Date:         Sat, 28 Apr 2007 16:21:54 -0500
Reply-To:     Matt Roberds <mattroberds@COX.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Matt Roberds <mattroberds@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: Ground for o2 sensor and ECU
Comments: cc: Raymond Paquette <raymondpaquette@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <20070428180220.WMGV17357.fed1rmmtai104.cox.net@fed1rmimpi03.cox.net>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

> From:    Raymond Paquette <raymondpaquette@GMAIL.COM>
> Date:    Sat, 28 Apr 2007 09:01:49 -0700
>
> So I tightened one nut down sufficiently to hold the plastic tower, then
> tightened down a 2nd nut against the first, with a toothed washer and the
> ground between.

IMHO, this sounds like a better idea than the stock situation, as long
as you held the bottom nut with a wrench and tightened the first nut
down on it with another wrench.  Using two nuts like this is a
time-honored way to make a locknut if you don't have an "official" one.

Stock, the ground path is from the wire, through the terminal, into the
nut, into the stud, and into the engine.  Like you said, tightening the
nut in an attempt to improve the terminal-nut connection doesn't work if
the nut doesn't have something solid to bear on.  With your setup, the
top nut has the bottom nut to bear on, so you can get it much tighter
against the terminal.  The ground path is from the wire, through the
terminal, into two nuts, into the stud, and into the engine.  You didn't
change the path or or add other grounds to this point.

Matt Roberds