1979 SA This is the wire that goes to the carb solenoid but it has a slice (broken) that looks like it may have been connected to the keg as a ground which doesnt make sense as it as voltage on it. I am also looking for a wire that I feel should be used as ground to the keg. I looked in my old Clymer manual wiring diagrams but reading those diagrams are not my specialty.

 

Hmmmm... I am unfamiliar with the 79, does your car have an internal regulated alternator conversion, meaning unused wires from the old alternator? I can't think of anything else in that vicinity that may have needed to see ignition voltage all the time, that wasn't already part of the solenoid rack harness.

Also... I mean... a PO may have seen "black wire" and thought "Oh hey this has to be grounded"

 

The 79 had both points in the dizzy and an external voltage regulator.

 

Yes, mine still has points and external regulator. Car seems to run fine, carb has been modded so maybe it has something to do with that. It is a black/white stripe wire.

 

Since your car has been heavily modified, you'll need to trace things out in the wiring diagram.

 

So the wire you are holding goes to the round solenoid behind the fuel line? Looks to me like someone was splicing into the wire for an unknown reason. I doubt it was for grounding purposes. It's apparent that the rats nest has been removed too, so it's hard to tell what other modifications have been done.

The negative battery cable is the main ground. From the battery, it first attaches to the body on the shock tower, below the fusible link block. It continues down and to the rear and eventually goes back up, attaching to the upper / drivers side of the transmission bell housing with one of the bolts that attach the transmission to the rear iron.

 

Trace that wire out and let us know which plug it goes to. I'll check the wiring diagram.

 

Thanks everyone for your input, I’m starting to think that it is not a factory splice, someone wrongly thought it could be used as a ground which is not possible. I will study the diagram KC Repu provided and make sure I have all the grounds I need.

 

That doesn't look OEM to me personally, especially if there isn't a white stripe on the spliced wire. If there is, then maybe, and it honestly wasn't done too badly either minus the lack of heat shrink.

The main wire is for the float bowl vent solenoid and is powered any time the key is in the run position. The float bowl must be vented when running or else weird things happen.

If I were to fathom a guess I'd bet someone needed something to be powered whenever the car was on and tapped into that wire for the purpose. Beyond that I'm really not sure, but the main clue I would use is where or not there's a white stripe on that cut wire or not.

It could also be for the purge system solenoid, which I believe mounts on the top of the engine originally and only takes one wire. Not certain on that however.