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Engine Grounding

bra0063

By bra0063,
in Engines & Forced Induction

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blk94r33 Mentor

blk94r33

Posted
Posted

Before wasting your money just get a multimeter and test resistance between points, its not required.

+1

Best way to do it is to have someone crank the car (lots of load on the wiring) with fuel pump or injectors disconnected. Anything over 0.1 volts under these conditions can cause trouble later on.

And if you're going to, don't buy a "grounding kit" off Ebay. good 8 or 4ga wire, which is available in all kinds of pretty colours, a few eye terminals, solder and heat-shrink, and you can make up some nice looking items for less money and that are the proper length...

Kinks Grand Master

Kinks

Posted
Posted

Jaycar also sell ready-made ground straps which will be a LOT less fiddling around than 4G/8G, and cheaper by the time you add up connectors etc.

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=WE3102&keywords=we31&form=KEYWORD

WE-3102: 40 Amp 250mm length with 36 x 26 strands @ 0.15 (Dia.)mm

WE-3104: 100 Amp 250mm length with 48 x 20 strands @ 0.15 (Dia.)mm

I'd be surprised if you couldn't get similar from an auto store.

Side note, solder is NOT the best way of making these connections. Solder's a poor conductor, and better reserved for building circuit boards. If you're going to go the 4G/8G route, crimp your connections. You can solder afterwards (NOT before!!) if you want but crimping provides a much stronger join mechanically, and lower resistance electrically.

blk94r33 Mentor

blk94r33

Posted
Posted

Jaycar also sell ready-made ground straps which will be a LOT less fiddling around than 4G/8G, and cheaper by the time you add up connectors etc.

http://www.jaycar.co...31&form=KEYWORD

WE-3102: 40 Amp 250mm length with 36 x 26 strands @ 0.15 (Dia.)mm

WE-3104: 100 Amp 250mm length with 48 x 20 strands @ 0.15 (Dia.)mm

I'd be surprised if you couldn't get similar from an auto store.

Side note, solder is NOT the best way of making these connections. Solder's a poor conductor, and better reserved for building circuit boards. If you're going to go the 4G/8G route, crimp your connections. You can solder afterwards (NOT before!!) if you want but crimping provides a much stronger join mechanically, and lower resistance electrically.

+1

My bad. Definitely crimp the connections, then solder and heat-shrink. The solder is more there to help prevent the connection getting coroded, coming loose, or burning out...

blk94r33 Mentor

blk94r33

Posted
Posted

There was an article in a street commonwhores mag I read a while ago comparing the before and after of a "Hot Earth" kit, ironic name...

Gave about 12kw peak gain and moved the power left, there was literally about 20-25 8ga cables running to all the primary bits, such as coils, fuel pump, ECU earth, MAF sensor etc...

Kinks Grand Master

Kinks

Posted
Posted

+1

My bad. Definitely crimp the connections, then solder and heat-shrink. The solder is more there to help prevent the connection getting coroded, coming loose, or burning out...

Well.. a proper crimp is gas-tight and mechanically sound. If you have properly crimped the terminal there's no reason to solder at all, but if you've done 90% of the job then a bit of added strength from the solder might help.

Soldering certainly doesn't hurt and I've soldered after crimping myself because the gold connectors Jaycar sells for 4G/8G cable need all the mechanical help they can get. They're very soft. Better off using some stronger ones from Supercheap/Whitworths to begin with but I was lazy :P

blk94r33 Mentor

blk94r33

Posted
Posted

Well.. a proper crimp is gas-tight and mechanically sound. If you have properly crimped the terminal there's no reason to solder at all, but if you've done 90% of the job then a bit of added strength from the solder might help.

Soldering certainly doesn't hurt and I've soldered after crimping myself because the gold connectors Jaycar sells for 4G/8G cable need all the mechanical help they can get. They're very soft. Better off using some stronger ones from Supercheap/Whitworths to begin with but I was lazy :P

Personally, on my own car where time/cost isn't a big issue, I cut off the plastic covers, crimp the terminals (usually narva items, seem to do the job), solder the joint, quick spray with battery-terminal protector, then heat-shrink. Not only do you get a good looking connection (compared to the tacky plastic covers), but it's also rock-solid, can't corrode, come loose, or burn out....

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