Location of battery ground on V8 Engine, starter issue

To those who have the V8 I have a question. Where is the ground wire connection from the battery to your block?

Reason asking when I did my V8 engine swap 4 years ago I used my Ranger's alt/starter harness and the ground lug for that engine was on the driver's side so I attached it to the power steering/ a/c bracket. In those 4 years never had a problem with the starter.

A month ago I pulled the engine to do a clutch swap and fix an oil leak. When I did this I did several cosmetic improvements including painting these brackets and the engine back cover between the block and bellhousing. I'm thinking I screwed up the ground path of the starter through the cover to the bellhousing and to the block because I'm having to whack the starter every few days to get it started and some days when it does crank I can here a electrical "zzzz" down in the wheel well area.

the grounding wore for the block goes right along the underside of the timing cover, above the steering rack. It attaches to the block in two spots if I remember right...

let me dig through my 96 build thread and find pics.

On the bottom of the engine in this picture you can see the ground strap, it is wrapped in conduit and attached to the bottom of the engine with two long metal straps from the lower timing cover bolts to hold it in place...

again:


and again:


it attaches to the pass side of the block somewhere...still looking for that




You can simply run a big - wire rfom your battery directly to the block if you wish. On my BII I have gone through about 4 different ground wire setups. eventually I just ran a big cable to the block, a big cable to the frame, and a couple of smaller wires to the body.

Thank you. My harness goes across the top of the engine starting from the driver's side fender behind the p/s pump (where I ground) past the coil packs to the alternator and then the starter B+ and trigger wire dive down behind the alternator and then route back to the starter hanging off one of the engine mount to block studs.

Jamie, I think that is the positive battery cable going around to the starter-no?

it grounds on the passenger side motor mount

Wow, that's a long way to go for a block ground. There has to be a reason for this. Most engine grounds try to be as short as possible between the Block and B-.

techieman33 said:

it grounds on the passenger side motor mount

Click to expand...

maybe it is hahaha I will go look after work
I jsut remember thinking this is a jacked up setup.

I don't believe those are grounds, they are merely securing points for the starter positive cable--no?

Yeah, I think that's right. I did the timing chain a few months ago, and I'm pretty sure those were just securing a harness.

My starter is going fast. Get the AED out I had to hit it a few times to get it to start after work. I would work on it this evening if we didn't have a thunderstorm warning right now.

Let me know when you find the main ground and thanks to everyone for your help