Big Blue's Transformation

[grumpin]

Interested as well in the arduino setup. Sounds slick.

For cable management I am using a small set of the SS clamps and then this one for the larger ones: "Cable Clamp Assortment Kit, LOKMAN 46 Pieces 304 Stainless Steel Rubber Cushion" (on eBay). Note: these also work well with a button head bolt to secure the speedometer to the drivers floorboard if that clamp has fallen off.

That's the worst thing about that little angle bracket - it's plain looking enough to lose easily

Aux battery tray and isolator look great.

Why not use zip ties? Heat from the radiator? Wax string or rubber clamps perhaps.

[Frank Wyatt]

Why not use zip ties? Heat from the radiator? Wax string or rubber clamps perhaps.

Good job, it's looking good Gary.

[Gary Lewis]

Interested as well in the arduino setup. Sounds slick.

For cable management I am using a small set of the SS clamps and then this one for the larger ones: "Cable Clamp Assortment Kit, LOKMAN 46 Pieces 304 Stainless Steel Rubber Cushion" (on eBay). Note: these also work well with a button head bolt to secure the speedometer to the drivers floorboard if that clamp has fallen off.

That's the worst thing about that little angle bracket - it's plain looking enough to lose easily

Aux battery tray and isolator look great.

Ok guys, I've ordered this kit of clamps. But, I'm not sure they'll do what I need. Something isn't clicking for me. However, I don't want to use zip ties nor waxed string. I want something that looks professional.

They won't be in until Thursday, so tomorrow I'll:

• Find the reservoir bracket and install it.

• Mount the battery isolator permanently. Ground the black wire and run the purple (parallel) and white (LED) wires back into the cab for future use.

• Take out the red zip tie and do something a bit less tacky to secure the wiring.

• Install the aux battery.

• Sort out the positive battery cables as well as the ground cables. The aux positive currently comes from the big relay on the firewall, which is no longer needed save for acting as a terminal post. So the aux positive needs to go to the battery isolator and I may need to make a new cable.

• Consider removing the original aux battery relay. At the very least, if it needs to be retained for connection purposes, disconnect its pull-in wire so it doesn't clunk.

• Install the starter and lash its cable down.

And if I get all that done then the electrical system is pretty well DONE! Yes, at some point I'll need to do something with the smart isolator's purple and white wires. But that can come later - after the "pause".

Thanks for all the positive comments. They really help!

[kramttocs]

Ok guys, I've ordered this kit of clamps. But, I'm not sure they'll do what I need. Something isn't clicking for me. However, I don't want to use zip ties nor waxed string. I want something that looks professional.

They won't be in until Thursday, so tomorrow I'll:

• Find the reservoir bracket and install it.

• Mount the battery isolator permanently. Ground the black wire and run the purple (parallel) and white (LED) wires back into the cab for future use.

• Take out the red zip tie and do something a bit less tacky to secure the wiring.

• Install the aux battery.

• Sort out the positive battery cables as well as the ground cables. The aux positive currently comes from the big relay on the firewall, which is no longer needed save for acting as a terminal post. So the aux positive needs to go to the battery isolator and I may need to make a new cable.

• Consider removing the original aux battery relay. At the very least, if it needs to be retained for connection purposes, disconnect its pull-in wire so it doesn't clunk.

• Install the starter and lash its cable down.

And if I get all that done then the electrical system is pretty well DONE! Yes, at some point I'll need to do something with the smart isolator's purple and white wires. But that can come later - after the "pause".

Thanks for all the positive comments. They really help!

Unfortunately I am afraid you'll find that you'll run out of the large size in that kit really fast and even it won't hold as much as I expected - that was the first kit I bought Maybe it'll work out more usable for you though.

Here is the largest size in the kit I mentioned earlier and the smallest in this kit is about as small as you'll need anywhere.

For an image of them in the wild here is how I have my over the radiator runs. This is:

1/0 red

1/0 black

110v cord

Battery charger lead

Sheathed trailer harness

Sheathed fuel pump harness

I may be adding another one or two 2awg to it depending upon how I do the aux battery relays. Will finish up sheathing them then. The trailer and fuel pumps are also clamped to the fan shroud.

Here is how I kept things organized in the corners for the large cables ( the others drop down under the aux tray). I will swap this out for a larger clamp once I decide how many more large cables I am running.

Anyways, hopefully that helps...or gives you an idea of what to avoid

 

[kramttocs]

Ok guys, I've ordered this kit of clamps. But, I'm not sure they'll do what I need. Something isn't clicking for me. However, I don't want to use zip ties nor waxed string. I want something that looks professional.

