Motor Mount Ground Strap

[John O.]

Myself and James West are restoring a 65 396 and have run into a delimma. In AIM/JG both indicate that the ground strap is to be on the right side motor mount. On this car, the frame has NO indication of it being on the right side...no thread marks in frame hole. However, the hole in the frame on the LEFT (driver) side clearly has threads in it. Should we change the position? Any advice would be greatly appreciated here.

Thank you,
John

[Michael H.]

Re: Motor Mount Ground Strap

Myself and James West are restoring a 65 396 and have run into a delimma. In AIM/JG both indicate that the ground strap is to be on the right side motor mount. On this car, the frame has NO indication of it being on the right side...no thread marks in frame hole. However, the hole in the frame on the LEFT (driver) side clearly has threads in it. Should we change the position? Any advice would be greatly appreciated here.

Thank you,
John

Ground straps are seen on either side of unrestored cars. Some cars have ground straps on both sides.
I would reinstall the strap on the side that you removed it from.

[John O.]

Re: Motor Mount Ground Strap

Mike,

Thank you for your advice. I'll go ahead and reinstall on the drivers side.

John

[Donald S.]

Re: Motor Mount Ground Strap

hi john the ground strap was and is on the left side of my 396 car ..Don..

[Wayne M.]

Re: Motor Mount Ground Strap

.... the ground strap was and is on the left side of my 396 car ..Don..

Don, others --- strap on pass. side of my extremely late L78. Don't think there's any hole(s) on driver side frame support for the motor mount.

[Rick S.]

Re: Motor Mount Ground Strap

Just to make a notation, on my late 67 frame, which is a small block(L79), both sides are threaded for a ground strap.

Rick

[Tom D.]

Re: Motor Mount Ground Strap

1966 Corvette number 2999 (October, 1965 build) had a ground strap on left front motor mount. There is a hole on the right side also, but no bolt or strap. I have not seen a frame with only one hole for motor mount ground straps.

[Michael H.]

Re: Motor Mount Ground Strap

1966 Corvette number 2999 (October, 1965 build) had a ground strap on left front motor mount. There is a hole on the right side also, but no bolt or strap. I have not seen a frame with only one hole for motor mount ground straps.

Tom,

I agree. I think both left and right side ground strap holes were already drilled when the frames arrived at the St Louis assy plant. The holes were not threaded though.

When ground straps were used/installed, a self threading screw was used.

There's a great picture floating around of a new 66 chassis on the St Louis assy line as the engine is being dropped into the chassis. There is definitely a ground strap attached to the motor mount bolt of the left/drivers side mount.

I have that picture but it's too large to post here. I can shrink it down and crop to show just the area of the mount and strap if necessary.

[Alan D.]

Re: Motor Mount Ground Strap

Tom, I'll confirm what Michael said - both drilled but only one has threads. My Mar64 has strap on passengers (rt) side only. Note I've owned pre-NCRS and its only been maintained not a frame off restoration.

[Tony S.]

Re: Motor Mount Ground Strap

John. My July 29th 396 car had the ground strap on the passenger side.

You face the dilemna every diligent restorer faces: should I restore my car the way it was manufactured or by the "standard" called for in a judging guide? For what it's worth, I'd say that you should just be true to your car. If that's how your car was built, then your car is trying to tell you something. Both you and James have made an honest effort to faithfully restore your car. I think "restore" means restore it to how it was born. If experience in this hobby has taught me anything, it's that there were alot of variations in the build process.

I'm sure you two will make the right decision for your car.
Good luck. I'm anxious to see your car again.
Tony

[John H.]

Re: Motor Mount Ground Strap

Both engine mount brackets on the frame had a pre-pierced hole in the forward wall; my '67 small-block had the ground strap on the passenger side, and the hole in the driver's side bracket had no threads in it, so it never had a ground strap screw on that side. Photo below shows the '66 L-79 at engine drop on the Chassis Line Michael was referring to, with the ground strap on the driver's side.


66L79DropClose.jpg

[Tom D.]

Re: Motor Mount Ground Strap

Thanks guys. Here's a photo of the unthreaded hole, right (passenger) side of a '67, number 11532.

[Ray K.]

Re: Motor Mount Ground Strap

June 1st production L78 / 396 has the ground strap on the left ( drivers ) side.

Ray