Stars and Stripes Battery Relocation

[CameronCarey]

My beloved 77 S&S is now completely interior less and i have one in progress project i have not mentioned, nor have found any threads on............I want to relocate my battery!


Why would i want to do this

* storage ...........i have tubbed out the area under the observers seat to add about 4x the space the boat originally had (i did leave a drain path from the bow) and yes the stringer does still cross through that area......i effectively have a divided storage area.

* a shorter run for the starter cables.........(i just never liked having them running in the bilge all the way from the front of the boat)

* access......i will be able to get to the battery to charge, or disconnect it without getting in the boat.


Where am i moving it to

*Port Aft corner

Challenges i see

to do this i need to
*shift the fuel tank to the starboard about 2"
*shorten the mounting tab on the port side of the tank
*build a battery box in that area to hold the battery
*introduce a small offset from the filler neck to the tank
*move the speedometer stabilizer tube to the left a few inches
*Fuel Vapors (i can take some steps to mitigate this but it may not be a real problem)




so what i want to ask is...................has anyone else done this?

Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

[thatsmrmastercraft]

I like the idea of relocation as I also would like more storage in my 77, but having the battery in with the fuel tank seems more problematic from a safety standpoint than having the battery cables run through the bilge. The previous owner of my boat replaced the floor and installed a seat from a Ski Centurian which wraps around much like the newer boats and put the battery under the seat. Access is as simple as removing the seat top, but it does take up space.

[Muttley]

I have no idea what's entailed in doing that to a 77, but my '92 comes that way. The only reason I mention it is because it would seem that MC wasn't worried about the fuel vapor issue.

[CameronCarey]

Theoretically this is all A1 Fuel line with no vapor leakage and the compartment is ventilated. so Muttley i have the same thought.

[thatsmrmastercraft]

If the guys at MC put the, together that way, it must be OK. I guess I have to add another item to the "To Do List". At this rate, I will never get done.

[CameronCarey]

Maybe i can put together a step by step how to. and make it sound really simple.

Step 1, Remove everything from the boat. etc..etc...

[454Prostar190]

Cam, that engine looks sweet! Mine also has a wedge under the carb. though, I see more without them than not. BTW, my battery is below the observer's seat. Rick

[thwack]

I really like the idea of relocating the battery near the fuel tank. Unfortunately I just completely gutted and reworked the interior of my 79 about 3 weeks ago, so there will be no more projects this summer. By the way, the motor is looking good. Keep us updated.

[CameronCarey]

Cam, that engine looks sweet! Mine also has a wedge under the carb. though, I see more without them than not. BTW, my battery is below the observer's seat. Rick

Thanks for the compliment!
The wedge on mine is an OEM escort part i think. When i was reworking that engine i noticed that there weren't very many of them around.....But was not so inclined to remove it as the rear cyls were already rich, (path to a picture below) i think using a flat spacer might have just made that a bit worse.

http://www.mastercraft.com/teamtalk/attachment.php?attachmentid=43260&stc=1&d=1230344360