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Battery / Starter Cable Routing

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81f100custom

Battery / Starter Cable Routing

Hey Gary does your parts breakdown by chance maybe detail the cable routing for the battery and starter cables? More so the starter cable as mine has always just run down the frame pretty close to the manifold and seems it may have had a piece of convoluted or split loom tubing over it but is about gone now. I know on my 67 mustang there are some brackets that mount around or either on the engine mounts that hold the cable and was thinking maybe there is something similar or perhaps some other straps or such I should have here but is missing? Thought maybe the parts books may show in detail the routing or any brackets clips etc that where used originally. This in particular would be for the 81 F100 302 V8. If in documentation I have overlooked it I did find the cables with the part numbers and the appropriate lengths but nothing showing the routing and straps. Also have looked in the shop manuals I have but no luck. Thanks

Eddie,
81 F100 Custom SWB, 5.0L, 4x2, Single Rail Four-Speed Overdrive, 3.00 Non-Limited Slip Rear Axle, Non A/C truck to complete 85 F150 factory A/C conversion, Nutmeg interior color.

FuzzFace2

Re: Battery / Starter Cable Routing

I don't know on a 302 setup but my 81 F100 with a 300 runs down the top of the frame rail.
Cable on the left is the pos. to the starter and that loop holds the cable in place.
The cable on the right is the ground and that is a tab on the cable to ground the frame the other end goes to 1 of the starter bolts to ground the starter / motor.

Old & new ground cables. New cable has the frame ground tab Iput on it.

Dave ----

Dave G.
81 F100 flare side 300 six / AA OD / NP435 / 2.75 gear
http://cars.grantskingdom1.com/index.php/1980-Ford-F100?page=1
81 F100 style side 300 six/SROD parts truck -RIP
http://cars.grantskingdom1.com/index.php/1981-Ford-F100

Gary Lewis

Re: Battery / Starter Cable Routing

Administrator

Dave - That helps. Lets see if this helps. If there are more questions, please ask.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

Gary Lewis

Re: Battery / Starter Cable Routing

Administrator

And, I forgot to say that I put a higher-resolution copy of that illustration on the page at Documentation/Electrical/Battery Cables.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

81f100custom

Re: Battery / Starter Cable Routing

Yea thanks that helps and helps me see I am missing a good many things. I guessing those starter cables 14431 and that negative 14301 with the built on clamps are hard to come by. I have not done any searching yet to see what is out there or available. What is the 12A690 that shows mounting in the starter cable wire tab very close to the starter?

Eddie,
81 F100 Custom SWB, 5.0L, 4x2, Single Rail Four-Speed Overdrive, 3.00 Non-Limited Slip Rear Axle, Non A/C truck to complete 85 F150 factory A/C conversion, Nutmeg interior color.

Gary Lewis

Re: Battery / Starter Cable Routing

Administrator

I found a listing for it as the O2 sensor wire.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Battery / Starter Cable Routing

Administrator

In reply to this post by 81f100custom

12a690 is Ford's base part number for a wire assembly.

I believe what you are seeing indicated is a plastic christmas tree retainer with a saddle or tail for taping to the starter cable.

These anomalies pop up in the drawings occasionally.
The technical artists aren't the engineers who design the parts.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Battery / Starter Cable Routing

Administrator

In reply to this post by 81f100custom

In the Master Parts Catalog the part number will be accompanied by the Motorcraft part number.

These cables are easily available, but not cheap.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

81f100custom

Re: Battery / Starter Cable Routing

Do you happen to have those Motorcraft numbers by chance? If you have them for all three cables that would be good. I may replace all of them if available.

By the way what is the U refer to in the parts diagrams. F truck E econoline and U utility maybe?

Eddie,
81 F100 Custom SWB, 5.0L, 4x2, Single Rail Four-Speed Overdrive, 3.00 Non-Limited Slip Rear Axle, Non A/C truck to complete 85 F150 factory A/C conversion, Nutmeg interior color.

ArdWrknTrk

Re: Battery / Starter Cable Routing

Administrator

Yes, U is a Bronco.

I do have the MPC on disc, but unfortunately I don't have an optical drive I can use at the moment.

Perhaps Gary, or one of the other members with a home PC can fish those out for you.

Jim,
Lil'Red is a '87 F250 HD, 4.10's, 1356 4x4, Zf-5, 3G, PMGR, Saginaw PS, desmogged with a Holley 80508 and Performer intake.
Too much other stuff to mention.

Rembrant

Re: Battery / Starter Cable Routing

In reply to this post by 81f100custom

I took pictures of all this stuff as reference before I pulled my 302. The starter cable did have a split loom on it from the factory, and it had just the one mounting clamp on the engine. See the in the stud in the block below...the ground from the battery and frame goes on first, then a nut, then the clamp for the starter cable, and then another nut. That was it on the 302.

