just how ghetto.. that ghetto!

[wdkingery]

Mmm I am callin this the "f250 mod"
Duellin batteries and a ford style glow plug relay!
I got starter speed now!
  

[ORCoaster]

Your trying to make this thing an electric hybrid?  Seriously, what's the need here for that kind of cranking power?  Or do you also own a Dodge Ram with the dual battery set up and find it balances the ride? 

I am going to stick my neck out here and say that configuration will keep your alternator running all the time.  Especially with weak batteries to start with.  So that best be a good alternator sitting there. 

Two batteries, Really?

And all black wires?  Best you be the one hooking up the jumper cables if you ever give or get a jump.
Danger, Danger Will Robinson!!!!

[wdkingery]

Hahaha yeah its jump starting for experts only!
I did this cause she needs some extended cranking, and plugging in the block heater @ school isn't an option (umpteen grand a semester you think they'd have somewhere to plug yer car in)
Compression is considerably low, and i don't wanna end up pants-down this winter.
Charged the batteries with a trickle for 2 weeks before the install.
Also I run the glow plugs while crankin so little extra battery has been helpful.
I managed to get it to fire in under 20 seconds (first crank!) today and it was 30 degrees last night. (with no block heater) so I consider this a success.

[R.O.R-2.0]

if you have one GOOD battery, it will spin your diesel no problem, and fire all the plugs at the same time..

that battery setup is definitely taking away from any mileage that it got.. added 100lbs to the front end, and made the alternator work constantly..

i would just buy a good battery, and re-do your wiring to the starter. my diesel starts fine with a WEAK battery.

theres no need for that many batteries. one 750+ cca battery will be more than plenty for a good working alternator and starter..

i have 2 batteries in my mk2, but its only one up front, and a wheel chair battery in the back, its the size of a lawnmower/quad battery. also upgraded from the 65a stock alt to a 90a unit. used heavy duty 4ga oxygen free battery cable for the run between the batteries. but that setup was for an audio system, not for starting a diesel, but it would do an equally good job in that application.

doesnt your car handle like CRAP with that much weight up front? its gotta be ATLEAST 100lbs nose heavier.. cause that battery in the stock spot is still bigger than a stock batt. and then one on the other side too.. ++++++weight..

and the ford starter relay really works good for energizing the glows, eh? same setup i have, but MUCH cleaner..

[ORCoaster]

that battery setup is definitely taking away from any mileage that it got.. added 100lbs to the front end, and made the alternator work constantly.


BING BING BING!  My thoughts exactly.... And he is trying worse than me to squeeze every mile out of the fuel he buys.  This setup looks counterproductive to me.  A good battery will do it all and you won't  have to listen to your front struts hammering the tops of the hood on those bumps in the road. 

I would have used longer wires and anchored that relay to the body or the frame.  I think your asking for trouble there.  So best keep a belt on in the cold weather.   

[R.O.R-2.0]

my mk2 car, being a non-a/c car, has only ONE BELT driving everything.. so, theres a spare belt beside the fuel distributor, with a crappy 13mm wrench zip-tied to it. i never carried spare belts in my cars that were a/c equipped, or still had an a/c pump, since there were 2 belts, and more often than not, its the small alt belt that breaks, not the bigger main belt.

throw the alt belt on an a/c car, just casually drive to the parts store like nothing is wrong, the water pump is still spinning.

throw an alt belt on a car without a/c, then you better just shut it off, and call your buddy up and have them take you to the parts store for a new belt. if you keep driving, the engine will over heat in short order.

[ORCoaster]

Not the belt I was thinking of:

He said "Compression is considerably low, and i don't wanna end up pants-down this winter."

So I was referring to the troubles he was going to have with the setup with the zip tied relay and was thinking he is going to be pants-down this winter lest he wear a belt when he drives. 

Yah?

[R.O.R-2.0]

gotcha. makes sense now. ive kinda been out of it all day..

[wdkingery]

sorry we had a long walmart run.
the relay is actually bolted down on one of the valve cover bolts .. cause the relay the lady sold me is actually a "bolt to ground" style, which is NOT  what i wanted. so it shouldn't go anywhere; the zip tie is to hold the tee shirt to keep the hood from groundin out durin the 7 seconds i run that relay.
yeah we are gonna see how it affects fuel mileage!

[ORCoaster]

Here's my scenerio.  After a bit of mechanical work you inadvertently get diesel on the tee shirt.  It is cold out and you have to cycle the relay a couple of times so it warms the tee up a bit.  Then under the hard pull of the glowplugs the ground shorts and pops one of those hot sparks that linger onto the tee.  It starts on fire!  You drive off giving the fire more air and the oil on the valve cover starts smoking to be all heck.  You think nothing of it, Cause Diesels smoke a bit more than others.  Two blocks later and the fire engine captain looks in the engine compartment he just emptied the contents of his truck into and says.  "Why I see you problem right there, and points to the relay.  "That should have been grounded some place besides the engine."


