[DeTomaso] Techno question: the negative ground battery cable

[Asa Jay Laughton]

My guess is they ran it that way for the best bang for the buck at the 
starter.  It's not strictly necessary of course.  However, as Mike 
points out, it's a good idea to ground the engine/ZF to the body at some 
point.  My Pantera had a ground strap from the ZF to part of the frame, 
in addition to the short one in the front trunk. In the case of your 
friend's car, someone put a cable direct.

You could leave the long one in place, no real harm as long as it's a 
HUGE cable, not your standard run of the mill battery cable size. And 
then also attach one at the battery stud in the front trunk.

I do think the better option might be take the long one out (especially 
if it's smaller gauge), hook up the one in the trunk, then run another 
one at the engine as Mike suggested.

Asa Jay

Asa Jay Laughton - W7TSC, MSgt, USAFR, Retired
Spokane County ARES-RACES-ACS EC/RO
******************************
https://w7tsc.org
https://www.teampanteraracing.com

On 9/19/2020 19:13, Charles Engles wrote:
>     Dear Forum,
>
>
>                     I am an electrical ignoramus.  I am working on a
>     friend's Pantera and I noticed that his battery negative cable does not
>     connect to the ground stud near the back of the battery.  A previous
>     owner cut a hole and routed an new cable all the way back under the car
>     to ground it the bottom of the ZF.
>
>
>                     The car has not been functional for about twenty five
>     years and my friend has mostly resurrected it.  He tells me that with
>     about five hundred miles of driving his dash board instruments and
>     lights seem to work fine.
>
>
>                      Is it important to run a short cable to the ground
>     stud in addition to the apparently functional new ground cable directly
>     to the ZF?
>
>
>                                      Warmest regards, Chuck Engles
>
>
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-------------- next part --------------
   My guess is they ran it that way for the best bang for the buck at the
   starter.  It's not strictly necessary of course.  However, as Mike
   points out, it's a good idea to ground the engine/ZF to the body at
   some point.  My Pantera had a ground strap from the ZF to part of the
   frame, in addition to the short one in the front trunk.  In the case of
   your friend's car, someone put a cable direct.
   You could leave the long one in place, no real harm as long as it's a
   HUGE cable, not your standard run of the mill battery cable size.  And
   then also attach one at the battery stud in the front trunk.
   I do think the better option might be take the long one out (especially
   if it's smaller gauge), hook up the one in the trunk, then run another
   one at the engine as Mike suggested.
   Asa Jay
Asa Jay Laughton - W7TSC, MSgt, USAFR, Retired
Spokane County ARES-RACES-ACS EC/RO
******************************
[1]https://w7tsc.org
[2]https://www.teampanteraracing.com

   On 9/19/2020 19:13, Charles Engles wrote:

   Dear Forum,


                   I am an electrical ignoramus.  I am working on a
   friend's Pantera and I noticed that his battery negative cable does not
   connect to the ground stud near the back of the battery.  A previous
   owner cut a hole and routed an new cable all the way back under the car
   to ground it the bottom of the ZF.


                   The car has not been functional for about twenty five
   years and my friend has mostly resurrected it.  He tells me that with
   about five hundred miles of driving his dash board instruments and
   lights seem to work fine.


                    Is it important to run a short cable to the ground
   stud in addition to the apparently functional new ground cable directly
   to the ZF?


                                    Warmest regards, Chuck Engles


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References

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