XJ battery relocation

loki_racer

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2005
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
I'm in the process of adding onboard air to my XJ while keeping the stock AC system intact. This requires relocating the battery to the driver side, moving the PCM.......etc.
Here are some photos and a video of that almost complete system. The remaining steps are to add the Humvee air intake cap to the cowl intake. This should be done tomorrow if my slacker brother-in-law brings me his grinder or I pocket one from the tool store.


Parts needed:
  • K&N Apollo
  • Some misc. tubing
  • Spare jumper cables (these will be cut up) and battery terminal connectors
  • 1' of scrap tubing (nothing structural, just for spacing)
  • 90 degree angle bracket
  • stock Humvee air intake cap (P/N 12338377)
  • 3" hole saw
  • 9" of 2 3/4" OD tube (I used www.metalexpress.net - great prices and they were nice to my wife when she picked up the pieces)
  • 2" of 4 1/2" OD tube
  • liquid weld
  • worm clamps
  • wire nuts - get the biggest ones Lowes sells, probably 8 gauge


Photo Gallery



The main thing not shown in this video is the Humvee air intake cap. This will be mounted over the 3" flexible intake hose that comes out the top of the cowl.

Steps:
  1. Disconnect battery
  2. Remove wipers then hood cowl
  3. Drill two, 3" holes for air intake
  4. Remove stock intake
  5. Unmount PCM and resevoir next to it. Move this resovoir as close to the rear of the vehicle as you can. Only mount with the two screws on the top, the bottom mount will be used later.
  6. Remove battery tray. Test fit it were the old intake was. I mounted it at an angle, resting one corner on the ledge where the old intake fit through the front of the engine bay. The other corners I rested on 1/2" piece of tubing (just a spacer, washer would do probably).
  7. Place the battery on the tray. From under the vehicle, in the drives front wheel well, use a tiny drill bit to mark a spot on the battery tray, drilling up through the nuts welded in the wheel well. Remove the battery and tray and finish the holes. You will be using these new holes to secure the battery tray.
  8. Once the tray is secure, cut the ends off the jumper cables and the old XJ wiring harness. Splice them together and route the new cable to the driver side.
  9. With the battery in place, squeeze the PCM in between the battery and resevoir. I mounted it with on bolt and a massive zip tie ( the side closest to the engine would near impossible to mount without fabricating a bracket).
  10. Cut about 1/2" off the shorter side of the Apollo intake elbow. This will bring the elbow's height done so that it will fit under the hood. Attacke the elbow to the 2 3/4" pipe, then 4" of the Apollo flexable tube, filter, then another piece of flexible tubing.
  11. Connect the two breather tubes to a t junction and then to the filter.
  12. I also fabricated a bracket for the filter to rest on so there was no chance of it bouncing around.


Overall, this project could easily be completed in one day if you have all the right parts. It took no welding, no plasma cutting, no heavy lifting, etc.


Shortened elbow:
alh4.ggpht.com__Gzxm7tdUec8_TANNZB3QkmI_AAAAAAAAF74_9sCpqVABmQc_s800_IMG_0644.JPG


3" holes drilled:
alh5.ggpht.com__Gzxm7tdUec8_TANNZvDHSWI_AAAAAAAAF8A_fTZko6pt6Hw_s800_IMG_0645.JPG


battery tray:
alh6.ggpht.com__Gzxm7tdUec8_TANNdyjDVKI_AAAAAAAAF9M__f5b10gPNQA_s800_IMG_0654.JPG


battery tray spacer:
alh3.ggpht.com__Gzxm7tdUec8_TANNeDfToRI_AAAAAAAAF9U_1RwEr5HJl7Q_s800_IMG_0655.JPG
alh5.ggpht.com__Gzxm7tdUec8_TANNeX_4jJI_AAAAAAAAF9c_FKAmrcYw7a0_s800_IMG_0656.JPG


battery's new home:
alh4.ggpht.com__Gzxm7tdUec8_TANNbhdehKI_AAAAAAAAF8g_wbuIJTkAhGc_s800_IMG_0649.JPG


compressor's new home:
alh3.ggpht.com__Gzxm7tdUec8_TANNbCJTjjI_AAAAAAAAF8Y_pM2DI3_jYKw_s800_IMG_0648.JPG


across the engine bay:
alh3.ggpht.com__Gzxm7tdUec8_TANNb0G0FMI_AAAAAAAAF8o_iNxN9FaHEK8_s800_IMG_0650.JPG


I'll post some more pictures tomorrow of the overall setup.
 
Cool, never seen this done. I'm curious to see if you'll use one longer belt for the entire setup. the way you have it mocked up, it looks like there will be minimal wrap on the factory a/c pulley. I guess it doenst see much load when in use, probably won't slip. Also interested to see how the new air comp will be hanging off the engine.
 
I took some more photos of the 95% complete project. I haven't had time to grind the cap mount and remount the cowl cover, but I figured some pictures of the PCM moved, and cowl cap resting in it's final spot were worth the update.
alh6.ggpht.com__Gzxm7tdUec8_TAU8Ce8fIdI_AAAAAAAAF_Y_4JhPIKYNhKI_s640_IMG_0660.JPG
alh3.ggpht.com__Gzxm7tdUec8_TAU8C4EydZI_AAAAAAAAF_g___NtX1UMN5g_s640_IMG_0663.JPG
alh5.ggpht.com__Gzxm7tdUec8_TAU8LmG1PqI_AAAAAAAAF_o_ZV5BXSGo2zY_s640_IMG_0664.JPG
alh4.ggpht.com__Gzxm7tdUec8_TAU8Mf8JJPI_AAAAAAAAF_w_wpvEhOtYzIc_s640_IMG_0665.JPG
alh3.ggpht.com__Gzxm7tdUec8_TAU8MmHn2gI_AAAAAAAAF_4_7n62OPH0lCw_s640_IMG_0668.JPG
alh3.ggpht.com__Gzxm7tdUec8_TAU8NLJlHjI_AAAAAAAAF_A_ECJ4kpygeqY_s640_IMG_0669.JPG
alh3.ggpht.com__Gzxm7tdUec8_TAU8ONTBJeI_AAAAAAAAF_I__PHIADC8SzQ_s640_IMG_0670.JPG
 
I don't have it mounted yet. That picture is just it resting in place. It will have to be removed to open the hood. It is a very tight fit to put it on the 4.5" OD tube, so I am thinking about just spraying the inside of the cap's mounting area with a rubber coating and not using a worm clamp to secure it.

I should be able to wrap it up this weekend if it would stop raining for 5 seconds.
 
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