battery kill switch question

[ggl205]

Slide;

My battery cut-off switch is a Moroso rotary knob on/off switch mounted to the chassis. I replaced the knob with a lever arm that is connected to a push-pull cable that comes out the front, on the side of my radiator air intake. Also connected to that lever is a short rod that comes into the cockpit through a support bushing. A round knob on the end of the rod also allows the battery to be switched on/off by the driver.

In addition to the battery cut-off switch, I have a very high current relay that supplies power to everything but the starter motor. A toggle switch with a spring-loaded red cover is mounted on the instrument panel, allowing the driver to quickly shut off power with a swipe of a gloved hand. There is a G-switch in series with the relay coil so an impact will also shut off the 12V DC power.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

Neil, what inertia/G switch manufacturer are you using? I had a stock Ford inertia switch in my lakester for WoS and it shut off three times during one run. Obviously, I will not use a Ford switch next time but am having trouble sourcing a better alternative.

John

[Speed Limit 1000]

John, We have always used a Ford switch in the Bockscar, never had a problem and only $5 at pick&pull. We used the ford bracket to mount it in the tail of the lakester.
The switch only cut the power to the fuel pump relay.

[Slide]

We had horrible luck with ford cut off switches in our agencies crown Vic's... no rhyme or reason, but some cars were super sensitive...others not so much.

[ggl205]

John, We have always used a Ford switch in the Bockscar, never had a problem and only $5 at pick&pull. We used the ford bracket to mount it in the tail of the lakester.
The switch only cut the power to the fuel pump relay.

John, you were there and witnessed first hand the trouble we had with that Ford switch. There has to be a better, higher G switch out there. Tom Burkland mentioned Riekers (sp) as a possible manufacturer of an adjustable G switch that also had a tilt feature but I can not find them anywhere on a net search.

John

[Ron Gibson]

From what I've heard, sounds to me that the trouble is not the switch but the track roughness.

Ron

[ggl205]

From what I've heard, sounds to me that the trouble is not the switch but the track roughness.

Ron

Ron, the three mile short course was rough but not so bad as to trip an inertia switch. Maybe I was the only one having this problem or I just had an overly sensitive switch. Either way, I want something better for next year. Conditions at Bonneville are not getting any better so our new reality is a rougher track and vastly different surface conditions. Just trying to get the car ready for whatever the track gives us.

John

[Ron Gibson]

I've got a small bucket of Ford switches. By hitting them against my palm, the only way I can get them to trip is longitudinaly (sp). Vertical seems to have no effect. Then again I am going from memory and that ain't near what it used to be. Going to the shop to test memory.

Ron

[SPARKY]

UPDATE PLEASE--

I read this and was wondering if anyone had any more current experience with inertia switches?

I also have had problems with the Ford systems  we are going to run an electric pump this year.

Sparky

[manta22]

I run a Ford inertia switch- no problems with it.

Ron- Slamming it against your palm may not generate the 20Gs necessary to trip it. Try banging it on the floor. The switch is a pair of v-shaped contacts with a metal ball resting on them. The switch will actuate in all directions except the one that drives the ball harder into the contacts.