TR2/3/3A TR3 engine ground

[TFB]

Can anyone tell me where the engine ground strap attaches to the engine and body or frame.
Thanks
Tom

 

[TR3driver]

Should be a short braided strap from one of the timing cover bolts to one of the LH motor mount bolts into the frame. Here's a photo supplied by Don Elliott:

 

[TFB]

Thanks Randall(and Don).I am putting in starter and thought it went off one of the starter bolts.Perfect picture.Thanks
Tom

 

[CJD]

Hey, this thread reminded me of a question I've had for a while. The cable in this picture grounds the engine to the frame...and the battery is grounded by cable to the body...but is there supposed to be a cable between the body and frame??? My TR3 has none, so all I can figure is it's grounding through the body attachment bolts...

 

[TR3driver]

Just grounds through the bolts, AFAIK.

 

[CJD]

Interesting. I used some pretty heavy-duty paint on the body mounts during the restoration. I'll have to take at least one bolt out and remove the paint under it to ensure a good ground between the body/chassis. It makes you wonder if some of the other electrical issues in the threads on regulators/starters/etc. aren't related to poor grounds.

 

[DrEntropy]

Over the years it seems to me MOST of the electron gremlins can be attributed to faulty grounds.

 

[TFB]

And based on that I am also installing a #4 wire from starter bolt to bulkhead ground bolt,and the original strap,now that I know where it goes.
Thanks
Tom

 

[CJD]

Sounds like a good idea Tom! I thought my car was just missing a ground strap somewhere. All the body bolts go through rubber insulators on the TR. My car was the least corroded TR3 I have ever seen when it came apart for the restoration. Still, the body bolts were in terrible condition...the heads almost completely rusted off and all were frozen. It sounds like a body-to-chassis ground is a good modification.

 

[TR3driver]

Over the years it seems to me MOST of the electron gremlins can be attributed to faulty grounds.

I agree, but I've never seen a poor connection between body & frame.

If originality is not an issue, then I would suggest running a battery ground cable directly to the engine. Even without any bad connections, the factory setup adds some resistance to the circuit, which limits the current available to the starter motor. Lots of cars use a "2 headed" cable with tabs for connection to both the body and the engine.