Engine Bay Setup

[ShortyNavros]

Hey Guys,

I went all Gung-Ho and started installing a battery tray where my pre-filter used to be on my D22 ZD30, but now I am having second thoughts.

Here is my dilemma:

I have removed my pre-filter setup to fit a deep cycle battery system. But now I am second guessing my location choice as in the future I may look at an intercooler setup as purely a safety thing in case my turbo lets go(ute has 128000kms on the clock, I would think the original turbo is in it).

If I am buying a forefront kit (which I would probs would do as it's way cheaper than the cross country top mount) Ill need the space at the front for the piping. So am I better to re-locate my fuel filter like most people do and put the battery up there? (Can I mount the tray which I bought up there, it s $25 supercheap jobbie).

The other small problem I have is, my PCV filter is located on the engine bay wall behind the fuel filter so I would have to relocate that too to make room for the battery.

I havent completed my battery tray at the front yet, I have it secured by some 20x20 box with 5 bolts and I just have to secure the overhanging piece with a bracket (havent made the bracket yet) and another 2 bolts. So it's almost done.

What is everyone's advice. I don't want a cooler for any other reason apart from catching my compressor wheel if it lets go, is there any way to do this without using a cooler, some other safe guard? Of course I could spend the $800 which I would do getting a cooler to just replace the turbo with a forefront one.

Cheers,
Shorty

 

[ShortyNavros]

Will I be able to fit a 12inch deep cycle battery and the large battery tray up where the fuel filter is? Or is it too tight with the standard air box still in? I could see it happening with an 80 series air box, but then that would cut out chance of a front mount intercooler as there is no space for the piping again

 

[scottm]

Hey shorty, I'm going through the same thing at the moment. I have a forefront intercooler and picking up my battery tray tonight so will let you know how it all sizes up etc. I can't see on tapatalk where you're from but if you're in melbourne you'd be welcome to come as check measurements and stuff with intercooler in my bay.

Cheers,

-scott

 

[ShortyNavros]

Hey Scott,

Cheers for the offer but I am from Hervey Bay QLD so it would be a bit of a hike to just do some measurements haha.

Cheers,
Shorty

 

[scottm]

Hi shorty, would certainly be a hike. Happy to help however I can though. It appears as if I have the wrong battery tray from the wreckers (have e one that mounts at front right where air intake prefilter was instead of rear right where fuel filter is) so can't show you exactly how I intended it to work. What I can do is take a photo with the forefront intercooler and measure the space around near front and rear to give you an idea if it will fit. Does it sound like that would help at all?

Cheers

Scott

 

[ShortyNavros]

Any info helps mate.

I had a look at the height allowance, it's going to be pretty bloody tight to fight the height of an N70 size battery at the rear of the engine bay so it may not be an option anyway

 

[mitch92]

I don't think N70 will fit under the d22 bonnet

 

[scottm]

Any info helps mate.

I had a look at the height allowance, it's going to be pretty bloody tight to fight the height of an N70 size battery at the rear of the engine bay so it may not be an option anyway

Yep, not to mention the width. Here's a picture of my engine bay with forefront intercooler. As you can see it has stuff all room at the front with the snorkel pipe that goes into the air filter. No chance of getting a battery in there in my opinion.

Next two images you can see would be the absolute maximum length / width you'd have. Limitations to the width is hard up against airbox on one side and then the firewall / wiper motor(?) on the other. Limitations to the length (long side of battery) are exhaust manifold but really before that is the airconditioning pipe going through the firewall. Which would obviously only be available if you moved the fuel filter either almost directly over the exhaust manifold or to the other side of the engine bay completely.

This is the battery tray my mate got from the wreckers for me which is nothing like what I expect and I think they must have got it wrong because it's bloody massive and the mounts don't make any sense at all for the D22 (front or back of enginer bay so far as I can tell). Anyway, I popped it there just to give a representation of how tight it would actually be in there (ignore the bracket sticking up in the air obviously) but with a battery tray that size it would definitely be hitting the airconditioning pipe going through the firewall)

I'm almost definitely leaning towards just slapping the battery in the tray and be done with it. If you google d22 battery tray and just click on images or folllow the link below:



You can get some sort of idea about what size battery actually fits with the right tray. Can you tell if that would suit your needs for a decent size battery?

Hope some of that helped, look forward to your thoughts.

Cheers,

-Scott

 

[scottm]

The battery tray I was expecting was something like the Piranha one

 

[scottm]

Here's a good example of the size / where the airconditioning pipe is in relation to the tray, and this pic suggests just notching it out.

That image is from this page http://www.sidewinder.com.au/page42.html

 

[ShortyNavros]

Yeah all those battery trays are small though, you'll likely only fir 65ish AH batteries there, I was hoping to fit a 100 AH.

So I think my option will be to use to front space as it allows the area for 100AH battery, and then if I want a cooler it will have to be a top mount job from cross country (Probs works better than the FMIC as there is a heap less piping to turbo lag is reduced).

However maybe a cheaper option than using a cooler, it would be to get some steel mesh and wedge it in the intake pipe after the turbo on top of the engine where is splits in two, so that in the event the compressor wheel does let go the steel mesh could catch it. Not sure where I would find steel mesh thin enough to not impede airflow too much and also be strong enough to stop any debris going into the engine.

Is this a good idea or am I crazy?

 

[bods]

Could always chuck a water to air setup on it instead.... Or make your own top mount from the smaller ones you can get on eBay. I wouldn't be sticking stuff inside the intake piping in case it comes loose in normal driving and wrecks your motor anyway....

 

[scottm]

Yeah all those battery trays are small though, you'll likely only fir 65ish AH batteries there, I was hoping to fit a 100 AH.

So I think my option will be to use to front space as it allows the area for 100AH battery, and then if I want a cooler it will have to be a top mount job from cross country (Probs works better than the FMIC as there is a heap less piping to turbo lag is reduced).

However maybe a cheaper option than using a cooler, it would be to get some steel mesh and wedge it in the intake pipe after the turbo on top of the engine where is splits in two, so that in the event the compressor wheel does let go the steel mesh could catch it. Not sure where I would find steel mesh thin enough to not impede airflow too much and also be strong enough to stop any debris going into the engine.

Is this a good idea or am I crazy?

Is there some way of measuring turbo lag? I haven't noticed any decrease in performance since I put the forefront intercooler on, in fact it seems like I'm changing gears slightly faster (ie rpm's reaching 2500 quicker) but that could be just me...

As bods says I reckon the risk is too high sticking stuff in the inlet pipe...

 

[Gonzo]

I have noticed an increase in turbo lag and intake noise since fitting my front mount not a huge issue but I am impressed by the reduced EGT

 

[scottm]

I have noticed an increase in turbo lag and intake noise since fitting my front mount not a huge issue but I am impressed by the reduced EGT

Yeah the noise is certainly much louder. Is that just because the prefilter has been removed? Or is the noise from the extra pipework etc?