Bwwwwhhhhhaaaaaaa  hhhaaaaahh hhahahhh.

[DieselBalz]

Not to mention that you really shouldn't be cranking a starter that long. Unless you are in some sort of weird club where you like to replace your starters every three months. Ten seconds bursts MAX, than a minute to cool down.

All I see is added weight, burnt up starter, burnt up alternator. However, totally like that you had the balls to a: do it, than b: throw up the pics online. Im thinkin  you could go with more like something of ROR's set up. Less weight, more efficient.

What about a capacitor? (Directed at ROR, but for the benefit of the OP)

Also, ha ha, thats why I live in Florida. 

[wdkingery]

Hahahaha ii habitually ri. I my starter much longer than that. Did you know it will stop running the starter after 30 seconds? Like some safety feature :-(
I must say my starter's sound has changed in the past 10k i've owned it :-)

[R.O.R-2.0]

Hahahaha ii habitually ri. I my starter much longer than that. Did you know it will stop running the starter after 30 seconds? Like some safety feature :-(
I must say my starter's sound has changed in the past 10k i've owned it :-)

thats NOT right.. something is WRONG.. ive cranked my cars till the wires were smoking, and the starter always kept up. the battery will discharge.

if you fixed your crappy started, and crappy battery, then it would work great with one battery.

and Diesel Balz, ive used many different caps over the years, to varying levels of success, but the spiral core gel battery from the wheel chair was free, and the way i have it setup, i can take the battery out of my car under the hood, make sure the batt cables dont touch, and fire my car up and drive away.

about caps tho.. ive used many of them, with varying levels of success.. i dont think ive ever had a big enough cap to help out enough with my stereos. alot of the high end caps are huge, about the size of my battery, but a cap. and there way out of my price range.

im a broke college kid, i make due with what i have. i think i had a little under $10 into the whole setup, because i had most of the setup already, and what i didnt have, i made.

if i had the funds, you bet i would be running like a 30, or 50 farad capacitor in the back. but for now, the battery works out awesome. it cut almost all of my voltage fluctuation. my charging system never falls under 12v, unless your idling at a stop light with the bass poundin for a WHILE.. that battery keeps up good tho. before, if you left the stereo cranked up too much, and it made too big of a draw, then the belt would start squeeling, but with the 2nd battery, i havent heard my belt squeel since before i had 2 batts.. kinda weird, ADDING a battery made my alternator work LESS.. but this is kinda a different situation. this is a situation where one good battery just would not cut it tho. there just wasnt enough reserve power in the single battery. every part of my starting/charging system is up to snuff. i didnt do this mod to try and fix something, i just did it so i could blow my hearing out a little sooner. and maybe blow the rear hatch off my car in the process..

[ORCoaster]

i just did it so i could blow my hearing out a little sooner. and maybe blow the rear hatch off my car in the process.. Cool

You are going to hate yourself for this decision when you get gray like some of us.  If I had known that all that driving with the drivers window cracked a bit would cost me a substantial loss of hearing in the left ear I would have always opened the passenger side instead.  Now as I try to sing, listen to conversations in crowded rooms or with some noise in the background I find it very hard to pick out all the words. 

Not quite time to go for the hearing aid but the lady testing my ears said it is close.  Chainsaws, guns and windows cracked.  They didn't tell us till it was too late. 

So protect what you have they can't build them back, yet. 

[R.O.R-2.0]

i just did it so i could blow my hearing out a little sooner. and maybe blow the rear hatch off my car in the process.. Cool

You are going to hate yourself for this decision when you get gray like some of us.  If I had known that all that driving with the drivers window cracked a bit would cost me a substantial loss of hearing in the left ear I would have always opened the passenger side instead.  Now as I try to sing, listen to conversations in crowded rooms or with some noise in the background I find it very hard to pick out all the words. 

Not quite time to go for the hearing aid but the lady testing my ears said it is close.  Chainsaws, guns and windows cracked.  They didn't tell us till it was too late. 

So protect what you have they can't build them back, yet. 

my hearing is permanently damaged already.. guns.. yea... more like a cannon.. anyone ever heard of a .30-.378? yea, well, i got muzzle blasted by one BAD a couple years back. like, blasted soo good that my ears rang for over a month.

fire crackers/bombs, also not good for hearing. neither are HIGH HP high performance engines with loud pipes.

if it makes my chest rumble, and my ears hurt, usually its something pretty cool making it happen. it just sucks that my hearing is dieing from things that put a smile on my face..