Hello All,

I am in the middle of swapping a 3.0 to a 4.0 and forgot how the negative battery cable runs. I know it runs back to the starter, but there is an (about six-inch) bracket that has an attached mounting bolt along with a separately attached grounding bolt that bolt somewhere. My thinking is that the bracket mounts to the engine while the single screw mounts to the frame; but HOW? Does anyone know how this cable is run - what the bracket bolt and grounding bolt mount to?

My truck is a 92 2WD same year engine, same year donor.

Thanks for the help! This forum is a blessing.

 

You should do your own grounding, there probably won't be a match with this engine swap

The ground to the starter motor/engine block./alternator is the important one, 60-100amps need to flow thru there, so uses the big cable

Then you need a ground from engine to frame, often found on motor mounts, as a short jumper between block and frame, this is just for tail lights and such so doesn't need to be a big wire

On the back of drivers side head will be a ground strap connected to firewall, this is the main cab ground so important, grounds all cab electrics

There should also be a ground to rad support, for head lights and horn, and to inner fender, this is often a smaller wire from Battery Negative post

 

Thanks for the help RonD. Attached is a couple of photos - 1 of the bracket, and 2 of the single bolt.

If I lose the bracket I can put the bracket bolt into the block and (after I run the starter cable) drill and tap the frame for the single bolt to bolt into.

Do you think this will work? If not/or you see a better way; please explain
.

 

Can't really see the pictures very well.

You can run the larger Battery ground cable to the Block, make sure to clean the metal so there is a good bare metal contact area, lots of AMPs run thru this connection
If you add a smaller wire to this connection, then you can run that to the Frame, any bolt thats easy to get at will do, or you can drill and tap if there are none, but again, you need bare metal on the frame to connect to.

You can paint over these connections once they are tight, so the bare metal doesn't rust

There is no "right way" except for the Larger Negative cable connecting to the engine, that's where biggest AMP Draw(starter motor) and AMP return(alternator) come from
Then smaller ground wires to Frame, Cab, and Rad support/inner fender


All body and frame parts are painted FIRST, then they are assembled at the factory, so the bolts clamp PAINTED SURFACES together, which doesn't allow good reliable grounding
Which is why ground wires and straps are used at the factory to make sure there is a complete circuit for the power
There is no 12volts unless there is a 0Volt(ground), voltage must flow or there is no power transfer

 

Thanks again RonD; I figured it out thanks to a ford explorer at my local wrecking yard. the bracket attaches to the passenger side of the engine with the starter cables running under the pan. I looked at my buddy's 94, but the battery switched sides (after 92 I believe) so it was different. I do however still have to drill a spot on the frame for the other ground, but that's no biggy.