I was also want to relocate the battery, I was thinking reworking the entire electrical system so I could have two smaller battsone in the front, really close to the starter but not on the stock position for startingand another under the dash for powering the commodities(small ICE)I also plan to use a smaller alternator and reduce power consumption altogether (less bulbs, replaced by leds, xenon bulbs (35w instead of 55)) this is case when "less is more"
simple, its a compromiseover here we never see less than -2~3ºc relocating a conventional battery to the trunk just adds weight, think about 4 meters of heavy gauge copper wire..on a TDI it would be easier, as it needs less cranking power (lower compression) and virtually doesn't need glowplugs on these climateson a normal car we need big batteries for commodity, so that the user doesn't have to know what a battery is, push button, it works period.
I used a gasser starter for a little while, the 77-84 books says the diesel one is 1.5hp and the gasser one is .7hp. It worked ok, I never had to use it in the real cold but I think it would've been noticably gutlesser at about 0F._________________rabbitman and his rabbit
has anyone ever tried a gas starter in a diesel? did they try starting a cold diesel with one? apparently not..the gas starters are .7 hp, the diesel ones are 2.1 hp. thats 3 times the turning power... and probably pretty close to 3 times the amperage draw. why do you think powerjokes and cummins rigs have 2 batteries? they gotta have enough juice to get everything fired up.