Lets talk about electrical grounding....(-)

[1320AWestCoastStory.com]

I saw the other post discussing the hookups of MSD boxes, electric fans, etc.

There was discussion of having proper ground points. Isn't it best to have the entire car tied together for grounding purposes?

In the import community they go so far as to mfg and sell "grounding kits" - supposedly dyno tuning from various magazines that I have read all state a HP increase of 1-15 HP. Basically the kits cost anywhere from $30-200 depending upon quality and whether they come with the voltage regulator included. Here are some links below. Wouldn't this isolate most "electrical noise" in the system. Has anybody used these systems with luck or know more about these? I did find a DIY site online that states you can make the kit with good quality 8 gauge wire. Hook from the battery (-) to the intake manifold......

Also, has anybody had any interference with their stereo caused by 1) Elerctric Fan, 2) MSD, 3) etc.

[1320AWestCoastStory.com]

Re: Lets talk about electrical grounding....(-)

Posted: 10/2/04 9:33PM Post subject: Ground Wire Kit DIY/Install
________________________________________
In this tutorial, I will be instructing you on how to make your own ground wire kit, as well as install it.

Before I go onto the tutorial, I would like explain the benefits of a ground wire kit. First, do not expect substantial horsepower gains. What you can expect is a smoother idle and better throttle response. Some people notice brighter headlights and cleaner audio. Some even say the ground wires help prevent static shock when getting out of the car.

Also, I checked the voltage differences at the planned ground points using a recently calibrated Fluke 87 multimeter. Here is a table of the before/after voltage differences with the ground wires made in this tutorial:


Now, onto the tutorial.

Planning the grounds
The ground wire system we will be making, dubbed the "Mikochu Über Ground Wire System," consists of 4 wires connecting 5 points.

Body (A) > Head (B) > Coil Pack (C) > Battery Negative (D) > Body (E)

You can choose your own ground points, but you are on your own with that. I cannot be held responsible for what you do to your car. Choose wisely and at your own risk. If you decide to choose your own ground points, get some string and measure the points. Measure the strings to figure out how much wire you need. Also, you can use a different gauge wire. Most aftermarket kits are 4-gauge, but I think that is overkill. My hand quivered when I saw the 4 gauge wire.

You can choose your own ground points, but you are on your own with that. I cannot be held responsible for what you do to your car. Choose wisely and at your own risk. If you decide to choose your own ground points, get some string and measure the points. Measure the strings to figure out how much wire you need. Also, you can use a different gauge wire. Most aftermarket kits are 4-gauge, but I think that is overkill. My hand quivered when I saw the 4 gauge wire.

For the "Mikochu Über Ground Wire System," you will need:
- Socket wrench (10mm socket)
- Wire cutters/crimper/scissors/pliers
- 7' of-8 gauge speaker wire (81" for the kit, 3" left over)
- 10 pieces of 8-gauge ring connectors (5/16" hole)
- About 1' of heatshrink tubing that will fit over the crimped ring connector and wire
- A lighter (for the heatshrink)

Making the ground wires
1. Cut the wire into the correct lengths.
2. Once the wires are cut, use a wire stripper (or pair of scissors) to strip about 1/2" of the insulation to accommodate the ring connector. Try not to cut the wires themselves. If a few strands are cut, it's okay. However, if half the strands are cut, redo it. There should be enough slack in the wire for a couple (2!) mess-ups. Twist the bare wire to prevent fraying. Repeat this step for the other side of the wire.
3. Once the insulation is stripped, slide 2 pieces of heatshrink onto the wire. The size of the heatshrink should be long enough to cover (and overlap a little) the crimpable area of the ring connector. With the heatshrink out of the way, slide the ring connector onto the wire.
4. Using a wire crimper (or stripper/pliers), crimp the bottom portion of the ring connector, and then follow through until the whole ring connector is crimped. Make sure the two pieces of heatshrink are still on the wire, and then repeat this step for the other side of the wire. Double-check the crimps to make sure they are tight. Do not pull on the ring connectors. Just make sure the crimps are tight by re-crimping them. Slide the heatshrink onto the crimped area of the ring connector. Make sure the hole is not covered, and then use the lighter to activate the heatshrink.
5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 until all four wires are done. Once all of them are done, you should have a kit that looks somewhat like this:

With the kit made, onto the installation!

[Eric68]

Re: Lets talk about electrical grounding....(-)

If a cars grounding is adequate, there cannot possibly be a HP gain. Absolutely crazy claim that a car will make more HP with "good" grounds unless something was bad wrong to begin with.

Most modern cars come from the factory with a single point ground. It is hard to improve on that . . . for example -- my '02 Venture (whoopie) has the 3.4L and most of the under hood electrical components ground on one of the transaxle bolts.

Even on old cars like my Camaro they have grounds in certain spots that are more than adequate for most needs. There is one from the engine to the firewall, from the neg battery cable to the fender, and from the frame to the firewall.

On high performance cars, sometimes there are powerful ignitions that create a lot of noise. Sometimes this noise can interfer with other components so grounding and powering these components directly from the battery can help.

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: Lets talk about electrical grounding....(-)

They can probably make 15hp by turning their 2,000watt stereo off and unloading the alternator.

[Schtauffer]

Re: Lets talk about electrical grounding....(-)

Not that I'm an expert on electrical or anything, but import guys tend to be fairly naive. The other summer I was at a swap meet and this guy had a couple of BB Chevy tunnel rams for sale. Some kid was asking the guy if it possible to make those intakes fit his CRX. To his credit, he told the kid no.

15 hp gain? Right... just like the SplitFire ads 10-15 years ago. Of course it will pick up hp and mpg if the old plugs were melted almost completely off.

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: Lets talk about electrical grounding....(-)

I'm thinking the magical 15hp ground kit is sold by the same company that manufacturers a "fuel catalyst", the "tornado", and the "electric supercharger".

You can also purchase the bluprints to build your own submarine!

Brian

[fahrenschnell]

Re: Lets talk about electrical grounding....(-)

I'm thinking the magical 15hp ground kit is sold by the same company that manufacturers a "fuel catalyst", the "tornado", and the "electric supercharger".

You can also purchase the bluprints to build your own submarine!

Brian

You mean those don't work!!!!

Those Blueprints better work or I wasted a bunch of money on Titanium.....Oh Man.

Seth

[1320AWestCoastStory.com]

Re: Lets talk about electrical grounding....(-)

Hilarious!! Agreed!