Ground strap connection point?

[zachmac]

Been too long since I took it apart. The big braided ground strap between the frame and tranny; one end is held by the lower most bolt for the steering box. Where on the transmission does the other end connect? I thought it would be the tranny to engine bolt but that is to bid a bolt to go through the hole in the strap?

[azruss]

My cars have the ground strap bolted to one of the starter mounting bolts and the other end to a welded tab on the body. Since the steering box is connected the body, it should work.

[zachmac]

Thanks, this one may not be OEM? It is a flat woven wire one with no insulation so it looks stock? In any case, the openings on both ends are far larger than what would be required for a starter bolt and the metal around the eye on the ends is much to large to fit in the space around a starter bolt versus the bell housing. I just drilled the hole slightly larger and it goes on the bell housing to engine bolt now with no issues. I'll check engine to chassis resistance just to be sure but I think I have a good ground. I also usually add a second strap between the passenger side original alternator mount location and the frame just for good measure.

[bradartigue]

Thanks, this one may not be OEM? It is a flat woven wire one with no insulation so it looks stock? In any case, the openings on both ends are far larger than what would be required for a starter bolt and the metal around the eye on the ends is much to large to fit in the space around a starter bolt versus the bell housing. I just drilled the hole slightly larger and it goes on the bell housing to engine bolt now with no issues. I'll check engine to chassis resistance just to be sure but I think I have a good ground. I also usually add a second strap between the passenger side original alternator mount location and the frame just for good measure.

That's just a common ground strap, it isn't stock. Sounds like something I'd use that you buy at Auto Zone.

The use of ground straps increased over the years. You'll find the earliest cars had one, then somewhere they got two, then three or four on the FI cars. You can't have enough grounds - but more than two or three big ones and one small one and you're likely over-doing it.

You should at a minimum have a ground strap from the bell housing cover bolts to the firewall near the transmission tunnel, another from one of the engine mounts to the fender wall, and a smaller gauge wire from one of the the rear exhaust camshaft cover caps to the firewall. I also add one from the opposite side engine mount to the fender wall. Make sure they all have some slack - the motor moves.

When installing brighten the post or scratch up the surface they will contact.