[CopperCJ7]

Originally Posted by SlikRic

OK what is the wipeboy upgrade? Any doc's?

Basically, they make wipers that are bent so you don't have to fight them to see out of your windshield. This is for CJs and YJs as the newer Wranglers adopted this idea already. Yes, I thought of simply buying the TJ or JK wipers for my CJ. They're too long. Also, the Wipeboy includes a piece for the linkage that allows for longer arm sweeps.

http://riptech.net/cgi-bin/ps.cgi?ACTION=THISPAGE&THISPAGE=psdbi/WB-CJ.html&ORDER_ID=3245343136

Or the billet:
http://riptech.net/cgi-bin/ps.cgi?ACTION=THISPAGE&THISPAGE=psdbi/WB-BK-EM.html&ORDER_ID=3245343136

[SlikRic]

Thanks Copper!

[CopperCJ7]

Originally Posted by SlikRic

Thanks Copper!

No worries, Ric

[Scrambler82]

JeepHammer,

Nice write and I agree completely especially in a Jeep where grounding issues always pop up.

In fact all grounds should be run to a common point and then to the battery.

My project has ground bars located under the hood, under the dash and in the rear of the vehicle, they are isolated from the body completely. these bars are in turn connected together and then to the negative terminal on the battery; there are no Body or Frame Grounding points.
There is also a ground wire, as your pic, to the starter bolt.

This method as, JeepHammer stated, reduces the number of grounding problems that will occur over the life of the vehicle.

When wiring Off-Road Lighting always run a ground wire from the lights to the battery or neg. stud; the lights will burn brighter and last longer.

Luck,

[Fatman]

Can't have enough grounds!
I have a ground Bus Bar in the cab as well

[JeepHammer]

Originally Posted by heath84CJ7

Jeephammer,

If your tub and fenders are Fiberglass would you still place that Brass Post on the fender and then run a dedicatd ground to the engine and one to the Frame from there? Just curious as I will be wiring in the next couple of weeks!!

The Diagrams you have are Awesome!! Where did you get them??

Didn't 'Get' them, I drew them.
There wasn't anything on the net that suited me when I was trying to explain things, so I drew it out as simply as I could.

I draw all my diagrams for ignitions, wiring, ect. since I post them on my web site, I don't want 'Copyright' issues with anyone...

Originally Posted by lacpa

Jeephammer, those diagrams really are the king. I'm with the above poster though, if you have a fiberglass body do you still put the brass bolt on the fender? I'm going to working on the wiring this weekend and hope to have it at least mostly fixed, but after looking at your diagram I'm not sure how to run the dedicated grounds. Does that bolt ground the body, or is it mostly a central point where all the dedicated ground wires can be run?

Thanks!

The bolt through a metal fender is useful/functional.
It supplies ground to the starter relay a few inches away and stops a lot of 'Starter' and 'Battery' problems that are actually 'Ground' problems.

You DO NOT have to use the fender.

Anyplace you can locate your binding post will be fine.
With fiberglass fenders, make sure you remember to ground the starter relay bracket since that is where the starter relay gets it's ground from!

I usually keep it off the engine because of vibration.
One loose bolt and you are screwed again!

-----------------------

FATMAN!

You have about the cleanest engine I've ever seen!
Why can't guys like you show up here instead of the guys with an inch of grease on everything!

That is the most RADICAL grounding I've ever seen!
But!
One thing comes to mind...
A 10 Gauge wire is usually good enough for the alternator,
A 14 Gauge wire will ground the distributor/primary ignition system,
Ect.

The only thing you need REALLY HEAVY wires for are starters, winches and the primary binding post...

Don't get me wrong, you did everything VERY WELL!
You could work for me!
It's just a little bit of overkill to use 4 Ga. one EVERYTHING!

(although I do the same thing, my alternator has a 4 Ga. ground, so does the starter!)

