Starter Ground...

A

asoupley

Jedi Hopeful

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• Oct 31, 2006

• #1

Is there a ground that goes on the starter, or does it just ground through the engine.
Also, I believe that there is an engine ground that goes from the trans. to the frame. Is this correct? If so, where does it hook up?

Thanks
Tony

 

S

Sqrrig

Senior Member

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• Oct 31, 2006

• #2

Starter grounds through the engine.
There is an engine ground. On my 63, it is actually on the bottom of the tranny.
What year is yours? Might be differant from mine.

Don

 

Keoke

Great Pumpkin

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• Oct 31, 2006

• #3

Hi an optimum location for the engine ground strap is to connect it directly to the lower starter mounting bolt and then over to the frame. The transmission location is less desirable but acceptable when properly connected to the car's frame. However, since the engine is virtually isolated from the car's frame, failure to provide a proper engine to frame electrical Bond can cause sever over heating of choke cables or throttle linkages--Fwiw---Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/patriot.gif

 

fmichaels

Jedi Knight

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• Nov 1, 2006

• #4

wow ... never thought of that before. i remember years ago after i bought my 65 sprite, i was trying to get the engine to turn over and noticed that the choke cable was getting extremely hot. i shut the car down and pretty much never tried to start it again. very soon after that, i put the car away in storage never really understanding what happened. figured it was some kind of short. in this case, considering there was some work done under the car, the ground strap could have been removed or not even there. after reading this thread, i may now understand what was going on. thanks

 

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin

Platinum

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• Nov 1, 2006

• #5

I've seen 'em with the cables welded into one piece 'cause the 'expert' engine rebuilder didn't bother with a ground strap.

Baaad Juju...DC current is like water... it'll go thru anything conductive that's available.

 

jlaird

Great Pumpkin

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• Nov 1, 2006

• #6

The orginial cable was braded copper.

 

leecreek

Jedi Warrior

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• Nov 1, 2006

• #7

Make your own. Get a foot of RG-8 and strip it out. Use the braid and solder stacons to the ends.

 

weewillie

Darth Vader

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• Nov 1, 2006

• #8

[ QUOTE ]
wow ... never thought of that before. i remember years ago after i bought my 65 sprite, i was trying to get the engine to turn over and noticed that the choke cable was getting extremely hot. the ground strap could have been removed or not even there.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/iagree.gif
same thing happened when I forgot to put the ground strap on after swapping engines 20 years ago. This time it was the first thing to go on LOL

 

P

PeterC

Jedi Warrior

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• Nov 1, 2006

• #9

Had an accelerator cable melt ON full throttle 2AM Lincoln tunnel, Lotus Elan. Yeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaa that was fun. I've seen clutch lines boil. I doubt you can have too many grounds. Peter C

 

fmichaels

Jedi Knight

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• Nov 1, 2006

• #10

and when it comes to rebuilding a car after years of it being in pieces, i can easily see this one important step being left out ... makes me a little nervous when it comes time to turn the key. another note for the black book ... INSTALL ALL GROUND STRAPS ... the benfits of this forum keep pouring in!

 

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin

Platinum

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• Nov 1, 2006

• #11

[ QUOTE ]
Had an accelerator cable melt ON full throttle 2AM Lincoln tunnel, Lotus Elan. Yeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaa that was fun. I've seen clutch lines boil. I doubt you can have too many grounds. Peter C

[/ QUOTE ]

'specially in a car made outta "frozen snot"!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

The OTHER lesson learned with regard to Elan WOT experiences: ALWAYS have a spare Weber return spring on-board! Same thrill as a welded cable I'd guess. I never had the "no ground" problem with a Lotus, as I've been acutely aware of the need of the straps from other LBC's.

 

S

Sqrrig

Senior Member

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• Nov 1, 2006

• #12

Many years ago, I got home from a 6 month trip to the Mediteranean. Dear wifey tells me everything she did to keep our 72 MGB going (Gotta love a wife that can/will do that) Had to take 21 pieces of 12 gauge wire off, from the valve cover bolt to a bolt on the body. Got her through the winter!!!

Don

 

Sarastro

Obi Wan

Silver

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• Nov 1, 2006

• #13

Interesting stories about the effects of leaving out the engine-to-body ground strap. Seems to me that it might be a good idea to add a second one of these, just to be safe. Does anyone do that? I think I might.

 

jlaird

Great Pumpkin

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• Nov 2, 2006

• #14

One should be fine if it is attached well. And yep I'ne done that as well.

 

zimmy

Jedi Knight

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• Nov 2, 2006

• #15

i bolted mine on the top of the tranny by the heater...now i dont haveta get under the car to unhook it..same connection, easier location..z

 

B

Billm

Yoda

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• Nov 2, 2006

• #16

I have rigged ground straps around one of the front engine mounts, just a piece of heavy wire hooked to one bolt on top and one on the bottom, short length and easy.
Bill

 

jlaird

Great Pumpkin

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• Nov 2, 2006

• #17

Thatill work just fine.

 

startech47

Jedi Knight

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• Nov 2, 2006

• #18

The wire should be as heavy as the battery cable.

 

jlaird

Great Pumpkin

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• Nov 2, 2006

• #19

Of course, the heaver the better. A battery cable is just fine.