Custom Dual-Battery setup in XJ

[fisher]

Just thought I'd chuck this up in here. I know it's already in the XJ area but it would be good to get some feedback/advice from here.

Due to my LPG system, I can't run a normal dual battery setup. So after some research I decided to go the American route and replace the air box with a battery tray.

The problem:


The solution...

The space (after removing air-box):


Measuring up:



Tacking into place:




All welded:




FINISHED!:





My only problem now is the pod filter. Is it good enough?
It is pretty well boxed in between the battery, ABS unit and the wheel arch so I'm fairly confident it'll be ok in terms of dust and dirt, but I'm not 100% confident.
GoJeep suggested I get an XR8 Pod filter and put on the other side but I'd prefer to try and make something up myself as I don't want to just throw away a brand new $90 filter.

Any suggestions??


Harry

[Rosie]

Looks like it came up good Harry, Remember that the big black thing on top of the air intake is useless and only works as a heatsink. I'd piss it off and get a silicone hose the right size to fit it and then bend up some stainless sheet (I've got some) as a heat and water sheild under the pod.

Just an idea but could work well and look tidy, Ben

[fisher]

Thanks mate. It turned out great, thanks so much fro all your help on it. No prob with running it on LPG with the pod either, it didn't even need to be tuned.
I've been meaning to get a new bit of hose to replace that stupid box, just haven't got round to it. Been replacing my exhaust...
I'll have to do a bit or a swap with you then, some stainless sheeting for an air box?
Oh btw, is the top or bottom of ur air box cracked? I ask because i cut the big pipe on the top down by about 3cm to use a joiner for the pod. It should be fine but it would be better if you used the top of urs, if it's in good nick.

Harry

[Gojeep]

Plenty of people have used a paint of milo tin over there pod to help prtect it too. Still be sucking hot under bonnet air though unless you run a hose out of the tin and into the cowl area.
http://www.madxj.com/MADXJ/technical...tomSnorkle.htm
another idea that is new to the site.
http://www.madxj.com/MADXJ/technical.../AirIntake.htm

[fisher]

Thanks for that GoJeep, I like the milo tin idea alot. Just wondering how good the mini snorkel idea in the first link is. I would have thought that in heavy rain it would just fill up the air box with water. I'd also be worried about getting a light wash of water over the top of the bonnet as I would have thought it would just go straight into the intake. It just seems as though it would act like a funnel for water.

[smorison]

umm. the airvents under the windscreen are normally designed to exahust air, not for sucking in you may find that this has quite a dramatic (negative) impact on the performance of car... from about halfway down the bonnet to the windscreen (from memory) is a low pressure zone and as such is sucking air.

check for fluid / air flow dynamics on cars (google is your friend)... and i could be wrong, as i looked at this sort of thing many years ago and haven't thought about it since.

don't get me wrong it *will* work as designed, it just may not be the best solution for getting air into the engine.

cheers

[Gojeep]

No problem sucking water so long as you are off the floor of the cowl by at least an inch. Just pop the cover and have a look and you will see the huge hole in the cowl floor, but sitting an inch proud of it, for the heater intake. How often have you had water pour inside your cab through the heater? I have had water over the bonnet and halfway up the windscreen nearly during a quick deep hole during a river crossing and still didn't get any in. Longer under water might be a problem though.
It is also a pressure area and not a suction one as mentioned above so you have no worries there. That is why you get higher airflow at speed through the vent system. Have tested it also with strips of wool and they get sucked downwards at speed on top of the vent showing airflow running inwards.