Ground Straps
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Ground Straps
Today I was tightening a header bolt and saw sparks as I toucheda piece of metal not on the engine. My first thought was that the engine was not grounded. There seems to be no ground straps from the
engine to the frame.
On a 1969 does anyone know where the straps should be?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 7,106
Likes: 38
From: Newark DE
check your AIM for the correct location (you do have one right?)
there definitely should be a ground strap between the engine block and the frame. it may be from the starter motor to the frame but in '69 I'm not sure where the specified location is.
At the very least you could always get a ground strap wire and ground from one of the motor mount bolts to the frame
there definitely should be a ground strap between the engine block and the frame. it may be from the starter motor to the frame but in '69 I'm not sure where the specified location is.
At the very least you could always get a ground strap wire and ground from one of the motor mount bolts to the frame
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,192
Likes: 27
From: Boca Raton Florida
If you were working on the drivers side you probly got a spark on the alternator output wire. Barry is right, you do need the ground straps. The engine is grounded or you would not have gotten a spark and it wouldn't run. The ground straps provide a better ground than just the other hardware on the engine.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 692
Likes: 69
From: Juneau AK
As noted, check your AIM. On '81's the ground strap is bolted in just above the starter and below the header flange. But then again, early 80's sbc's are different in a few respects.
If you don't have an AIM, crawl under and look for a wire that bolts to the front crossmember on your frame and then trace it back. My friends '70 grounds there as does my '81. Then again I'm not sure that '70 is running the original engine.
Good Luck,
kdlp
If you don't have an AIM, crawl under and look for a wire that bolts to the front crossmember on your frame and then trace it back. My friends '70 grounds there as does my '81. Then again I'm not sure that '70 is running the original engine.
Good Luck,
kdlp
