Date:         Fri, 7 Jun 2002 09:36:25 +0200
Reply-To:     Robert Steven Fish <fish@SALZBURG.CO.AT>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Steven Fish <fish@SALZBURG.CO.AT>
Subject:      Re: ground straps
Comments: To: David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

snipped ----
> >   Is it ok to replace the braded ground straps with a batery like cable
?
> >In perticular the one to the left of the engine.

> ps -- short answer -- not a good idea.  You can certainly get away with it
> in emergency.
end snipped ------

I learn something new almost everytime I look at this list.

I replaced my engine to chassis ground with a length of 1/2 inch MONSTER
CABLE. It is sold at steroe shops as a high-end speaker cable.  The cable is
soft copper, and is made up of about a thousand single strands (no, they are
NOT all individually  insulated).

If you buy the gold plated connectors, then you can crimp the heck out of
them, and then solder to finalize the connection. I left the insulation on
the cable except where I put the connectors on.  Clean all the metal that is
involved, make sure your ground screws are also clean, and tight.  Then
afterwards, you can coat with a battery terminal spray or gel.

I have this set-up on my 87 Vanagon, and it seems to work great.  I have
also run an additional ground from the battery to the front, next to the
horn.  I attached all the ground wires from my rewired and relayed high
beams, low beams, and driving lights there so I wouldn't have to route them
back inside the car (also less wire = cheaper).

I would be very interested to know more about this RF situation, as I have
never heard anything like it before (granted, I am not an electronics
expert).  I thought that you simply needed to provide a way for the circuit
to close, and if surface area was needed for anything, the entire chassis
would provide quite a lot of area... right?  Radio waves???

Thanks for the info!

RSF

<º)))>{   <º)))>{   <º)))>{   <º)))>{   <º)))>{   <º)))>{

Robert S. Fish
Salzburg, Austria
1987 Wolfsburg Vanagon 2.1 GL Weekender
1987 Golf Cabriolet
1991 Golf