Alright, so the ground wire off of the starter relay on the fender to the starter is corroded in the middle where it connects to the frame. What can be done about this? I cant seem to get it off the frame point. Also that seems like a redicuosly long ground wire, can I ground it at a different point?

Basically, can someone give me the run down on replacing ALL the big grounds?


THANKS

89 F150, 4.9, 4 speed

 

Hose down the frame ground with your favorite penetrant and it will come loose eventually. I've found profanity especially helpful with stuck fasteners.

EFI systems require a very good block ground, so the best solution I've found is this: Replace the factory ground cable with one the same length which runs from the battery down to the stock ground point on the starter flange with no midpoint frame ground. Run a second cable with eyes on both ends from the starter flange back up to the frame ground point. This eliminates all corrosion in the cables and gives you much better grounds than Ford provided. I went through 2 stock factory ground cables in less than a year, did this mod and haven't had an issue since. Plus the 2 cables together at AutoZoo or Advance cost far less than the Ford factory part.

 

There's a product called "Liquid Tape" U can get that u can brush over & encapsulate the ground contact point as soon as u secure it. A quick setting rubberized sealant,comes in Rd/Blk/Blu/Grn. Used in wet dirty environments on exposed electrical. HomeDepot/Lowes ...U can also get your stranded wire & connectors/Solder the ends, alot cheaper & exact lengths you need.

 

What ground wire off the starter relay?

 

The ground wire that comes off of the negative side of the passenger fender mounted relay, or solenoid, whatever you wanna call it.

 

There isn't one. The relay has 3 connections. (+) in from the battery, (+) out to the starter motor and (+) control power (the small line) from the ignition switch. No ground connection whatsoever.

I totally missed this in your description in your original post. :o In my post above I was describing the modification to/replacement of the (-) cable from the battery to the chassis ground to the engine ground, nothing at all to do with the relay wiring.

 

There is no negative side of the starter relay.

The starter relay has two large posts and one or two small ones. The positive battery cable goes to one of the large posts, along with several other cables that require battery power at all times. The other large post opposite that one on the relay has another cable that goes to the starter solenoid, which is mounted to the starter. The small post in between is where the signal wire from the ignition switch goes. The starter relay is grounded by mounting it to the inner fender, there is no ground wire. The negative battery cable goes from the battery to a frame mounted post, and from there to one of the starter mounting bolts.

 

Heh, great minds thinking alike, and all that. It's all in the timing.