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I searched the forums and came across a tutorial for replacing the factory battery cables. It suggested adding a second ground cable to the front of the engine block.
I was going to run it to the alternator bracket, but then I saw the bung from when I removed the rats nest bracket. Is there any reason I shouldn't attach the cable here, or should I move it forward to the alt bracket? This just seemed like an easy solution since there was a tapped hole right there.
Nope that'll work fine.What'll make it work better is take some sandpaper and clean rotor housing til shiny where cable lug lays against it. Clean up threads and bottom side of mounting washer or buy a new 6mm x 1.0mm flange head bolt. Run a 6mm x 1,0mm tap thru threads in rotor housing to be thorough and put some vaseline on cable/bolt to keep corrosion at bay.
Perfect, thanks! The hole was actually clean as a whistle since I recently removed the solenoid bracket. I did hit the bolt and bottom of the washer with a wire brush and coated everything with dielectric grease before installing. I would have used a new bolt but didn't have any in that thread that were short enough. Might pick one up next time I'm at the hardware store.
But yeah, everything on this car is kind of grimey. I've learned to clean/replace as I go.
My concern was that grounding to the aluminum housing wouldn't be as effective as grounding to the iron, but after some short testing I'm happy to report that things seem to be working great. I noticed that the interior dash lights are much brighter and my voltage gauge needle no longer bounces when I use the turn signals.
Can't say for certain that it's due solely to the new ground strap because I also replaced both battery cables and the rear engine ground, but overall I'm impressed with how much of a difference the new cables have made.
I may still move the front ground cable to the alternator bracket. I still have my AC components in the car even though they aren't currently working. Haven't decided if I want to try and fix it, or just remove the AC stuff. If I remove it, I'll probably take the time to re-route the ground strap and clean things up.
You didnt mention the primary use (*or seasonal use) for this car, but if weight is important to you, that bracket must weigh 40lbs and the compressor another 20+. I'm always amazed how much that stuff weighs when I have to disconnect it and move it around, and it's in the heaviest corner of the car if neutral balance matters (battery corner).
This car is an occasional use, summers only driver. Air would be nice if I don't have to put a lot of effort and cash into making it work. The AC belt was disconnected when I bought the car, so I assume something wasn't working right and a previous owner disabled but never removed the components. My plan is to take it to a shop to have the system checked/tested and see what it needs to be functional. If it's an easy fix, I'll keep it. If not, out it comes. I didn't realize that stuff was that heavy. Will surely make a difference removing it.
I also have an '85 (believe it's a G model with optional factory air) that I'm turning into a Lemons/track car. I plan on tearing out the AC, so maybe I'll be able to reuse some of those parts in my GS if I need to.
What you may find is that the PO removed the A/C belt to facilitate easier replacement of the Alternator / Water Pump / Air Pump belts, as the A/C pulley is the outermost pulley of them all, IIRC. Point being, your A/C compressor may be just fine after a refill.
GSLSEforme posted an awesome A/C thread within the past 3 weeks that covered retrofit from R12 to a different R-product using computer duster which outlines everything you'd need to do to get your A/C up and running.
Knock on wood, but my A/C is still blowing cold with original components since 1984 with only annual recharge with R134a, which works fine for my purposes - and I DD'd this car today with a heat advisory at 107F and single-digit humidity. They were built with quality parts, so don't be quick to remove it if you think you'd use it. Having a spare everything from your track car makes that a no-brainer,
That's what I'm hoping. I asked the PO what the condition of the compressor was when I bought the car and he couldn't recall why the AC was originally disabled. He had been running occasional auto-x events with it and he thought he may have removed the belt because it needed a recharge and he didn't want the extra drag on the main pulley. I'm hoping it just needs a new belt and a recharge. I'll install a new drier since the car sat for a number of years before I bought it. That's probably a project for next spring though. I'll be shifting my focus to the track car over the fall/winter and getting it ready to race in Lemons next season.
My concern was that grounding to the aluminum housing wouldn't be as effective as grounding to the iron, but after some short testing I'm happy to report that things seem to be working great. I noticed that the interior dash lights are much brighter and my voltage gauge needle no longer bounces when I use the turn signals.
Can't say for certain that it's due solely to the new ground strap because I also replaced both battery cables and the rear engine ground, but overall I'm impressed with how much of a difference the new cables have made.
I may still move the front ground cable to the alternator bracket. I still have my AC components in the car even though they aren't currently working. Haven't decided if I want to try and fix it, or just remove the AC stuff. If I remove it, I'll probably take the time to re-route the ground strap and clean things up.
08-25-19, 04:33 PM