[PaulS]

Sorry to bring an older thread back up, but I have a couple of questions. (I started pulling spaghetti wiring out of my Jeep this evening.)

First, my Jeep doesn't have a solenoid (see my 6v starter in 12v system thread). There's a mechanical switch on the starter, activated by a pedal. (You can actually crank away without the key in the ignition, but it won't start if the key isn't turned.) The current wiring has a big cable going to the starter, and a second (10 gauge, I'd guess,maybe 8) going to a 60A fuse mounted on the fender. From there, there's a wire going to the alternator and another going to provide power to everything else that needs it. Is this a good system? Jeephammer's diagrams don't show the power going elsewhere, but I'd presume it goes on the side of the fuse (fusible link in the diagrams) away from the battery.

Second: How do you ground the head? I could run a link to one of the head bolts, but I really don't want to unscrew a bolt on the head. (That's asking for gasket trouble, I think.) What do you suggest. If it matters, my engine is the L-head "Go Devil", actually older than the Jeep--it's a CJ2A engine in a CJ3A.

Third: Jeephammer mentions grounding the ignition module. How about a coil/distributor? Do those need a ground? If so, where?

Thanks,

-Paul

[JeepHammer]

Originally Posted by PaulS

First, my Jeep doesn't have a solenoid (see my 6v starter in 12v system thread)...
The current wiring has a big cable going to the starter, and a second (10 gauge, I'd guess,maybe 8) going to a 60A fuse mounted on the fender. From there, there's a wire going to the alternator and another going to provide power to everything else that needs it. Is this a good system?

Paul, you are Unique around here!
Someone was thinking when they wired your jeep, I would have just done it slightly differently...

The starter you have may be one of two types,
The first type is mechanical starter drive, meaning the 'Pedal' you talk about actually moves the starter drive out into the ring gear, and about the last 1/4 of it's travel, it contacts an electrical switch and sets the starter turning.

This type of Mechanical Starter is fine for 12 volts.
------------

The second type of starter you might have is an 'Inertia Drive' starter.
Inertia Drive simply means there is an electrical switch that closes when you step on the pedal, and the spinning of the starter motor throws the starter drive out into the ring gear on slots in the starter shaft that look kind of like 'Threads'.

You really should NOT use 12 volts with this type of starter since you will eventually slam the starter drive to pieces on the ring gear.
--------------

The large wire from the alternator should, In an 'Ideal' Situation, go back to the battery cable where it hooks to the starter, and be connected through a fusible link instead of a regular fuse.

Regular fuses are NOT water proof, and in fact collect curd and corrosion,
They don't 'Slow Blow'. Once a fuse reaches it's upper limits, no mater for how short a time, it usually pops and you are stuck unless you have more of the correct size...
And,
If you haven't found the problem yet, you can go through quite a few fuses before you get the problem located and repaired!

Going from the 'Batt' terminal on the alternator to the battery cable at the starter is a safety feature.
Since we use a fuse there, and fuses burn,
AND,
Batteries give off explosive gasses!
It's usually not a good idea to have a fuse or fusible link in close proximity to a battery!

The next best place to charge the battery from is the end of the battery cable to the starter relay, solenoid, or switch...

In your case,
And in the cases of about 50 million GM vehicles in this country,
The fusible link is located at the battery cable/starter connection.
---------------------

Now, for the 'Outbound' Power to the dash...
In the case of the GM Vehicles,

They just add an extra Fusible Link at the Battery Cable/Starter Switch bolt, and connect the dash/Accessory power to that.

The source is the battery cable, and the fusible link will protect the smaller (usually 10 Ga.) wire on it's travel to the fuse block.
----------------------------

Second: How do you ground the head?

How I ground the head is simply to run a dedicated ground wire from battery negative or Negative Binding Post to the bracket bolts on the head, what neck bolts, valve cover bolts, just any place you can get a ring terminal to bolt down solidly.

