Cleaning my wires. Battery drains a bit after a month and also starter doesn’t spin as fast as I think it should. PO has ground wires in a rather oily spot. Should I move main ground from battery to bell housing. Thanks
Glen
1946 Chevy Truck 216 1/2 ton "Tales from a weekend mechanic" Follow in the DITY
The shorter the ground wire, the better. Grounding to the engine probably works easiest where the stomp starter linkage bolts to the bell housing, but you can use any bolt. You should also have a ground wire between the frame and engine. Here's where that frame to engine ground is on AD series trucks. The stomp starter linkage was already removed when I took that picture.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
Funny that strap is still hanging down there. PO left that strap and disconnected battery and made a tray under the hood. Not a great setup, not real secure. I need a new battery box underneath because I want to put battery back where it belongs.
1946 Chevy Truck 216 1/2 ton "Tales from a weekend mechanic" Follow in the DITY
Sorry this is on a 46 1/2 ton 216 with 6 volt. Cleaned the wires connectors on battery, battery ground, and the starter . Someone put some liquid on the posts so I got them nice and clean. Seems the starter is a little faster. I have to get some ring connectors and move the ground to bell housing and add the 2nd ground. They have a long enough ground wire to go to the back of truck! So I will shorten the grounds up. I did notice that the ammeter used to read right in the middle and not go very far with increased engine speed. Now it does go 3/4 to the right. That’s a plus.
Thanks Glen
1946 Chevy Truck 216 1/2 ton "Tales from a weekend mechanic" Follow in the DITY
You might get the battery checked if the amp meter now reads charging all the time. If its a short charge then settles down, that OK, you just don't want it charging all the time. A bad cell can cause it to over charge.
Its pretty common go from battery ( negative ) to frame, then frame to engine, then engine to cab. What you don't want is to run the ground to the cab and have the starter pull all its power through the sheet metal of the cab. It's better to use a heavy ground like the frame of dedicated cable for the starter ground source.
Sounds like you got pretty well sorted out, just keep an eye on the amp gauge and make sure it settles in the middle once on your way.
Right on Joe H. Never have too many grounds and the frame to engine + BATT is the best. BATT to starter. I have the braided wire run from the starter to the cab for the lights etc..
~ BD. "You won't find me in an old folks home" Pioneer Florida Cracker 1958 Apache Stepside 1958 Apache 1/2 ton Panel 1959 Apache 1/2 ton Panel
It does rest in the middle when idling. But now it shows a charge with eng revved up. Then it return to middle. It didn’t really go up much before. Sorry for the confusion
1946 Chevy Truck 216 1/2 ton "Tales from a weekend mechanic" Follow in the DITY
My neg wire runs from battery to bell housing. Braided wire strap from frame to bell housing. And of course + wire runs from battery to starter. All runs like a champ.
Craig
My '50 Chevy 3100 5 window, '62-235cu, 3:55 rear My truck ....... Respect The Rust If I'm not working on my truck, '65 m00stang or VW camper, I'm fishing with the wife or smoking Salmon.
I make my own battery cables from #0 arc welder cable. Welding cable has many hundreds of small diameter conductors, and it conducts high current with much less voltage drop than regular battery cables. Run the battery ground cable directly to the block or bellhousing. The fewer connections possible between the battery and the starter, hot and ground, the better. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
I was able to get 1.0 welding cables. So I am waiting for my 60/40 rosin solder (another tip from you thanks) and move battery back under seat. Hopefully this weekend or at least get some of it started. Running 10 gauge from generator, ammeter and starter. Went for a little spin just now and fired right up after cleaning cables the other day but still putting correct wires on.
1946 Chevy Truck 216 1/2 ton "Tales from a weekend mechanic" Follow in the DITY
I'm in the process of making new cables for the forklift I purchased recently. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
Good luck. I have confidence in you! Here’s my stuff just waiting for my solder. I’m going to try these battery terminal connectors from old battery. If they don’t work I’ll pick up some like u pictured. It’s all made in china except for terminal connectors. Should be good for my old truck. Thank you indirectly from other posts you wrote to others.
Glen
1946 Chevy Truck 216 1/2 ton "Tales from a weekend mechanic" Follow in the DITY
That welding cable also makes very good jumper cables when paired with high current clamps. I buy it in 50 foot lengths, with red and black insulation. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
