Any 71 BB owners know about ground straps?

[Joe G.]

Hi all,
I tried a search in the archives for this and came up with one thread. I am working on a late 71 and ordered a ground strap kit from M&H. This kit has two straps - a flat one about 16" that mounts at the antenna shield (got that one figured out) and another one about 7-8" that is braided.

I don't know where this second one goes. I searched through the AIM with no luck. The car did not have this strap when I took it apart. It has a ring terminal on one end and a clip on the other that looks like it would hook into a hole in the frame or onto a flat metal piece.

Any ideas if this was a dropped item in 71 or if mine was missing?
Joe

[John H.]

Re: Any 71 BB owners know about ground straps?

and another one about 7-8" that is braided.

I don't know where this second one goes. I searched through the AIM with no luck. The car did not have this strap when I took it apart. It has a ring terminal on one end and a clip on the other that looks like it would hook into a hole in the frame or onto a flat metal piece.

Joe -

Don't know about 71's, but on midyears, the braided strap with a ring terminal on one end and the barbed clip on the other goes from the front face of the #1 body mount bracket on the frame to the front edge of the birdcage sill on the driver's side.

[Terry M.]

Re: Any 71 BB owners know about ground straps?

John,If that is the body mount under the A-pillar on the driver's side -- my early 1970 has one, and back in the day when I was judging chassis on early C-3s I became used to seeing a ground strap like that in that position.

I think I have seen it in the early C3 AIMS also, but I can't tell you where. My best guess would be the elecrical section -- UPC 12 if memory serves.

[Rich P.]

Re: Any 71 BB owners know about ground straps?

If you look under UPC 69 (the option section of your AIM) it should have a picture. all 63-69 AIM's have it there and I would imagine that it would be there for 71's

Rich

[Warren F.]

Re: Any 71 BB owners know about ground straps?

Joe,

I don't believe that the ground strap is used on '71 model year big blocks. I have certainly seen one coming off the firewall to to rocker arm cover bolt, but that is 1970 models. There was also a ground strap used on the underneath frame to the exhaust pipe clamps, but that is also '70.

[Joe G.]

Re: Any 71 BB owners know about ground straps?

Thanks for all of the input guys. Sections U69/79 and Section 12 did not turn up anything the other day when I checked them. I did spend about 1/2 hour on the phone with M&H tech support on this item and we compared 70 and 71 AIM's. The 70's show various grounding straps like Warren mentioned but nothing comparible in the 71's. I was leaning toward that #1 or #2 body mount position based on reading something awhile back but I can't remember where or what year it was referencing. The length of this cable doesn't look like it would make the distance in that location however.

I have no prior evidence of this cable ever being on the car (not saying that it couldn't been removed somewhere in it's life) and will probably leave it off. My curiousity and this question arose when the labeling on the package spanned from 68-72. If it weren't for reading the label, I wouldn't have thought twice about it.

Joe

[Paul C.]

Re: Any 71 BB owners know about ground straps?

I have a 71 LT-1 and am wondering the samething. Is there supposed to be a ground strap on the frame besides the one on the antenna?
Thanks

[Kenny C.]

Re: Any 71 BB owners know about ground straps?

I am not certain about your year however my 69 absolutely has it on the #1 body mount to bird cage as described by John. I don't recall seeing it pictured in the AIM however it was there on my original car prior to me lifting the body. And I don't see why it would matter if it were a big block or small block the ground requirement would be the same.
I suppose I could take a photo of it if you would like?

[Lynn H.]

Re: Any 71 BB owners know about ground straps?

The ground strap in question is clearly shown in my 68 and 69 AIM books, but I cannot find it in the 70 or 71 AIM's (and I spent some time looking), although they DID still use this ground at least through 1980. I just looked at it on the 80 that I have, it is clearly visible. I have disassembled many a birdcage, and have never seen a C3 car that did not have this ground strap on it. I have never has a radio delete car, so I cannot speak from the U69 only standpoint, but I do believe you MAY NOT have had it, only if you had a radio delete car. I have NEVER encountered a C3 style car that did not have this strap and that includes both my 70 and 72 cars. It does seem strange that they would have deleted this from the assembly manuals, but they were certainly still used in 71 and for many years after (on all big blocks and small blocks, as this made NO difference in the use of this item).
Lynn

[John H.]

