Ground Straps?

M

mustang8

Senior Member
Did a 48 ford f1 have ground straps from the engine to the frame and from the body to the frame? Just finishing up my project of 6 - 12 volt, changed to negative ground, no more points, carb rebuilt, all brakes are new, new wiring harness, added tach, all fluids changed etc. And when the truck sits for a period of a few days the battery is dead. Wondering if that would have anything to do with it or not? Cant believe that with a new wiring harness id have a short somewhere but there is an obvious draw someplace. Thanks guys. Luke
 
I would add the ground strap you are referring to, but grounds will not be the source of your battery drain. Something is drawing current while it sets.
 
The engine/transmission has to be grounded somewhere, but I'm not knowledge about where or how it was grounded.
 
There was a ground close to the starter. I am not sure if it went to the frame, but that would not be a bad place to attach it. Rod
 
If you make up a blub and place it between one battery cable.
Remove one cable.The light will light.
Now start disconnecting thing like ign power,radio,ect.
When the light goes out there should be no more drain on battery.
 
It's been a while since I went through this, but IIRC, there is a special plug you need with a diode in it if using a one-wire alternator. If you don't use one of these, I believe the there is a current drain through the alternator. If you aren't using a one-wire, then this doesn't apply. As I said, my mind is a little hazy about this, but I'll throw it out there.
 
Originally there was a ground strap from a bolt that holds the rear of the intake manifold down, to the firewall. Don't remember if the ground from the battery went to the engine or the body. There was no ground to the frame.
Modern electronics w/their memory using power all the time can kill a battery when the vehicle is not used daily, depends on the battery and the electronics.
 
I've seen a very stock (near Dearborn) 48-50 F-1 V8 that had a braided strap from the battery (+) to a bung that's welded on the firewall just behind the battery. Then there was a separate cable from the cab to the bellhousing. Also a ground strap (small) from the cab to the frame from a separate bung. I don't care if that's "correct", it's just wrong! The battery ground cable needs to go directly to the block. My '52 has neither of those bungs.

You can see the two cables in these pics, not real clearly for the one on the BH (look right behind the carb).
 

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tubman said:
It's been a while since I went through this, but IIRC, there is a special plug you need with a diode in it if using a one-wire alternator. If you don't use one of these, I believe the there is a current drain through the alternator. If you aren't using a one-wire, then this doesn't apply. As I said, my mind is a little hazy about this, but I'll throw it out there.
Click to expand...

I do not have a plug with diode. Wonder where the heck a guy would get that? Never heard of that one before.
 
tubman said:
It's been a while since I went through this, but IIRC, there is a special plug you need with a diode in it if using a one-wire alternator. If you don't use one of these, I believe the there is a current drain through the alternator. If you aren't using a one-wire, then this doesn't apply. As I said, my mind is a little hazy about this, but I'll throw it out there.
Click to expand...

I think that is for 3-wire alternators being converted to 1-wire, and not wanting to use an idiot light.
 
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