NHRA Battery Rules

[Terry Cain]

Well, since it was brought up I'll add something to the mix. 68 and up Corvettes have the original battery located behind the drivers seat inside the interior less than 12 inches from the tunnel where the driveshaft is rotating. Think about that.

[Coleydog]

Talk about taking an acid trip if the shaft brakes! Look out I see an explosion proof box in the future from the guys up top.

[SSDiv6]

Originally Posted by Coleydog

Talk about taking an acid trip if the shaft brakes! Look out I see an explosion proof box in the future from the guys up top.

Would not be surprised if it happens, especially with Lithium batteries.
Last year there were several fires caused by runaway Lithium batteries.
The FAA even put a stop to shipments of Lithium batteries from a well know manufacturer due to lack and failures of compliance testing.

[Coleydog]

Originally Posted by SSDiv6

Would not be surprised if it happens, especially with Lithium batteries.
Last year there were several fires caused by runaway Lithium batteries.
The FAA even put a stop to shipments of Lithium batteries from a well know manufacturer due to lack and failures of compliance testing.

Hmm. I was looking at one of these, being like 2 pounds 3x6x6 600 cca. Might not now.

[Larry Hill]

I have a disconnect switch on the drive shaft hump next to me that kills all power and engine when when switched off. Its on the negative side of the battery. Just in case something bad happens.

[Bob Mulry]

It doesn't matter if you disconnect the Positive or Negative cable with the disconnect switch or where the switch is located...........

If you have 2 batteries (1 in the front of the car and 1 in the rear of the car), the cables still have to connect to the disconnect switch......

Even with the switch off, in the event of an accident, there would still be cables that run from the batteries to switch, that if damaged would create a short circuit.............

If using a disconnect on the ground or negative side and the cable was damaged and/or crushed between the battery and the switch, the entire car would remain hot and not controllable by the disconnect, as in the fuel pump, fan, ignition would continue to be energized.

If the hot or positive cable gets damaged and shorts between the battery and the switch you have a dead short and a potential fire

The only safe way to wire 2 batteries, 1 in front and 1 in rear, is to use a continuous duty, high amp rated relay located at the front battery and controlled by the disconnect switch, which also controls the rear battery...

Just my 2 cents,
Bob Mulry


PS:
Not as safe as you thought it was...

[Rich Biebel]

Originally Posted by Terry Cain

Well, since it was brought up I'll add something to the mix. 68 and up Corvettes have the original battery located behind the drivers seat inside the interior less than 12 inches from the tunnel where the driveshaft is rotating. Think about that.

Very bad deal there and I know first hand how bad.
I pulled an engine on a '69 Vette at home for a customer and we rebuilt the engine at the shop I worked at. An LT-1 350.

Reinstalled fresh engine and recall tugging on positive battery cable as it was very tight going on the starter solenoid.

Got engine running and all was ok after struggling with a few typical Corvette issues....

Started to drive it to work....a 10 mile ride....Heard some odd crackling noises and saw some smoke at the shifter console....realized something was burning up electrically under the console......pulled over and was able to push the console out of the way and stop the dead shorted battery cable that had been whacked repeatedly by the u-joint and had shorted out....console luckily was loose...

Car was dead in water.....parking brake did not work.....nosed it into a curb on a down hill street.....more to the story but that was plenty already...

I never had anything but bad things happen anytime I worked on a Corvette.....and I have a much worse story....!!!

[George Mirza]

The original reason for the second battery came about when Nhra stopped the practice of cooling the cars in the staging lanes with cold water. They allowed a second battery to run extra fans and water pump drives to make up for the cooling. But over time the use of the second battery became blurred and now is used as part of the electrical system. Problem is in a stocker you need a working alternator which makes the ability of the master cutoff switch to kill the car a complicated issue. This is one of those gray areas where every tech guy and division has their on take on it. The master switch on my car has never shut the car off, only the accesories hooked to it. I always started and ran my car with the front battery and alternator. The rear battery was used for cooling only and not tied into the charging system.

[Run to Rund]

Originally Posted by George Mirza

The master switch on my car has never shut the car off, only the accesories hooked to it. I always started and ran my car with the front battery and alternator. The rear battery was used for cooling only and not tied into the charging system.

You can shut off the engine with the cut off switch by wiring the MSD trigger through it. I also run a 4 gauge alternator hot wire, back to the switch.

[Frank Castros]

My Pet Peeve,

The N.H.R.A. doesn't allow relocating batteries to the trunk in Stock Eliminator but allows aftermarket blocks and heads, roller rockers, solid lifters, any duration camshafts, aluminum radiators, electric water pumps and fans, aftermarket oil pans, exotic transmissions, aftermarket disc brakes, wheelie bars, fuel cells, Kirkey seats, hood scoops on cars that didn't come with one, bogus combinations and Factory Super Cars that don't belong in Stock Eliminator.

My Two Cents on a rainy Sunday morning in the Low Country.