Ground straps, Make me angry Options

[emerygt350]

Brand new ground strap, installed clean and brushed on both transmission and body. Completely failed me. Wire brushed the neg to body. Checked the cables and replaced the post to starter cable (it was questionable ). Car still wouldn't turn over. Added a new 6 gauge cable from the negative terminal to the spot where the coil attaches to the tin work, turns over like a new car. Even my gauges are working better. Wth. Could it just be the transmission case itself?

I remember an argument about additional ground straps a couple years ago, but can't find it. Any reason not to just keep my aftermarket ground strap?

[r_towle]

Last time I dealt with this I ran a new cable from the ground post to the upper bolt on the starter…that made it stfu and work.

Rich

[Superhawk996]

Last time I dealt with this I ran a new cable from the ground post to the upper bolt on the starter…that made it stfu and work.

Rich

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

Although I’m not a fan of multiple ground straps, Rich’s suggested location is a good one.

There are engineering design principles that guide where grounds are placed.

The main ground strap needs to be close to the starter. The starter is by far the largest current load in the vehicle. A starter is capable of drawing hundreds of amps. This is why the OEM ground strap goes to the transmission casting rather than the engine case.

You don’t want that starter ground having to be pulled though a fan shroud, through the engine case (potentially through bearings), and finally through to the transmission housing that the starter is attached to.

Other important design principles:

1) Braided ground strap can handle more current than an equivalent gauge stranded ground cable.

2) Ground straps are to be kept as short as possible to minimize voltage drop.

Ideally the OEM ground strap would go from the chassis / trunk area near the starter to the bolt Rich mentions. Post too long already without going into speculation on why they didn’t put it there.