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grounding issue

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blackbetty View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote blackbetty Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: grounding issue
    Posted: Mar/20/2017 at 4:10am
I have found that we I needed to address all the grounding issues in my  car (1963 770) that  sat a while. Mine did sit 30 years with no attention. Even though I did run a ground strap  to the firewall and engine, I still am having ground issues. I have almost had to ground each individual component. They started out working but are starting to fail. My headlights for example worked great then quit. I ran a new ground to the black wire, helped but didn't solve it. I had to also reground the light switch. Is it just me, or does this happen to anyone else?  
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mixed up View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mixed up Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/20/2017 at 10:45pm
i know in the old days they did not put alot of grounds on cars if you look at todays cars they have batt to body batt to engine  engine to body engine to crossmember try doing some of those like the batt to body and pull every ground off and clean it with sand paper it would not hurt good luck chasing the gremlins
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blackbetty View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote blackbetty Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/23/2017 at 7:44pm
 That's all we can do I guess. 80 Fairmont  I see. Does it have the 200 "6"?

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 304-dude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/23/2017 at 8:05pm
Sounds like most of your electrical contacts are corroding and loosing conductivity. Not just ground. Check all connections to and from fuse box. I bet you may have to clean up your connections.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mixed up Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/24/2017 at 12:07am
the fairmont started out as a 4cly 4sp but im putting my 401  with a 727  in it were going to keep them guessing at the track when i beat them  i have a post in the frankenrambler section when i get the motor mounts   fab i will post pics
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Lyle View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lyle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/24/2017 at 6:30am
It happens to most in the "salt belt". Any ground that is not perfect stars to corrode fasted do to moisture and electrolysis between mixed materials. On all your connections try using a small amount of conductive grease as this will prevent or slow the corrosion at the connections.
NAPA and others carry conductive electrical compounds and you don't need a lot. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JimJavWi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/29/2017 at 6:26pm
FWIW, in my '73 Javelin I had flickering lights. Someone here suggested I had an missing ground strap between engine and cross member. APD had one in stock, so I got that and post Radiator renew (repair original); was able to get up on a lift and indeed, no strap at all.

I know in my Jav's life the engine has been out a few times. In fact, what I have in is a 304 although Vin / Door tag suggests it was built with a 360. Anyway, clearly after my engine/tranny clean/respray/replace or repair underhood components project (wherein we discoverd the 304 vs 360); if there was a strap before, there sure was not at end.

What I wish were in an easy to find sticky somewhere (and it might be and I just haven't discovered; and search isn't working yet) which itemized things like ground straps, regulators; etc so that I at least knew how many I was trying to find.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amcfool1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/29/2017 at 8:37pm
Hi, grounding is not rocket science. having said that, it flummoxed me a little as well. Old rusty cars lose their grounding points as a matter of course. So, I just add grounds wherever there is a need for one. Stock is batt ground to block, not enough, ADD an alternator ground to block. Stock is ground from block to crossmember. Not enough, ADD a ground from block to body sheetmetal. Somewhere, anywhere. Taillights weak? Ground is probably rusty. Find it, clean it, make it better.
My 84 Eagle sedan, just restified, at mega dollars, (for me anyway), ran great, then would die, change ignition module, ran great, then would die, repeat 3 times, (sign of insanity?:). finally, last ignition module install, ran a ground from ignition box black wire direct to body ground, no problems the last 6 months, car is a reliable DD again! Body ground direct to battery. Life is good!
When in doubt, ground it! :) good luck y'all, gz
george z
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GnipGnop4 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/11/2017 at 4:38pm
You say your car sat for 30 years without any attention...I'm sure someone might have given it some "attention"...RATS! They are notorious for chewing on wiring insulation and creating all sorts of electrical headaches. Sounds like those might be the Gremlins, to blame.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote uncljohn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/11/2017 at 6:02pm
Loosely speaking and driving old cars and coming from the rust belt where electrical issues start quickly due to rust and corrosion.
The main ones you want to watch for are the engine to body ground which is generally a 12 or larger AWG wire or a small cable from the engine to the body.
On a lot of cars, AMC included that is around the passenger side engine mount, the body is grounded to the engine.
Why is that important?
Because another one of the grounds is the "-" Battery connection directly to the engine. That is generally a point close to the - battery post and to a bolt on the front of the engine close to the battery. The AMC V8's I work on it is the engine head bolt, on the six which I work on more than others? it is something on the side or front of the engine that has a big bolt on it.
Satisfy those two by not only making sure they are clean when bolted together but may also be protected by a coating of the grease used for connections else where in the car. "Specially in the salt belt.
On the AMC cars I see the most of the instrument panel ground is a black wire that goes through the fire wall and bolts on to screw along with the black wires near the wire harness that goes across the top of the firewall.
A common area for problems with the head lights is the floor mounted Hi/Lo beam foot switch cleverly located under the rug where wet feet from walking in the snow brings water and salt into the cab and deposits it there. And as others have mentioned and I will too, using the grease designed to be used with electrical connections can not be a wrong thing to do on light bulb sockets and any where else you can squirt it to help prevent corrosion of the contacts.
Some times it takes a lot of work to keep something old on the road reliably and taking care of the electrical connections is the number one item to take care of. Specially from the salt belt. Generally when a large piece of car falls off it is dragged along the road by the connections made to the wiring harnesses that go to it, so to save those pieces from being lost, make sure the connections are good and not corroded.
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