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| | | | Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 35 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 35 | Hi Bolters,
I keep finding references to two ground cables on a 1946 Chevy 1/2 ton. The first one is easy, fron the negative post on the battery to the engine/trans. But I keep seeing a reference to one that goes from the engine to the frame. Exactly where does this get attached?
Thanks in advance,
Possum | | | | | Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 829 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 829 | One goes from your negative battery post to the frame, and one goes from the frame to the engine. I'm not sure of the locations. | | | | | Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,750 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,750 | It should'nt really matter exactly where they go as long as they are clean and well grounded. i.e. no paint/rust between the cable and the chassis and/or engine. You must have one from the neg terminal on the battery direct to the chassis, and on mine the engine is grounded from just above the starter (350 SBC) to the chassis. Good luck. I should listen to myself!!! I just found out today how important good earths are!! I tried to fire up my A.D. for the first time and my poorly fitted ground cable got red hot! DUH! 
Last edited by jockbolter50; 05/31/2008 3:57 PM.
1950 Chevy Advance Design 3100 in ScotlandIn the Stovebolt GalleryMore pix on Flickr. I've definately got this truck thing in my blood ... my DNA sequence has torque settings"Of all the small nations of this earth,perhaps only the ancient Greeks surpass the Scots in their contribution to mankind" Winston Churchill.
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 60 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 60 | I think, battery to engine should be first,
then engine to body next,
then body to frame, and for extra
insurance engine to frame. | | | | | Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 332 Big Bolt Shop Curmudgeon | | Big Bolt Shop Curmudgeon Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 332 | The old trucks had a braided (woven) wire cable from the negative battery post to the nearest bolt on the transmission. You always want to make electrical connections from point A to point B by the shortest distance possible.
An engine-to-frame connection connection can be made just about anywhere, but pick a heafty-sized bolt on the lower part of the engine to a nearby equal-sized bolt on the frame. Check the Tech Tips for a location. One good spot is from the mounting bolt that attaches the starter motor to the engine, then to the frame.
One good reason to attach the negative braided (woven) cable to the transmission is that the metal between the starter motor and the transmission is a fairly short distance and all the metal involved is big stuff--good for a low-resistance path from the starter motor back to the battery. Be sure to use a BIG positive cable from the positive battery terminal to the starter motor stud, and keep it the proper length. Electricity hates to wander through a wire that is too long in search of the next terminal. The braided cable from the transmission bolt to the negative battery terminal need be only about 8 or nine inches long at most. You can buy one of these from your local auto parts store that really deals in good service.
Provide the shortest possible distance from the positive battery terminal to the starter motor then from the transmission back to the negative battery terminal.
The engine-to-frame connection connects up all the peripheral stuff that uses electricity, such as headlights, brake lights, clearance lights, dash lights, heater motor, etc. In fact, for than one engine or truck bed/cab negative connection to the frame will get those little electrons heading the right direction and save you lots of voltage drop on the way.
Resistance in an electrical circuit increases with the number of connections and the total distance the EMF has to push the electrons from the positive poswer source to the final negative ground.
Oh, t'heck with all that theorethical mumbo-jumbo! Just get your truck running and drive it!
Drivin' down a 2 lane country road in a stovebolt.....cowboy, it don't get no better than this!
1946 1-1/2 ton Chevy
"Ol Blue", or "THE BIG 'UN"
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 35 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 35 | Thanks Glenn,
Now if I could just find the parts to rebuild my steering column, I'd be driving down that country road, without weaving all over....... | | | | | Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 553 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 553 | What parts are you looking for on your column? | | |
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