They won't be in until Thursday, so tomorrow I'll:

• Find the reservoir bracket and install it.

• Mount the battery isolator permanently. Ground the black wire and run the purple (parallel) and white (LED) wires back into the cab for future use.

• Take out the red zip tie and do something a bit less tacky to secure the wiring.

• Install the aux battery.

• Sort out the positive battery cables as well as the ground cables. The aux positive currently comes from the big relay on the firewall, which is no longer needed save for acting as a terminal post. So the aux positive needs to go to the battery isolator and I may need to make a new cable.

• Consider removing the original aux battery relay. At the very least, if it needs to be retained for connection purposes, disconnect its pull-in wire so it doesn't clunk.

• Install the starter and lash its cable down.

And if I get all that done then the electrical system is pretty well DONE! Yes, at some point I'll need to do something with the smart isolator's purple and white wires. But that can come later - after the "pause".

Thanks for all the positive comments. They really help!

If the factory aux relay clunks as loud as the smart CH one I can understand not grounding it. That CH one still makes me jump when not expecting it.

What about replacing it with one of the factory junction points? Mounts in the same holes - it's what was on my 86 and I put the CH in the same spot.

[Gary Lewis]

If the factory aux relay clunks as loud as the smart CH one I can understand not grounding it. That CH one still makes me jump when not expecting it.

What about replacing it with one of the factory junction points? Mounts in the same holes - it's what was on my 86 and I put the CH in the same spot.

Scott - Your pics help, for sure. Thanks. You have a lot more running across the radiator support than I do. All I have are the ~#6 to the aux battery, #10 high beam, #12 low beam, and two #16's for the fuel pump. (The trailer feed comes off of the #6 on the battery isolator on the driver's side.) So my bundle is only 3/4" in diameter, and as there are 8 of that size clamps I should be ok.

I may find I should have run something larger than that ~#6, but it is what Ford used to run from the alternator's output on the passenger's side to the PDB on the driver's side, and the whole truck ran off it. So I reasoned that since the vast majority of the truck will still be running off the PDB on the passenger's side, that at least for now this wire should be adequate for the aux battery. We shall see.

Which brings me to the aux battery relay. It currently comes in when the key is turned to Run, drops out when you go to Start, and comes back in when you go to Run. Given that, there is a LOT of clacking going on as you start. And since it is on the firewall right in front of you it gets your attention. So I like the idea of replacing it with a junction point like that. I'll look for one when I get to the salvage.

But I'm hoping that the CH smart isolator will be a bit less conspicuous. First, it is mounted about 2/3 of the way forward on the fender instead of directly on the firewall. And second, it won't come in until the engine is already running, which may mask the noise. But as I think about it, it'll drop out after the engine is turned off, so that may be noticeable. Hmmm, I may still have some of the special grommets that I used to cushion the CD player in my Miata. If it is obnoxious I may resort to using them.

 

[Nothing Special]

.... Which brings me to the aux battery relay. It currently comes in when the key is turned to Run, drops out when you go to Start, and comes back in when you go to Run. Given that, there is a LOT of clacking going on as you start. And since it is on the firewall right in front of you it gets your attention. So I like the idea of replacing it with a junction point like that. I'll look for one when I get to the salvage.

But I'm hoping that the CH smart isolator will be a bit less conspicuous. First, it is mounted about 2/3 of the way forward on the fender instead of directly on the firewall. And second, it won't come in until the engine is already running, which may mask the noise. But as I think about it, it'll drop out after the engine is turned off, so that may be noticeable. Hmmm, I may still have some of the special grommets that I used to cushion the CD player in my Miata. If it is obnoxious I may resort to using them.

The isolator relay on my motorhome is mounted on the firewall right in front of my left knee. Can't get a lot more conspicuous location than that. It goes on when the engine builds oil pressure and cuts out when the engine loses oil pressure. I can't say I ever notice it coming on since that happens during engine start. I do hear a single "clunk" shortly after shutting off the engine, but Lesley's never asked "what was that noise?" or anything. I doubt anyone (other than you because you'll be listening for it) will ever really notice your smart isolator.

 

[Gary Lewis]

.... Which brings me to the aux battery relay. It currently comes in when the key is turned to Run, drops out when you go to Start, and comes back in when you go to Run. Given that, there is a LOT of clacking going on as you start. And since it is on the firewall right in front of you it gets your attention. So I like the idea of replacing it with a junction point like that. I'll look for one when I get to the salvage.

But I'm hoping that the CH smart isolator will be a bit less conspicuous. First, it is mounted about 2/3 of the way forward on the fender instead of directly on the firewall. And second, it won't come in until the engine is already running, which may mask the noise. But as I think about it, it'll drop out after the engine is turned off, so that may be noticeable. Hmmm, I may still have some of the special grommets that I used to cushion the CD player in my Miata. If it is obnoxious I may resort to using them.