Re: Any 71 BB owners know about ground straps?

That birdcage ground strap is shown in the U69 (radio) section in all the midyear Assembly Manuals. Photo below (posted by someone a while back on body mounts) shows the strap; at the extreme bottom of the photo is the screw attachment of the strap to the #1 body mount bracket on the frame, and you can see the barbed push-on clip on the other end, pushed onto the front edge of the birdcage sill, near the right of the photo.

[Sal C.]

Re: Any 71 BB owners know about ground straps?

The last reference I can find for the ground strap in question in any A.I.M. is in 1970. And that page is stamped "Canceled" as of 1/9/70. That page is not included in any newer AIMs that I have. Like Terry, I could swear that I've seen them on later cars than that.

[Chuck S.]

Re: Any 71 BB owners know about ground straps?

This kit has two straps - a flat one about 16" that mounts at the antenna shield (got that one figured out) and another one about 7-8" that is braided.

I don't know where this second one goes. I searched through the AIM with no luck. The car did not have this strap when I took it apart. It has a ring terminal on one end and a clip on the other that looks like it would hook into a hole in the frame or onto a flat metal piece.

Any ideas if this was a dropped item in 71 or if mine was missing?
Joe

Like Rich said...when it was there, it was in UPC U69. I knew I remembered answering this question for myself when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

My 70 U69 contents page shows a Sheet A8, and the note that page A8 was canceled...just like the sheets covering the LS7, side pipes, and tripower carbs. Sheet A8 shows braided ground straps at the exhaust pipe U-bolts and a third braided cable at the #2 body mount on the driver side as several posts note for earlier cars. A note in the title block indicates that Sheet A8 was canceled 1/9/70. It is not surprising that early 70 cars have them, but my experience is that late 70 cars do not.

For later model years, I can speculate that the AIMs don't have a Sheet A8 in UPC 69, then my IRA bets that model does not use the cable...maybe retrofitted by confused owners with extra straps.

Vendors...those wiley bastiches.

[Sal C.]

Re: Any 71 BB owners know about ground straps?

OK, can the guys who answered the question about the coil capacitor now take a dive under their cars.

[Lynn H.]

Re: Any 71 BB owners know about ground straps?

Like Rich said...when it was there, it was in UPC U69. I knew I remembered answering this question for myself when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

My 70 U69 contents page shows a Sheet A8, and the note that page A8 was canceled...just like the sheets covering the LS7, side pipes, and tripower carbs. Sheet A8 shows braided ground straps at the exhaust pipe U-bolts and a third braided cable at the #2 body mount on the driver side as several posts note for earlier cars. A note in the title block indicates that Sheet A8 was canceled 1/9/70. It is not surprising that early 70 cars have them, but my experience is that late 70 cars do not.

For later model years, I can speculate that the AIMs don't have a Sheet A8 in UPC 69, then my IRA bets that model does not use the cable...maybe retrofitted by confused owners with extra straps.

Vendors...those wiley bastiches.

I got two houses, 5 Corvettes, and everything else I own, that I WILL bet against your IRA as to the use of this ground strap, after it is no longer shown in the AIM books.
Lynn

[Terry M.]

Re: Any 71 BB owners know about ground straps?

The last reference I can find for the ground strap in question in any A.I.M. is in 1970. And that page is stamped "Canceled" as of 1/9/70. That page is not included in any newer AIMs that I have. Like Terry, I could swear that I've seen them on later cars than that.

Sal, do you remember it on your ZR1?

My car was built after that date -- but only marginally, so it doesn't tell us much. Your Z was built somewhat later, and might shed light on the radio v non-radio issue.