good ground

Dick M

Dick M

Well-known member
I recently read a thread about having a good ground. One of the main points of the thread was that optimum current can only flow through the system when the grounding is clean and the cables permit. I have an additional ground cable from the transmission top to the ground post. However, the engine still cranked rather slowly when starting. I pulled the starter and cleaned to bare metal the mounting boss on the flywheel housing, the back side of the starter, and the cross member boss for the ground cable. I also changed the ground cable to a woven cable. I just went out to start the A. It never in 13 years cranked over so fast. Moral of the story; GROUNDING IS SO IMPORTANT ON THE 'A'.
Thanks Fordbarn.
 
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CIRCUIT is from the root word CIRCLE. Electric power comes in through 1 wire & returns through a SECOND wire. ALL the metal stuff in a car is your SECOND wire!
UNLIKE a fiberglass boat, where everything has to have its' own set of GROUND wires.
Individual ground wires are getting more common, as our "modern" cars become MORE & MORE constructed from PLASTIC.
Bill W.
 
thanks for the reminder, most of us non-scientific people simply assume that any electric circuit is merely a make-or-break situation.

now if someone could just explain volts/amps to us....but I want to hear from someone who has actually seen them LOL
 
I had a friend who was tired of cleaning the mild steel bolts i welded in out of sight areas of his Jalopy . He went to the dark side, and had another welder weld stainless bolts in place of my mild steel bolts, some one told him stainless do not corrode true but it do not conduct electric as well. Use lots of mild steel bolts for your grounds. Don in Indiana
 
Yeah using a frame is not an ideal way to ground. Back in the day when I put Nuclear Cameras together in hospitals the FDA did not permit grounding by a frame. All metal covers had to have threaded studs welded and a ground wire with a single run back to the central ground bus... Model A clearly used ground method of their day.
 
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Also its weird to think about but in theory the only way the model A engine is grounded is by the front motor mount and up thru the driveshaft... even less if theres fresh thick paint...

I highly suggest adding a short braided "jumper" between the frame rail and trans bolt.
 
SeaSlugs said:
Also its weird to think about but in theory the only way the model A engine is grounded is by the front motor mount and up thru the driveshaft... even less if theres fresh thick paint...

I highly suggest adding a short braided "jumper" between the frame rail and trans bolt.
Click to expand...
Those little braided cables you mention, would be good, all over the car, IF you could HIDE them.:rolleyes:
Bill W.
 
yea thats the slight downside... at least the one from frame to trans can be hidden and kinda looks factory to the common eye.
 
ericr said:
thanks for the reminder, most of us non-scientific people simply assume that any electric circuit is merely a make-or-break situation.

now if someone could just explain volts/amps to us....but I want to hear from someone who has actually seen them LOL
Click to expand...

volts is pressure, when you have 12 volts you can use smaller wire then 6 volts amps is flow, 20 amps has less flow then 50 amps

its like filling a swimming pool with a 1/2 hose with 10 lb of water pressure or a 2 in hose with 100 psi
 
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