I replaced all of these cables, and bought new wire loom as well. I think it was 3/8" wire loom as it fit fairly snug on the cable.

1994 F150 4x2 Flareside. 5.0 w/MAF, 4R70W, stock.
1984 F150 4X2 Flareside. Mild 302 w/ 5spd. Sold.
1980 F150 4X4 Flareside. 300i6 w/ 5spd. Sold in 2021.
1980 F100 4X2 Flareside. 351w/2bbl w/NP435. Sold in 1995

Gary Lewis

Re: Battery / Starter Cable Routing

Administrator

In reply to this post by 81f100custom

81f100custom wrote

Do you happen to have those Motorcraft numbers by chance? If you have them for all three cables that would be good. I may replace all of them if available.

By the way what is the U refer to in the parts diagrams. F truck E econoline and U utility maybe?

Yes, as Jim said, U is Bronco. And F is the fullsized pickup and E is the Econoline vans.

As for the #'s, have you looked at the page I mentioned in:

Gary Lewis wrote

And, I forgot to say that I put a higher-resolution copy of that illustration on the page at Documentation/Electrical/Battery Cables.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

81f100custom

Re: Battery / Starter Cable Routing

If this is what your referring to Gary then yes but did not think those where the Motorcraft numbers that Jim was referring to but then again I have been mistaken before and very well could be now. Those are the three I came up with that should be the ones I need. What do the stars represent next to the numbers? Do the WC #s represent Motorcraft?

Eddie,
81 F100 Custom SWB, 5.0L, 4x2, Single Rail Four-Speed Overdrive, 3.00 Non-Limited Slip Rear Axle, Non A/C truck to complete 85 F150 factory A/C conversion, Nutmeg interior color.

Gary Lewis

Re: Battery / Starter Cable Routing

Administrator

Sorry, I assumed you knew that the * indicates what follows is a Motorcraft part #. But you had no way of knowing that.

Yes, you have it figured out!

(And, you figured out how to post snippets from the documentation. Well done.

)

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

81f100custom

Re: Battery / Starter Cable Routing

Now taking those numbers and searching I have found tons of cables but none that match those numbers. Would be nice if you could just purchase these type items even if they are at a higher price but guess I may have to look at building some if I want them somewhat to match what was there originally.

Eddie,
81 F100 Custom SWB, 5.0L, 4x2, Single Rail Four-Speed Overdrive, 3.00 Non-Limited Slip Rear Axle, Non A/C truck to complete 85 F150 factory A/C conversion, Nutmeg interior color.

Gary Lewis

Re: Battery / Starter Cable Routing

Administrator

I didn't search for them, but have done a lot of part number searching. Some people don't put the "-" in, and some do. And, I force Google to give me "verbatim" results, meaning that it has to have that # in it rather than something close.

Then, when I get to a @#$%^&* site that just takes you to a page with hundreds of other #'s, I hit Control-F and search on that page for the number.

Hope that helps.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Rembrant

Re: Battery / Starter Cable Routing

In reply to this post by 81f100custom

I had all of mine made up locally, but I believe LMC sells replacement cables.

myrl883

Re: Battery / Starter Cable Routing

FuzzFace's looks good and protects the cables from heat, but Rembrandt's truck shows how the cables were originally mounted.

Ford Parts Monkey since 1985
1981 F100 Flareside - Black, 302-4V Roller/AOD
1986 F150 Flareside - Medium Fire Red 302/AOD
1989 F150 Standard Cab 4x4 - Dk Shadow Blue 302/AOD
1993 F350 4x4 Crew Cab - 7.3 IDI/ZF-5
I think it's a sickness...

81f100custom

Re: Battery / Starter Cable Routing

On the negative battery cable I only see one place for a ground strap to possibly attach myself on my truck. The second one or the lower one shows mounting into the frame well I looked on my truck and there is no hole there for it and never was obviously. Looking at Rembrandt's picture it does not appear his had that second ground strap either. I can't tell in the picture if the one above is there on not. I do have a threaded hole about the same location as FuzzFace2 shows with nothing in it.

Eddie,
81 F100 Custom SWB, 5.0L, 4x2, Single Rail Four-Speed Overdrive, 3.00 Non-Limited Slip Rear Axle, Non A/C truck to complete 85 F150 factory A/C conversion, Nutmeg interior color.

Rembrant

Re: Battery / Starter Cable Routing

81f100custom wrote

Looking at Rembrandt's picture it does not appear his had that second ground strap either. I can't tell in the picture if the one above is there on not.

It's there, but you can't see it in my picture, sorry. There is a ground lug on the frame hidden behind the big starter cable in my picture. The factory cable is one piece, and runs from the battery to the lug on the engine. There is a lug on that cable that mounts on the frame. When I replaced mine, I simply used 2 cables...one long one from the battery to the frame, and then a short one from the frame to the block.