts without leaving the driver's seat.

I was also able to get 2 Optima D34Ms in my battery tray rotated at 90*. Very tight fit, snug enough that they aren't going anywhere. I did have to get out a dremmel and cut out a small corner of the plastic battery tray to fit the batteries. I thought I had a pic somewhere, but couldn't find it.

Happy to snap one if anyone is int. in seeing this setup, let me know.
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Two in one tray? I'd like to see a pic.

Sounds promising for the early 80s...
 
I used imageshack, but I guess it didn't work right. Lemme try this method:
dualbatterzl0.jpg


Sorry the IMG is huge, I did it in Freehand MX and things tend to get big fast.
 
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