Ground Thread

[JR_Charger]

Just some resources for learning about grounding -











Relevant forum threads -

Ground Wire

Ground Straps

 

[Don Frelier]

Although everyone refers to (-) as ground, I do it myself often, it's actually not a ground at all since your tires isolate the (-) from ground.

It's actually DC common.

 

[JR_Charger]

I've been thinking about all the ground straps on the Chevelle in the 1st video . . . On the 72 Charger, I haven't been able to find a ground from the engine to the firewall, or from the frame to the subframe. I do have the ground from battery negative to the core support, and to the engine cylinder head. Is it supposed to have the engine/firewall ground, and/or the frame/subframe ground? I'm thinking "no," but better to be sure.

What do you do when switching to aluminum cylinder heads? Move the ground to the block?

Where do you ground on an all-aluminum engine?

 

[WileE]

I've been thinking about all the ground straps on the Chevelle in the 1st video . . . On the 72 Charger, I haven't been able to find a ground from the engine to the firewall, or from the frame to the subframe. I do have the ground from battery negative to the core support, and to the engine cylinder head. Is it supposed to have the engine/firewall ground, and/or the frame/subframe ground? I'm thinking "no," but better to be sure.

What do you do when switching to aluminum cylinder heads? Move the ground to the block?

Where do you ground on an all-aluminum engine?

1) If you think about it, you'll come up with how the engine is grounded to the frame. 2 & 3) why, aluminum doesn't conduct electricity ?

 

[JR_Charger]

Are we talking about the frame or chassis? I don't even know if that is a concern on our cars - perhaps the Chevelle is a full frame car? Our subframes must be welded to the chassis so I'm guessing that grounds them together.

The rubber in the engine mounts and transmission mounts should insulate the engine from the subframe/chassis, so that can't be it. Maybe you mean that the engine grounds to the frame through the negative battery cable. I don't know of any other potential ground connections, but I'm no expert.

Regarding aluminum as a conductor, I know some metals are better conductors than others but I've never heard of aluminum being one of the good conductors. It sounds like you're implying that aluminum is adequate.

 

[JR_Charger]

Anyone used jumper strips?

Image taken from this HotrodHotline article.

Here's one that has a cover and pre-made terminal connectors so you don't have to roll your own -

Here's a different style -

I found a couple other different kinds on eBay but the previous one is probably the way to go.

 

[Black_Sheep]

Are we talking about the frame or chassis? I don't even know if that is a concern on our cars - perhaps the Chevelle is a full frame car? Our subframes must be welded to the chassis so I'm guessing that grounds them together.

The rubber in the engine mounts and transmission mounts should insulate the engine from the subframe/chassis, so that can't be it. Maybe you mean that the engine grounds to the frame through the negative battery cable. I don't know of any other potential ground connections, but I'm no expert.

Regarding aluminum as a conductor, I know some metals are better conductors than others but I've never heard of aluminum being one of the good conductors. It sounds like you're implying that aluminum is adequate.

I would suggest an 8 gauge firewall ground to the head or block for good measure. Aluminum is a good conductor so if the aluminum heads have the same extra bolt hole at the rear of right head that factory iron heads do, that’s as good a place as any. Good grounding can prevent a multitude af electrical gremlins…

 

[Don Frelier]

Almost all electric service lines to homes are aluminium.

 

[Paul10]

Any ideas I can't get my headlight to work as they were not very bright in the first place. I was under the dash changing instrument bulbs when it happened. I have power everywhere.

 

[Don Frelier]

Any ideas I can't get my headlight to work as they were not very bright in the first place. I was under the dash changing instrument bulbs when it happened. I have power everywhere.

Start a new thread as you have a different issue. Year and model would be helpful.

 

[JR_Charger]

Almost all electric service lines to homes are aluminium.

I was under the impression that aluminum was expensive - why use it instead of copper?

 

[Don Frelier]

I was under the impression that aluminum was expensive - why use it instead of copper?

It's cheaper than copper

Silver and gold are better conductors than copper but you can guess why wire isn't made from them.

 

[JR_Charger]

I'm looking at what the HotrodHotline guys did -

It would seem like that would be a gound hub, but they only have the two wires going to it. Presumably they added more later?

I would need to run 6 grounds to the hub, and I don't even have air conditioning, which might require another ground (don't know). I'd also like a dash cam. What am I looking at in terms of the electrical capacity of the ground hub?

It looks like Hotrod Hotline has used a 16 or 14 gauge wire to go from the hub to the fuse block, for their hub which will only have 3 grounds coming into it. If I'm grounding 6-8 wires, what size wire should run to the frame? 12 gauge? 10?

 

[JR_Charger]

I installed my distribution block today -

I've got the ground for the head unit here, the subwoofer and a factory ground that vanishes into a wiring harness.

On the ground above the emergency brake release, I've got the ground for the light switch and the tach -

I didn't want to drill through the firewall to add the distribution block, but I could only find one good spot under the dash and that was next to the brake master cylinder. It was not easy to drill the top hole, even a split-tip bit wanted to walk over the place. I barely, barely missed the master cylinder reinforcing bracket on the other side of the firewall -

I was going to use a second bolt at the top, but there's no room for it. I suppose there's nothing wrong with the sheetmetal screw at the top and a bolt at the bottom.

Now I just need to figure out what gauge the central ground wire needs to be, and I'll run it through the speedometer cable grommet and to the unused side terminal on the battery.

 

[JR_Charger]

These distribution blocks look nice if you prefer the linear variety -

I was looking at them because I need a 2nd block to run tail light grounds to, but I discovered that the bolts for the trunk latch catch are the same distance apart as the bolts on the radial distribution block. If they're both 2.5" as they appear to be, then one would only have to use longer bolts to mount a distribution block under the trunk latch catch. Should be high and dry up there! Then it should be easy to run the main ground cable to the rear subframe.