1947 Super Deluxe V8 engine ground strap?

[Clem Clement]

I have read that there should be a ground strap from the engine to the firewall on a 1947 super deluxe to make for a better starting engine. Does anyone have a photo (or good description) to show the original location, mine is no where to be found. I have purchased the strap and would like to place it as close to the original location as I can.
Thanks for the help!
John

I my mind you can't have enough grounds!!!

Block to frame
Frame to body
lights t frame
starter to block
Gen mount face super clean/gen to block
Cross members on frame to side frame

 

[JayChicago]

So that when the ballast resistor is cold, I'll get the full 6.7 volts to my coil and as it heats up then is reduced to I recall between 3 and 4 volts to the coil.

That is not correct. When cold will be about 3.5 volts to the coil. As the resistor heats up it will drop voltage only a few tenths of a volt. Then when engine running, points open 20% of the time, will jump up to about 4 volts.

There are systems that will give full battery voltage to the coil, but that requires separate wiring to by-pass the resistor during cranking.

 

[drolston]

On my '41 I still have the ground to firewall and firewall to intake manifold bolt. I also ran a heavy gauge copper cable directly from the battery ground terminal to the outboard bolt holding the starter in place. That bypasses any possibility of voltage drop across the several connections in the stock path. E.g., copper versus steel, paint, corrosion.

 

[ScubaChief60]

Hello Jay... thanks for correcting... I actually do appreciate it. I think in my mind I was recalling a thread from last June. There It was suggested that a 'Plan B' for bypassing the ballast resistor with a toggle switch was an idea to get you home till you could fix a failing resistor. From Senior Member Koates, I was advised more or less what you stated... " The Ford coil operates at 4 1/2 volts through the resistor but this voltage will vary depending how hot the resistor becomes during operation. "

If ever I had to go to my 'Plan B' then I would get the full 6.7 Volts. I have tested the switch and she fires up either way... but I have not had to run it on the full 6.7 since my original resistor just keeps on going.

Also been my experience now too what member Clem Clement says and that is "you can't have enough grounds!!!" . I like it

 

[TJ]

Oh... and I was advised too that same time to loose the braided strap and replace it with a proper sized lead just as you might use to connect your battery to the starter. Longer lasting and protected from the elements. ( From the mouth of that retired engineer. )

Good call on the ground strap. Those braided straps are a recipe for corrosion. I stopped using them years ago.

 

[SoCalCoupe]

I have read that there should be a ground strap from the engine to the firewall on a 1947 super deluxe to make for a better starting engine. Does anyone have a photo (or good description) to show the original location, mine is no where to be found. I have purchased the strap and would like to place it as close to the original location as I can.
Thanks for the help!
John

I had the same issue. Never knew if the car was going to start or not when it was warmed up. When someone pointed it out to me, I had a devil of a time finding the stud on the firewall. The wire bundle you see in the photo was resting on the the stud making it hard to distinguish from the background. When I put the ground in, the starting issues vanished. Later got a 6 volt Optima battery. All I have to do is think about touching the starter button and it fires right up. I canceled my plan to do a 12 volt conversion.