Battery ground cable location

Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration
Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: Battery ground cable location
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Blancard on Tuesday, September 25, 2012 - 08:02 pm:

I've been reading the archives and the advice about using 00 cables from the battery to the starter switch and starter. Also about the importance of a good battery ground. My starter turns over well enough, but I want to see if I can improve current flow by making a better ground connections on my '24 touring car. I have what appears to be the correct heavy cloth covered + cables. I have a woven ground cable attached to a bolt that holds the battery frame to the frame rail, see below.

groudn cable

The frame, and battery frame are both rusty and I expect not making the best contact with each other. Is this the correct location for the ground strap to attach? I will probably remove the battery frame and clean all the metal to metal contact locations, then reassemble with dialectric grease. But I want to make sure this is where it should be connected.

Any other tips while I'm working on it?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By William L Vanderburg on Tuesday, September 25, 2012 - 08:46 pm:

That's the spot...


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By ben jermainne on Tuesday, September 25, 2012 - 08:48 pm:

Thats what i did


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ron Patterson-Nicholasville, Kentucky on Tuesday, September 25, 2012 - 08:51 pm:

Here is the way it was from the factory.
1
Ron the Coilman


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Blancard on Tuesday, September 25, 2012 - 09:41 pm:

Thanks guys. Is the solid copper strap a better conductor than the woven style?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken Kopsky, Lytle TX on Tuesday, September 25, 2012 - 11:36 pm:

Conductors of the same cross-section have the same properties (DC). Solid conductors are less pron to corrosion because they have less surface area exposed. Other than that, they are the same.

By the way; "from the factory" is a aphoristic term at best. Ford is known to have used three different ground cables including an insulated round cable.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Stitt-Southern Oregon on Wednesday, September 26, 2012 - 01:06 am:

Years ago I was a high level sweep and power supply tech in a Silicon valley CATV outfit. Power supplies were used keep the super trunk and trunk lines active if the power went out. A spot outage on the super trunk would take everything out for miles. A 70 amplifier cascade.
Those power supplies had large banks of batteries.
We kept a gallon of Karo syrup to coat the terminals to keep corrosion down. Worked very well.
Given the circumstance of a power supply failure they believed in corn syrup.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan B on Wednesday, September 26, 2012 - 06:24 am:

I do not believe they make the flat strap copper ground anymore. Does anyone know of a supplier that is still carrying it?

One things for sure, on a 6 volt system, you must have good connections!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Miller, Mostly in Dearborn on Wednesday, September 26, 2012 - 07:01 am:

Dan,

If you can't find one in a T catalog, check with a Model A supplier. Model A also used a solid copper ground strap.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By ROBERT J STEINER on Wednesday, September 26, 2012 - 07:53 am:

Vintage Ford has been inquiring with RJ&L Vintage Wiring Supplies on reproducing them out of copper bands but they haven't supplied a sample dimensions of the thickness of the copper along with the center to center distances of the ground cable..www.rjlautofasteners.com


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Blancard on Wednesday, September 26, 2012 - 08:40 am:

Lang's appears to have the solid copper strap:
http://www.modeltford.com/item/5049BOR.aspx

I'm not sure what the gauge is of the braided strap I have now, but it is pretty heavy and thick. I have another braided ground strap from another vehicle and it is noticeably thinner. So I assume the one on my T is one is the proper, heavy gauge size.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ron Patterson-Nicholasville, Kentucky on Wednesday, September 26, 2012 - 12:22 pm:

Steve
I could have chosen my words a bit more carefully. Of course Ken is correct.
If I had this problem and could not find a new strap type cable I would have a custom cable of appropriate length made from 1/0 or 2/0 stranded cable with two new terminals ends installed and have them silver soldered. Crimped terminals are bad news in the long run. Install it after cleaning the mounting hole on both sides of the frame to bright metal using a new bolt/nut with internal or external tooth lock washers on both sides and tighten it well.
Just my view of a quality job.
Ron the Coilman


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Peter Claverie on Wednesday, September 26, 2012 - 12:46 pm:

One further note:

The ground strap or wire you inquired about is one thing, but there is a weak spot where the engine connects to the frame. There's movement, and oiliness, and rust there.

What lots of us have done, is run a cable from the engine to the frame, to augment the engine mount as an electrical path.

In my case, I used one of the bolts that holds the 'fourth main' on the back of the engine, and one of the bolts that holds the brake lever assembly. Of course, clean bright connections at both places.

Perhaps a better location would be to use one of the starter's own mounting bolts, but that would show, and you seem to be concerned about looking as original as possible. The location I used is not visible under normal circumstances.

Since this was a 'secondary path' for the juice, I figured I didn't need a 2/0 cable, and used a lighter, 12 volt cable. They are available in almost limitless lengths and lug combinations, at auto parts stores.

I must say, this addition, while not "correct," made a noticeable difference in the speed of the starter.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By ROBERT J STEINER on Wednesday, September 26, 2012 - 12:55 pm:

Most of the 6v battery cables are 1ga. 1/0 >(0), AND 2/0 >(00) are not common on the battery cables.
Cable sizes, attached is a chart of the strands and diameter of the cable. We sell more or the 1ga & 2ga cables than 1/0 and the 2/0.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ron Patterson-Nicholasville, Kentucky on Wednesday, September 26, 2012 - 01:22 pm:

Robert
The Model T part prints for battery to switch and switch to starting motor call for 1/0 19 strand cable.
Ron the Coilman


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By ROBERT J STEINER on Wednesday, September 26, 2012 - 02:29 pm:

Thanks Ron, According to Roman from RJ&L he is making more of the 1/0ga cotton braided wire for the T-people and he is also bringing that wire down to Hershey/ That chart will help restorers on what type of cable wire they should be using.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Blancard on Wednesday, September 26, 2012 - 02:44 pm:

The braided cable I have now is heavy, but the terminal ends are crimped. I may try to flow some solder into the battery terminal crimped end, but it is lead, so I'll have to keep the heat mostly on the cable side. The other end should not be a problem soldering. I thought about adding an additional cable at the motor end, it sure couldn't hurt. I like to keep the car looking original as reasonably possible (although I did just add disc brakes, so that blows my credibility!), another cable would help. I plan to remove the battery frame tonight and start cleaning it and frame area where the cable attaches.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By George_Cherry Hill NJ on Wednesday, September 26, 2012 - 03:37 pm:

Fwiw...if not going for show
I get a chandelier box strap, in chromate yellow and not zinc or cad plated and use it as a washer between the nut and the strap end. Then when things come along like aux lights, I run dedicated grounds back and the bracket already has a bunch of taps in it. Eliminates all those open grounds on body to frame or etc. Yellow Chromate finish will last about 10x the cad finish.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Larry Smith on Friday, September 28, 2012 - 09:31 pm:

The ground strap that Langs sells is correct for your car. After you receive it you will notice the terminal says P and N, meaning that that terminal will work for either size battery connection. The original straps will only work on a negative ground. The Model A strap is a positive ground, and will hardly work on a T, because the terminal is too big. Other that that it is the same. Also, the original Ford ground straps were zinc plated. The new ones are not.


Posting is currently disabled in this topic. Contact your discussion moderator for more information.
Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration