Ground question?

[fiftee6]

Running the Battery to the trunk set-up. I know I have to ground the body, and the engine, but do I run a ground to the frame also?
I know when I took everything apart from the front compartment it had body and motor. I dont remember if the frame was? Thanks, Phil...

[chevman57]

The ground strap kit i bought had 3 straps in it so i`d say yes.
Terry

[PaPa Mike]

Chevy Hiperformance just recently ran an feature on properly wiring a vehicle and they said to ground the body to frame, frame to engine and battery to frame. So the answer to your question "Yes".

[chevman57]

My ground strap kit shows engine to body, body to frame, and body to trans in the diagram.
Terry

[dseale4888]

You would actually be better off to run the ground from the battery to the engine and then the other grounds to the frame and body.
Dave

[straycat]

I agree with Dave and have always done every car in shop that way. Your starter draws the most current there 4 needing the ground directly to motor. Most GM'z from factory are done that way. Lon

[fiftee6]

Dave, so then I would have to run a long lenght of the negative cable directly from battery to engine from the trunk? Then, one from battery to frame and battery to body? Or Engine to frame and frame to body? Does it matter?
It seems most kits only supply a 16-20' lenght of positive and a 3' neg.

Also, papa mike, wich monthly issue of Chevy hp? Phil...

PS> On another note, last night I finished completely removing everything from the under hood area! Steering column, box, master c, heater core, fan, all wiring etc. Ready to start sanding and priming.

[PaPa Mike]

Chevy HP isuue January 2007, article by Painless Wiring.

[straycat]

Why buy a kit? You can go to your NAPA store and buy it buy the foot. When mounting battery in trunk I go battery + to starter, battery- to trans or bellhousing, ground from engine/trans to frame/body, smaller ground strap from body to frame. NAPA will even shrink wrap and crimp ends. This has been working for 30 years for me with no complaints. Don't know why Painless is saying the other way, let us know what the artical say's. Have installed several of their harnesses and never seen it the other way, course I don't always read all instructions! Lon

[MikeKy55]

I ran my neg battery to the frame just below where I mounted the battery in the trunk and a short cable from the engine block to the frame up front.

[Chevynut]

I ran my neg battery to the frame just below where I mounted the battery in the trunk and a short cable from the engine block to the frame up front.

That seems to make the most sense. Why run a cable all the way when you have a frame that can act as a ground bus? :confused:

[straycat]

Yes the frame is a good ground bus, but the reason I go all the way to the engine is that it eliminates 2 mounting points and 2 cable crimps that could possibly corrode. It's not fun running all that cable but if you get creative and hide it in the frame or inside the car itself no biggy. If I was building a frame like yours I would do the same as Mike said. Just depends on how trick you wanna get. Lon

[Late 55]

I wire all of my cars much like Straycat.....Battery + to starter,Battery - to starter mounting bolt and an additional short negative cable from battery - to body mount bolt on the frame.....Never a problem! Remember,it's important to use the correct size wire/cable for the distance run.Good luck!

[Chevynut]

Yes the frame is a good ground bus, but the reason I go all the way to the engine is that it eliminates 2 mounting points and 2 cable crimps that could possibly corrode. It's not fun running all that cable but if you get creative and hide it in the frame or inside the car itself no biggy. If I was building a frame like yours I would do the same as Mike said. Just depends on how trick you wanna get. Lon

I put a 1" electrical conduit inside my frame for the + cable, but planned to use the frame as ground. Good point about the connections. I don't know if I can also run a ground inside the 1" conduit, but I don't think so. Maybe a braided strap or something like that would fit with the 2/0 positive cable. I assume that's what I'd need, anyhow.

[kzo57]

When It comes to battery cables size is everything. I found that welding cable is the best for this it can handle the heat from the exuast and the headers. Ive been using a 3/0 welding cable for 25 years for the pos all the way and 2' neg jumper from the battery which in mounted in the tire well of my trunk to the frame and another in the engine compartment from the frame to the engine. Its also a good Idea to run a #10 jumper from the neg at battery to the body in the trunk and another from the engine to the body. It helps all the idot lights and even your Ign if your coil in not mounted on the engine. For any of you who have a problem with starting the car when it is hot I use a Ford type solinoid (which can be mounted any where, Mines on the kick Panel of the passanger side) and use #10 wire from the pos terminal on the starter and back to the solinoid. I found that the starter wire was too small and after wiring in a neutral safty switch for a floor mounted automatic shifter. I use to get a lot of clicks when the engine was Hot. Haven't had a problem since.

[dseale4888]

The reason for running the ground all the way to the engine is the resistance in the chassis is higher creating a voltage drop in you cranking voltage. This can cause the terminals in your solenoid to weld together keeping the starter engaged until you get melt down. Cables melted, starter burning, battery wasted...... I've gotten to repair burn jobs from shorts before. Terrible odor and a big mess.
Dave

[Chevynut]

The reason for running the ground all the way to the engine is the resistance in the chassis is higher creating a voltage drop in you cranking voltage.

The resistivity of steel is about 6 times that of copper. However, a frame has about 8-10 times the cross-sectional area, so in the worst case the overall resistance should be a wash. The addition of another cable connection mentined before is a valid concern, but shouldn't matter if done correctly.

This can cause the terminals in your solenoid to weld together keeping the starter engaged until you get melt down. Cables melted, starter burning, battery wasted...... I've gotten to repair burn jobs from shorts before. Terrible odor and a big mess.
Dave

How can that happen? Any resistance in the circuit, whether on the power or ground side, will decrease the current flow. Heating is caused by a voltage drop across a resistor. If you have a resistance in the solenoid, it will heat, increasing resistance, which causes further heating and eventually will burn it up. A short is a whole different thing. I don't see how increased resistance in a ground circuit can cause a solenoid to go out.

[dseale4888]

Lower voltage will cause the solenoid terminals to weld. I've been working on heavy trucks for 35 years now and have run into all sorts of electrical problems and I've had to build new harnesses after the melt downs. If you talk to the technicians who teach the classes for the manufacturers you will get a better explanation specifically as to why they recommend that way. You do it your way.
Dave