How do I upgrade grounding?

[SpeeednV6]

I would like to know how some have upgraded their grounds? I figure the car could use better grounding.

 

[bogies87]

Check with Caspers they have a ground kit.

 

[we4Mateo]

You can always just add universal ground straps too. I have them all over my car and am glad I did it. You'll save yourself a lot of headaches having a rock solid electrical system with these cars. The wiring was barely adequate when new and now with age, well, you're heading down the right path.

 

[salvageV6]

Dual post batteries make it easier.

Just buy a h.d. ground cable from the top post and go to an engine bolt or the frame or fender.

Relocating the back of the passenger head grounds is a must for physical connection upgrades and ease of access to them.

 

[SpeeednV6]

Yea, I know about Casper's kit but I wanted to get the universal straps and attach throughout the car. I wanted to know at what exact points were grounds attached. I have a Casper's engine harness and relocated the pass. head grounds long ago to the intake bolt under the coil pack.

 

[Nick Micale]

I would like to know how some have upgraded their grounds? I figure the car could use better grounding.

You are so right, especially a GN with added electrical items that taxes the entire system.

Since the car body is the ground plane, additional ground connection directly to the battery will help.

The large gauge negative cable from the battery is connected to the engine since the heaviest electrical load is the starter. Of course the engine harness is also grounded on there.

The accessories are grounded to the body via a 10 ga. wire from the battery. Adding another ground wire or 2 between the battery and body would be helpful as the 25 year old connections can develop LOTS of resistance.

On street/strip and race cars, we take critical electrical items like the computer, fuel pump, trans brake and others, and connect them DIRECTLY to the battery, both positive and ground. This is very important for consistent and reliable performance.

Just finished wiring upgrades an a street/strip turbo T, and this is not inexpensive. Just cable, wires, terminal ends and misc. parts were over $300, but it is worth the effort and expense considering all the other items needed to go faster!

The chassis/frame and body are horrible conductors for power or ground circuits, so we run copper rather than use 25 year old, low grade steel frame rails as conductors.

Just another comment, I have seen cars with heavy gauge power wire feeding a component, and a smaller ground connected to the frame or other bad place. The ground MUST have the same capacity as the feed to complete the return circuit.

 

[we4Mateo]

Yea, I know about Casper's kit but I wanted to get the universal straps and attach throughout the car. I wanted to know at what exact points were grounds attached. I have a Casper's engine harness and relocated the pass. head grounds long ago to the intake bolt under the coil pack.

I ran all heavy duty ones, but attached the following: battery to body, head to body, block to frame, frame to body, and fuel tank to body. Even though the frame doesn't do much, it's all connected and part of the loop now.

 

[fleebag]

I bought a dual post battery and the top post goes to frame and side is oem then I added ground wire from intake to block on firewall then firewall to inside cab .hth

 

[SpeeednV6]

Thanks all for the input. I will be ground upgrading shortly. Perhaps we could use a "Sticky" on this topic. I'm sure many will want this info. as new GN owner's come into play.

 

[we4Mateo]

Thanks all for the input. I will be ground upgrading shortly. Perhaps we could use a "Sticky" on this topic. I'm sure many will want this info. as new GN owner's come into play.

x2. My one incident where damage to the motor occurred was do to a low voltage condition at 25psi! This will never happen to me again and hopefully nobody else either.

 

[TURBOPOWERED68]

stupid question alert -
Do you/we really need $45.00 "ground straps" or would regular good wire with ends on it work just the same??

 

[salvageV6]

Cheap welding cable works too 2 gauge or so.

Look at discount surplus electronics shops for the heavy braid straps in thicker gauge for cheap.

They usually come terminated into nice flat ring terminals.

 

[charlief1]

Thanks all for the input. I will be ground upgrading shortly. Perhaps we could use a "Sticky" on this topic. I'm sure many will want this info. as new GN owner's come into play.

When you do yours just take lots of pics and then do a posting in the "how to" section. That would be the best way to do it.

 

[Phoneguy]

This is what I did with the engine grounds. I used 6 gauge, its overkill but I had it laying around so I used it. Front of block where battery connection is made to grounding bar, grounding bar to coilpack bracket, both heads and firewall. The factory grounds from the back of the head have been relocated to the firewall and terminate with the ground from the grounding bar.

 

[Roger]

I installed Caspers ground kit & highly recommend it. The kit gives a good point to attach auxiliary grounds.
I also ran # 6 (#4 to the rear) wires all over the car.
Enhanced the grounds to the rear of the pass head.