Like the title says, I'd like to know where all of the grounds are SUPPOSED to be located, from the factory. More detailed than "head, block, chassis" if you could. I have one ground on the back of the passenger side head, but the others I cant find great spots for.

So I just got a ZZ4 intake, installed it, and am trying to set my timing (didnt feel like turning it to #1 TDC and all that good stuff so I eyed it). Before, the starter would click and turn the motor really fast, like it's supposed to. But now, after the intake swap the starter just clicks.

I have the braided ground going from the body to the back of the head, and another ground in between the distributor hold-down, and the intake.

There's another ground that I cant find a spot for, that I put on the passenger side strut bolt.

I'm almost sure that this is ground related seeing as the car started just fine before.


I would be more inclined to believe it to be a shimming problem if the car didnt work before the intake swap.

Thanks in advanced

 

i would assume that yours (like mine) will go to the back of the heads... the braided wire should be right, plus a couple of others on the pass head. the other head also hold about 4 grounds to it... never seen anything grounded to a dist hold-down before. that probably doesn't help you much, but the jist of it is that those grounds should be in close proximity of the back of the heads and will only reach one or the other.

 

The one that you are talking about that you attached to the strut, that attaches to a bracker that attaches to the alternator and water pump.

I would know because I broke the bolt that hold that bracket onto the alternator *the bolt broke inside of the head* It goes straight from the negative battery terminal to that.

not sure though, but thats just how mine is.

I can take a picture if you want.

Also, as sellmanb mentioned, I never heard of a ground attaching to the distro hold down. thats a little odd. I had 3 different wires being grounded to the back of the passenger head, maybe thats one of them, who knows.

but yeah, if you need a picture, ill be more than happy to provide you with one.

 

That picture would be great, I am having a hard time imagining which bolt holds that down.


I ghetto-fied my grounding locations since I wasnt sure, I had the one braided one on the back of the passenger head, but then I have one on the dizzy hold down, and one on the thermostat housing . I figured the wrong location had to be better than no location just to see if the car would start. Guess I was wrong? lol

On a sadder note, I took my starter off, and found it cracked all around the housing, took it back and got an LT1 starter... now I just need to figure out the wiring for that and I'll try to give it a spin again heh.

 

ill take a picture after i wake up, its 6:30 pm and i still havent gone to sleep from the other night, just checked my email.

 

http://img293.echo.cx/img293/4448/dscf09862ql.jpg


you can see the bracket that attaches to my alternator and water pump, thats it, that big fat cable goes straight to the - on my battery

 

You still have your smog pump and all, right Mr. Sellman?

 

I prefer a dedicated bolt hole on the block for the battery ground, and as short a run as possible, and it should also be grounded to the body from the battery as close as possible as well.

There's a set of grounds bolted to the rear of each head on my '88.
They're hard to work with, but I wouldn't want to lengthen them just get easier access.

 

Sure do Mr. Stek :-P (my computer doesnt work at the moment lol)


So there should be some grounds on the back of each head, a ground to that accessory bracket (which there is ), and one to the chassis.

How big should the one to the chassis be? I only have one and it seems to be pretty small and directly off the negative terminal of the battery.

 

The big cable off the battery to the bracket, for me, is 4 ga. I can send you a chunk of this 1/0 I have if you think you need bigger

 

Hah, nah 1/0 might be overkill

I found it odd though, I jacked the motor up a bit, and tried to start it and the starter worked perfectly. I guess I've got a stray ground somewhere that needs to be attached to a head or something.