Starter problems

[Chadwick717]

Ok thanks,  when I get home from work this week I'll let you all know how it goes.

[jaredts]

Rich, is your engine to firewall ground coming off of your valve cover bolt?  I'm not sure that is a great place as it can't be torqued that tight to begin with and they come loose over time.  Why not back of the head like stock?

[rich weyand]

Rich, is your engine to firewall ground coming off of your valve cover bolt?  I'm not sure that is a great place as it can't be torqued that tight to begin with and they come loose over time.  Why not back of the head like stock?

Because 1) it works fine so far and 2) I can't reach it from the side and haven't been over the top to change it yet.

[Chadwick717]

Ok quick update for you guys. Got home from work yesterday and I finally got a chance to work on the truck.

I got a new ground cable and hooked it up from the battery to the alternator bracket.



My truck already had a block to cab ground



But.. I couldn't find a block to frame ground so I fashioned one out of some 10 gauge wire and hooked it up.



I drove it several times today and the last time for an hour and a half and when I shut it down it started up just fine every time. No problems! Looks like that fixed the problem!! Thanks for the help guys!  Any suggestions or criticisms of my wiring are gladly accepted. 

Now on to fixing the broken air conditioner. Summers here!

[rich weyand]

Excellent!  Glad you got it sorted.  As for quality of the wiring, you proved that when it started!

A note for people searching and hitting this thread in the future.  We get about 2-3 bad sets of battery cables (engine won't turn over/start!) and poor ground connections (my dash lights/tail lights/fuel gauge/turn signals are acting goofy/don't work!) here every month.  Start with that.  If the vehicle won't turn over, don't buy a new starter or a new battery: if the cables are over ten years old, change them first.  If something electrical fails or is acting goofy, check that the engine, cab, and frame rails are all grounded to each other and the battery, and that all of the grounds are clean and tight.

[VileZambonie]

I would suggest you use the back of the cylinder head for your auxiliary ground vs near the exhaust manifold.

[rich weyand]

I think that is going to the back of the cylinder head, VZ.  That's his blue valve cover in the pic....

[VileZambonie]

I think that is going to the back of the cylinder head, VZ.  That's his blue valve cover in the pic....

Yes I can see that but I am referring to his last pic

[rich weyand]

I think that is going to the back of the cylinder head, VZ.  That's his blue valve cover in the pic....

Yes I can see that but I am referring to his last pic

Ah.  I wouldn't put it around the back, but I would move it around the corner on the front to the bolt holding the power steering pump bracket to the front of the head, just the edge of which is visible in his photo.  That's where mine is and it seems to work fine.

[jaredts]

Did the factory use an engine to frame ground?  Where is it?  I'm not at my truck right now but don't remember one on it or any of the v8 chevy's I've had.

[rich weyand]

Electrical diagram shows battery to engine ground, battery to frame ground, and engine to body ground.

It does not show engine to frame ground, though mine has one that looks original.