With breaker points for an ignition, you don't have to worry about grounding the 'Module'.... Since you don't have one!
---------------------------

Paul, have you considered converting your distributor over to electronic ignition?
Send me some good pictures with the distributor cap on and off, and I'll see if there is an easy way to do it for you!
(Easy: Means Less costly than aftermarket parts, and I use off the shelf parts so you can find replacements anywhere!)

Glad to see someone with the old timers on the board!
I don't know enough about the old flat fenders, but I sure like them! I'm learning from you!

[Hybrid Jeep]

Old thread, I know! But I have a related question. I am doing a frame off restore on my 1976 CJ5. I am at the point where I need to connect the ground wire from the fuel sending unit to the frame.

Only problem is, the frame has been completely painted. Do I need to scuff part of the paint for the ground connection? I would prefer not to, to avoid rust. Can you ground through multiple layers of primer and chassis paint?

I'm sure this problem will come up again later in the build!

[Mike Romain]

Originally Posted by Hybrid Jeep

Old thread, I know! But I have a related question. I am doing a frame off restore on my 1976 CJ5. I am at the point where I need to connect the ground wire from the fuel sending unit to the frame.

Only problem is, the frame has been completely painted. Do I need to scuff part of the paint for the ground connection? I would prefer not to, to avoid rust. Can you ground through multiple layers of primer and chassis paint?

I'm sure this problem will come up again later in the build!

You need bare metal which is why that is the most prone failure spot on a Jeep it would seem. Drilling and tapping a new hole gives a 'little' ground, for a while, if you have any steel left in the flake, but won't usually last. I would highly recommend you run a dedicated ground up to the battery cable for that sender, even the block end of the cable.

I ran mine inside the stock harness case up to the front.

[way_of_life]

Originally Posted by Fatman

Can't have enough grounds!
I have a ground Bus Bar in the cab as well

I was just scrolling down to post fatman's picture but he beat me to it

That's the best thing to do-- Just grounding to the block/frame/starter/body/etc is not enough (individually) but if you do what fatman did and ground everything, you'll have excellent connections

btw fatman-- I'm jealous and will be copying your idea

[way_of_life]

Oh wow just noticed this thread is really old

[jfwireless]

Originally Posted by lacpa

Jeephammer, those diagrams really are the king. I'm with the above poster though, if you have a fiberglass body do you still put the brass bolt on the fender? I'm going to working on the wiring this weekend and hope to have it at least mostly fixed, but after looking at your diagram I'm not sure how to run the dedicated grounds. Does that bolt ground the body, or is it mostly a central point where all the dedicated ground wires can be run?

Thanks!

Lacpa:

I have a fiberglass body and also created a common point ground on the fiberglass fender with a large brass bolt and plate. The idea is to create a ground or battery negative supply point for all the needs of the vehicle. Of course with a fiberglass body you have a lot more grounds to run then everybody else. Calling the negative supply of the battery ground is just convention, it does not mean an earth ground, that is a different type of ground with a different symbol.


Having said that you can really create a common point ground anywhere on your vehicle you would like, but trying to make all the grounds especially the ones carrying the most current as short as possible should be in your design criteria. That is why the passengers fender where JH suggests just seems to be a good idea.

Jim

[JeepHammer]

I don't ground my fuel sender to the frame,
I give it a ground wire to the same wire that services the tail lights.

That stops a lot of 'Issues' with the fuel sender.

[jfwireless]

As I have a fiberglass body I run a solid copper #6 from the common ground point under the dash all the way back to the rear of the vehicle for my taillights, fuel sender, TBI fuel pump ground. I do terminate the solid ground wire on a large lug to the rear frame cross member. It's been running like that for twenty years, no issues.

The #6 ground wire runs across the top firewall, through the dash near the firewall fuse block connector, and runs with the rear taillight harness back to the rear of the CJ.

I have a second run that grounds the dash.

Jim