Body to engine strap?

[bilug]

On my 71 Cuda there wasn't a body to engine ground strap. Should there have been one? I don't remember any bolt in the firewall where one would have gone!

Mike

[lemonboy69]

I'm pretty sure there's supposed to be one...   My guess is is that it's only to make sure that the engine isn't ungrounding itself from the body... dunno what harm not having one would cause tho?!  

LB

[mustardketchup]

Bilug:

     I'm going to disagree with Lemonboy and say there is not supposed to be a ground strap.  There wasn't on my 1971 Barracuda Convertible (but this car was highly molested before I bought it).  In all of the pictures I have seen of the E-bodies, I never recall seeing a ground strap.

     I'm writing this from my work computer, so I need to get home to check some of my book sources.  But while I'm here, I'll stick my neck out and say that I thought I remember ground straps being used on earlier Mopars, like pre-1968 or something like that.  If you have access to a Year-One catalog, I think they list ground straps and tell you what years they are for.  When I check into it further, I'll post back.

P.S.  As Lemonboy said, though,  I can't see the harm in a strap.  But if your trying to acheive the "correct look", that's another matter.

Larry  

[lemonboy69]

I was going out on a limb as it was with what I was saying... I don't remember off hand whether or not my dad's '73 Chally has one or not... but my '69 'Cuda does.... hope this helps!!    

LB

[RabidScott]

Very simple - YOU NEED AN ENGINE GROUND STRAP!

Otherwise, all those chassis grounds, ie. anything that grounds through the chassis; your stereo, the fuel sending unit, gauges, ignition, etc, may not function CORRECTLY.  There will always be some minor engine/chassis grounds, but how does the ground reach the negative side on the battery unless it (the engine, or negative battery cable) has a chassis ground strap?  Electricity operates on a circuit.  If there isn't a good way to complete the circuit, things won't work right, or at all.  A ground strap is an *excellent* idea, and they're only a couple of bucks from Pep Boys or Kragen.

[mustardketchup]

RabidScott:

     I hear what you're saying about the ground, but I don't ever recall seeing a ground strap on these E-bodies.  The engine is grounded to the negative battery terminal, right, so is that the only engine ground strap?  I say it is the only engine ground.  I looked through the Chrysler factory chassis service manual for 1971, and only saw that particular battery terminal ground, which was listed as an "engine ground".  This can be found on page 8-152 in the wiring diagrams page if anybody has the manual.  I saw no other engine grounds listed.

      When bilug asked if there was a ground strap, I figured he was talking about an additional strap.  I'm talking about those flat braided metal style straps that you usually see in GM cars from this period of time, usually fastened from the engine to the firewall.  My car ran when I bought it, and beside the negative batery terminal fastened to the engine, I never saw any other ground straps.

     Now don't get me wrong.  I'm sure the additional strap will not hurt anything.  I'm just raising the question, is the additional ground necessary and was it something found on stock vehicles?

     As I mentioned in my first post (and I will be more specific now regarding years of application), my Year One catalog shows engine ground straps, but only for '63-'69 cars.  So does anybody know if their E-bodies came stock with an engine ground strap (beside the ground from the block to the negative battery post)?

Larry

[mustardketchup]

RabidScott:

     After I gave my long-winded reply, I went back and read your post again.  Then I pulled my head out from my 'ass, which is when I came across your sentence: "but how does the ground reach the negative side on the battery unless it (the engine, or negative battery cable) has a chassis ground strap?"

     I must give you credit, because right there in the chassis manual, they also show that the negative battery cable has a ground to chassis.

     So you are 100% right (and maybe I need to take an automotive electrical course): the ground reaches the negative battery terminal through the factory chassis ground strap that is also attached to the cable.  

[bilug]

Right...the NEG battery cable splits...one side goes to the block, the other to the chassis.

So no need for another ground strap correct!?!?

Thanks for all the feedback by the way!

Mike

[lemonboy69]

Looks like you already got your answer... but I'll ask my buddy who's got a crap load of engine shots for '70-71's... see if he's got any that might show one...

LB

[BIG MIKE]

the NEG battery cable splits...one side goes to the block, the other to the chassis.

that's right.

the fat cable goes to the block, then, i think it a 10 gage wire goes to the chassis. most the time it close to the battery on the rad. support.

[cv70chall]

I believe there is also a braided ground strap that connects at the lower bolt of the voltage regulator and the rear of the block.
!!!!

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Wowsa!

  A 10 year old thread.   

I do recognize these old members though. I wonder what happened to them?   

[4 speed fish]

I ran a ground strap from a top bell housing  bolt to the frame rail on my 70 cuda.I did it for an extra ground.Better safe than sorry.

[high perf mopar]

i ran a ground strap from the front of the engine block right behind the power steering pump to a hole on the drivers side frame rail..alt would not charge and the gauges would not work until i did this,,,entire car was freshly painted,,and thats why nothing worked...