1947 Super Deluxe V8 engine ground strap?

[crjohn]

I have read that there should be a ground strap from the engine to the firewall on a 1947 super deluxe to make for a better starting engine. Does anyone have a photo (or good description) to show the original location, mine is no where to be found. I have purchased the strap and would like to place it as close to the original location as I can.
Thanks for the help!
John

[47fordguy]

John

Here are two photos of the ground strap on my 47 Super Deluxe V8. Others can corroborate if it is the exact original location.

Cody

[Kube]

Originally Posted by 47fordkid

John

Here are two photos of the ground strap on my 47 Super Deluxe V8. Others can corroborate if it is the exact original location.

Cody

This is correct.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by 47fordkid

John

Here are two photos of the ground strap on my 47 Super Deluxe V8. Others can corroborate if it is the exact original location.

Cody

[crjohn]

Great photo's! Thanks so much!!! You rock!

[GB SISSON]

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I too am chiming in to say how good the photos are. The composition is just right too! Were they taken by an Iphone?

[Bill OH]

I have a 38 Ford 221 that had a ground strap from the battery to the firewall and another ground strap from the firewall to the engine, all of which yielded a voltage drop of 0.35 volts.
Steel does not have the conductivity of copper. I removed the ground strap from the battery to the firewall and replaced it with a 24 inch 1 gauge cable with a copper eye terminal that I soldered on with silver bearing solder. I connected that cable from the battery to the ground strap that goes from the firewall to the engine. Voltage drop now 0.10 volts and the starter spins much faster. I have experienced grabbing the throttle rod on a 47 Ford that was hot - installed a ground cable from the battery to the engine. I might add that the 1 gauge copper cable that I used had a steel eye terminal that caused an additional 0.1 volt drop, hence used the copper eye terminal to remove that drop.

[47fordguy]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

I too am chiming in to say how good the photos are. The composition is just right too! Were they taken by an Iphone?

Thanks! I took them with my Canon 190 IS camera which has a good flash to illuminate the engine bay.

[Veeder]

I brought the positive (positive grd) direct from the battery to the block and had the strap(as shown) as well for the misc. stuf. I think it nade the world of difference

[Clrascoe]

I am a new member and just saw this post. I see that the engine in the photo is green. Mine is also the same green. Someone at Ford told my father that was the correct color when we were rebuilding the engine back in the 70s; however, all the parts catalogues say the engine paint color is blue. Does anyone know what the color should be? My car is a "late" 47 super deluxe.

[RKS.PA]

I believe the "correct" color is blue. (At least mine is!!)

[47fordguy]

blue is the correct color as far as i know. some parts of my engine are the wrong color (green)

[Graeme / New Zealand]

Here's my one. Photo quality not as good as 47fordguy and you might ask "oi what's the accelerator linkage doing on that side?".....remember we are RHD down here at the "ass end of the world".

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by Graeme / New Zealand

Here's my one. Photo quality not as good as 47fordguy and you might ask "oi what's the accelerator linkage doing on that side?".....remember we are RHD down here at the "ass end of the world".

[corvette8n]

Had to replace my braided cable it was all full of white corrosion and almost rotted through. I sprayed the new cable heavily with fluid film, hope this preserves it.

[pistonbroke]

If your looking for functionality take your heavy braded or 1awg ground cable to a starter bolt . Electrons will always take the path of least resistance. You should still use your ground straps as they keep things like your gauges lights and heater in the loop but you will have little if any voltage loss to your starter. Of course this will not get you extra points from the judges at the shows. Tim

[Clrascoe]

Thanks for the answers on the engine color. On the cables, where is the battery ground cable supposed to connect? I don't see that cable in the pictures above. I am looking to replace mine but the ones I see from the parts companies are too short to reach the manifold or cylinder head from the battery.

[FortyNiner]

The battery ground cable is attached to a firewall ground stud on the PS (non-Austrailian versions) close to the battery box.

[ScubaChief60]

About the importance of this grounding strap... I had an engine replaced in a non Ford ( ) in 2018 and the installer failed to reconnect the engine to firewall grounding strap. The result was that when the engine was cold, it fired right up. When it was hot... you could not get it to fire up.

This happened about the third time outside a NAPA store... and one of the employees saw me with hood up and ventured out. He called his dad who had been an electrical engineer at GM and got him on the phone. Right away he said to check the grounding strap. It all had to do with more resistance as the wires and electrical system heats up... and the resulting flow of electrons being reduced. Same principal I understand as the purpose of the ballast resistor between the Ignition switch on my '35 Ford and the Coil. So that when the ballast resistor is cold, I'll get the full 6.7 volts to my coil and as it heats up then is reduced to I recall between 3 and 4 volts to the coil.

Anyhow... just things I have learned from advice and 'hard knocks'

[ScubaChief60]

Oh... and I was advised too that same time to loose the braided strap and replace it with a proper sized lead just as you might use to connect your battery to the starter. Longer lasting and protected from the elements. ( From the mouth of that retired engineer. )