440 engine grounding with aluminum heads

[GrandpaKevin]

I'm trying to troubleshoot a possible weak spark issue and I think I made some mistakes with engine grounding.

The engine is a 440 with Stealth aluminum heads.

On previous engines with steel heads I grounded the negative battery cable to either the front intake bolt, the block or the head.

I thought the aluminum heads wouldn't be a good source of ground so I ran the neg. battery cable down and bolted it to the K member, so basically there is no ground going to the engine. 

I'm not sure if this lack of a good engine ground would cause the engine to run ruff but I would guess it doesn't help.

So I'm going to move the neg. battery cable to either the front intake bolt, somewhere on the aluminum head or somewhere down on the engine block.
With the aluminum heads where would be the best place to run neg. battery cable for a good engine ground?

Should I run a second ground strap somewhere on the engine block, heads or firewall?

Thanks for any advice.

[Shane Kelley]

I ran the ground on the BB car I'm building to the water pump bolt. But it doesn't have power steering. I have seen them on the front exhaust bolt. I think there is a threaded hole where the intake sits at the very front on the head.  If you have the extra ground wire on your battery cable you won't need one on the firewall. If it doesn't you will need one. Aluminum heads are just fine for grounding.

[dodj]

Aluminum heads are just fine for grounding.

Yup. Aluminium is a good conductor. My engine grounding is from the passenger head to the firewall.

[1 Wild R/T]

The spark plugs are screwed into the heads, they better conduct electricity... Treat it the same as iron heads, bolt the ground in the stock location & there needs to be a connection to the body too, whether it is bolted to the engine & body or from the battery to the body doesn't matter....

[HP_Cuda]

I have Super Stealth heads and I ran the negative to the back of the power steering bracket.

Super ground, not one problem.

[734406PK]

Add some engine to chassis ground straps like these. They are often go missing over the years. They connect from the bell housing bolts to the frame and body. Good cheap insurance!

www.amazon.com/Dorman-HELP-60213-Ground-Straps/dp/B000CO968G/ref=pd_bxgy_263_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JD07RMKBHM2K8HFCAW1K

[Roadman]

   Can't have enough grounds.   Work on German car sometime.   

[GrandpaKevin]

Add some engine to chassis ground straps like these. They are often go missing over the years. They connect from the bell housing bolts to the frame and body. Good cheap insurance!

www.amazon.com/Dorman-HELP-60213-Ground-Straps/dp/B000CO968G/ref=pd_bxgy_263_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JD07RMKBHM2K8HFCAW1K

LOL

I just bought that exact ground strap tonight at my local parts store.
I need to find a good location between a bell housing bolt and the frame to mount it.

[GrandpaKevin]

Thanks for all the good advice.

I'm going to attach the large wire on the neg. battery cable to a threaded hole on the front of the driver's side head.
The smaller diameter wire on the neg. battery cable is mounted/grounded to the radiator support in the stock location.

I'm going to mount a ground strap from a transmission bell housing bolt to somewhere on the frame.

I was also thinking of running a ground wire between the aluminum heads at the back of the engine, overkill?

[1 Wild R/T]

Extra grounds won't do any harm..

[RUNCHARGER]

You can't really overdo grounds but you won't really need the extra one.

[734406PK]

Thanks for all the good advice.

I'm going to attach the large wire on the neg. battery cable to a threaded hole on the front of the driver's side head.
The smaller diameter wire on the neg. battery cable is mounted/grounded to the radiator support in the stock location.

I'm going to mount a ground strap from a transmission bell housing bolt to somewhere on the frame.

I was also thinking of running a ground wire between the aluminum heads at the back of the engine, overkill?

Run a ground strap from a flywheel housing bolt right to an ignition control unit attaching screw if it will reach.

[usraptor]

Thanks for all the good advice.

I'm going to attach the large wire on the neg. battery cable to a threaded hole on the front of the driver's side head.
The smaller diameter wire on the neg. battery cable is mounted/grounded to the radiator support in the stock location.

I'm going to mount a ground strap from a transmission bell housing bolt to somewhere on the frame.

I was also thinking of running a ground wire between the aluminum heads at the back of the engine, overkill?

That's exactly how I did mine, minus the ground at the back of the engine. 

[GrandpaKevin]

Well I got the grounds connected but unfortunately I'm still having running issues.
I'm sure correcting the grounds was needed so now I want to continue checking the ignition system to the best of my limited abilities.

The car seems to start and run/idle OK when cold but when the engine temp gets to about 160 degrees the car's idle gets a little rough an wants to stall.
It will restart but seems to run rough and will stall when put in gear.

I'm running a HiRev Mopar type ECU with dual field ballast and Blaster 2 coil

I did a quick check with a volt meter and with the key in run position and engine warm voltage to the + side of the coil is around 3.6

With the car idling volts to the coil are around 5 when the engine is revved volts go to 7.5 to 7.8.

Do these numbers seem right?

Thanks.

[Chryco Psycho]

You should be 5v + all of the time at the coil .
are you bulkhead connections good ?