I need a new ground cable for my car and I wonder if the new style cables will be enough ?My car is a 71 200-6. My cable went from the battery to under the corner of the voltage reg and then down to the engine block. Newer cables have a smaller gauge wire that come off the connector besides the cable for the engine block. My question is, is this smaller wire enough to ground the car if I run it under the corner of the voltage reg ? Thanks Rick
Depends what gauge the small wire is and what your car's worst case total electrical load might be. In my case I knew the little wire wasn't big enough so I window stripped the (-) cable right where it passes by one of the solenoid mounting bolts and soldered on a copper strap to go under the bolt. That way the car body is grounded by the full sized cable.
The small wire is a redundant ground for the body electrical systems. The big wire is for the starter and alternator. The newer systems have an additional ground from the block to the body as well as the one from the neg cable to control ground shifts and electrical noise. I personally like to ground the big wire to the body and engine block like bmcdaniel mentioned above. Either method works.
Repop wires ... although pricier ... have the multiple ground that you are describing just like the original.
dmcdaniel, do you have any pics as I would like to do this but haven't been able to find a fitting anywhere. I went though Home depot electrical dept and couldn't find anything that wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb. Also how did you solder it without melting the covering ? I also thought about putting on a ground strap from the block to the frame but I would rather go with what you did. Thanks Rick
You won't find the clamps in the electrical section, they're used to support copper water pipe. I used a small torch to pre-tin the cable and the inside of the clamp with solder then put them together and just reflowed the solder. My camera batteries are dead at the moment.
OK so now I have to find a clamp for 1/4 inch pipe. Just kidding, you must have cut a 1/2 hanger and used that ? Being a pipefitter I have used many of them but for hanging pipe. Great idea the tinning ! Thanks alot Rick
