I have read MANY posts about ground problems. Thinking ahead (something new I'm trying.) The gas tank has "insulators" that will impact 'grounding". The metal gas line may provide some continuity, but....
For the fuel gauge float to work, it needs a ground. ????
Should I run a separate wire to ensure good ground?
6V Positive ground.
Julie??

Thanks in advance.

 

Yep! (IMHO)

 

Usually they are grounded by the bolts at the top that go straight into cab sheet metal. (on bonus builts anyway) You could use a ring connector under one of the sending unit screws.

 

That's exactly what Ford did a few years later.

 

53 has two straps that hold it down, and there is an insulator that goes under each strap and between the tank and the frame/support rails.

I'm assuming I will run a ground wire from one of the screws that hold the float assembly to the tank, to a ground somewhere on the frame.

I also need to know how the gas line runs from the tank to the fuel pump.... Not shown in Mid-fifty's catalog, and haven't been able to find it in the shop manual. Does anyone know how it goes? There seems to be a hole in the frame about where the line attaches to the tank... but I don't think it goes through there.

 

The tanks are normally grounded by contact with the connectors. But it certainly wouldn't hurt anything to run a redundant ground wire from under one of the sending unit screws, over to a 1/4 inch bolt running through the frame.

Here's a diagram for your fuel line routing. Note that the diagram title is incorrect. This is the fuel line routing on the V8 for 53 only (routing is different on the 54/55 Y-block because of the location of the fuel pump, and the 48-52 gas tanks are located behind the seat in the cab as with the 56). So the routing on the Bonus and Economy Builts is the same as the 56 up to the engine then the same as it is shown here for the 239, 226 and 215.

 

Julie,THANKS, somehow I knew you would have the answer. I didn't see anything that would give me a good ground. (Still don't...)
So I will be running an "extra" wire for ground.

That being said, I can see why people have problems with ground in general. The cab itself lacks a good solid "ground" connection to the frame. The whole front end is floating on the front radiator support which (at least on my 53) sits on some rubber bushings.
I will be running a number of secondary/additional ground wires.

 

Good grounds are essential:

I would run the grounding scheme like this:

Ground cable coming off the battery attaches onto one of the starter mouning bolts (starter is the highest demand item on the truck)

Then from the same bolt holding on the starter, run another battery type cable to the frame. Make sure the frame is ground down to bright metal when doing this and coat that spot with battery terminal protective jell where the cable bolts down.

Then run 1" wide woven grounding straps from the lower valance to the frame, from the cab to the frame, and the box to the frame.

 

Flathead starter bolts aren't big enough to do that, and don't have any extra length. They use through-bolts that holds everything together (outer stator coils and both end plates). A bellhousing bolt or an intake manifold bolt would work.

 

You really want to avoid using the fuel feed line as an electrical conduit, at all costs.

 

Yep especially since gasohol (up to 10% ethanol - which almost all gas is now) is electricro-statically conductive.

Lends new meaning to the words "whooooosh - boom!

 

Julie (whoooosssshhhh) and Wayne,
Come on, where is your sense of excitement.

That is why I was asking the original question... the only conductive connection that I see is the gas line.

Whoosshhh there I go.

 

One picture is worth 1000 words:

 

KaaaBooom, YIKES.....

So does EVERYONE keep an extinguisher under their seat?

 

O.T. Sure would be nice to get the salvage rights to this, doesn't look like there was enough heat to distort the sheet metal.