Well I was at the boneyard and scored some deals only to find my truck wouldn't start. It is fixed for now but where should the negative cable go? i got a 300, and it goes all the way down to the starter. Should I shorten it to the frame, and make another go from the frame to the engine block?

 

The starter draws more current than anything else on the truck. It would seem like a good idea to leave the large negative battery cable bolted directly to the starter. Almost every other electrical device on the truck uses the chassis or sheet metal for their grounds and it is also very important to maintain good ground straps from the engine block to the frame/sheet metal.

It will work if you run the negative battery cable to the frame first then extend another cable to the starter. But, the connection point of those two cables is a potential cause of starter problems. When the starter is drawing several hundred AMPS, it does not take much resistance at a cable connection to create a lot of heat and voltage drop.

 

I agree. If you want to run an extra cable from the engine to the frame, by all means go ahead, it can't hurt a thing. But leave the main battery negative cable at the starter.

 

I do not remember any Ford of mine where the negative cable went directly to the starter, even on my 1981 E-150 I-6 300. Usually it was somewhere on the block or the alt. bracket.

That being said, using #6 or larger cable I ground from my battery to

the engine
the frame
the body

Then I run a 12 guage to the exhaust (if EFI), the hood (if courtesy lamps), voltage regulator, and gas tank. On the exhaust I might run a strap from the block. On a BII the strap goes from the body to the exhaust, but, they always seem to fail there.

 

It was pointed out that it should be made clear that when we said it was OK for Wrenchturner’s negative cable to be run to the starter, we were talking about running the negative cable to the engine block at or near the starter.

The normal factory location for the negative cable is the engine block at or near the alternator bracket. We are not suggesting that the factory location be changed. But Wrenchturner said his negative cable was already run to the block at or near the starter.

 

i didn't mean to cause a riot, but i saw a ground distobution block i think it's th way to go. Take 4-6 guage wire and run it fromn the battery to the block and split it to the frame, engine block, and starter. and nip any problems in the bud.

 

Negative battery cables used to be attached to the starter mounting bolt ...years ago.

I assume that was discontinued when they found out people where attaching the Negative (Wrong) Cable to the + terminal of the starter drive.