The isolator relay on my motorhome is mounted on the firewall right in front of my left knee. Can't get a lot more conspicuous location than that. It goes on when the engine builds oil pressure and cuts out when the engine loses oil pressure. I can't say I ever notice it coming on since that happens during engine start. I do hear a single "clunk" shortly after shutting off the engine, but Lesley's never asked "what was that noise?" or anything. I doubt anyone (other than you because you'll be listening for it) will ever really notice your smart isolator.

You may be right. We shall see. I know on the boat, where I'm using its little brother, I never hear it disconnect, so hopefully it'll be unobtrusive. But if it truly disconnects at 12.7v then it may be quite a while before that happens as the batteries coast down from 14.4v.

[Gary Lewis]

You may be right. We shall see. I know on the boat, where I'm using its little brother, I never hear it disconnect, so hopefully it'll be unobtrusive. But if it truly disconnects at 12.7v then it may be quite a while before that happens as the batteries coast down from 14.4v.

Well, I didn't get everything on the list done, but I got most of it and some I hadn't thought of:

• Starter: Bolted it in, and used blue Loctite as well as a lock washer on the lower bolt, and a lock washer on the top bolt. And, I connected it up.

• Grounds: Added the main ground cable from the battery to the frame and then on to the engine. And while I was at it I found the matching ground cable to go from the little connector on the battery cable to the fender.

• Reservoir: Found the little brace for it and then realized it needs to go right where the smart isolator needs to go. So I'm going to make a brace that comes from the bottom of the aux battery tray and goes up to the reservoir, thereby keeping that "ground" far away from the posts on the isolator.

• Isolator: With the position of the isolator decided I mounted it and then lengthened the purple and white wires and ran them into the cab along the hood release cable.

• Aux Battery: With the isolator in I placed the auxiliary battery on its tray.

Here's a shot of the added ground on the battery's ground. You can see the connector dangling down from the negative post, and the far end of the run terminates under that screw on the fender just above the PDB.

And here's the isolator mounted and its wires run with the hood release cable back into the cab:

What I didn't get done from yesterday's list was the positive cables. Looks like I'll have to make a positive cable for the main battery, and I'll have to put a different terminal on an existing cable for the aux battery. That's on the list for tomorrow, as well as doing some neatening up and potentially making the brace for the reservoir. We shall see.

[Gary Lewis]

Well, I didn't get everything on the list done, but I got most of it and some I hadn't thought of:

• Starter: Bolted it in, and used blue Loctite as well as a lock washer on the lower bolt, and a lock washer on the top bolt. And, I connected it up.

• Grounds: Added the main ground cable from the battery to the frame and then on to the engine. And while I was at it I found the matching ground cable to go from the little connector on the battery cable to the fender.

• Reservoir: Found the little brace for it and then realized it needs to go right where the smart isolator needs to go. So I'm going to make a brace that comes from the bottom of the aux battery tray and goes up to the reservoir, thereby keeping that "ground" far away from the posts on the isolator.

• Isolator: With the position of the isolator decided I mounted it and then lengthened the purple and white wires and ran them into the cab along the hood release cable.

• Aux Battery: With the isolator in I placed the auxiliary battery on its tray.

Here's a shot of the added ground on the battery's ground. You can see the connector dangling down from the negative post, and the far end of the run terminates under that screw on the fender just above the PDB.And here's the isolator mounted and its wires run with the hood release cable back into the cab:What I didn't get done from yesterday's list was the positive cables. Looks like I'll have to make a positive cable for the main battery, and I'll have to put a different terminal on an existing cable for the aux battery. That's on the list for tomorrow, as well as doing some neatening up and potentially making the brace for the reservoir. We shall see.

I forgot something in my last post - the original battery isolator relay. I need to figure out what to do.

 

The issue is that it is in the middle of the circuitry for the auxiliary battery volt meter. There's a key-on relay that connects that voltmeter to the aux battery post of the original isolator relay. Later, when the EFI goes in there will be a PDB on the driver's fender and that will house a key-on relay for the aux battery volt meter. But I need to decide what to do 'twixt now and then. As I see it there are two options:

 

1. Leave the lead from the aux battery to the original isolator relay in place but pull the trigger off the isolator relay. This would be easy. But if I find a junction block and replace the isolator relay with that then that might be the time to change?

 

Take the lead from the key-on relay off the isolator relay and extend it to the aux battery, but install an in-line fuse holder in the lead.

 

Just thinking...... Your thoughts welcome.