Battery cables to starter

So... a bit of an oddball question. Two cables going to the starter. One connects to the terminal on the starter, which I believe is the one that runs to the starter relay. The other runs to the battery terminal, which I believe was connected to the bottom starter bolt. It also appears that the negative terminal cable has a metal piece that attached to the frame (to ground it?). I can't find a cable with that bracket. Is there another way to ground it to the frame? Some kind of thing I can splice into the wire?

BullnoseSooner wrote

So... a bit of an oddball question. Two cables going to the starter. One connects to the terminal on the starter, which I believe is the one that runs to the starter relay. The other runs to the battery terminal, which I believe was connected to the bottom starter bolt. It also appears that the negative terminal cable has a metal piece that attached to the frame (to ground it?). I can't find a cable with that bracket. Is there another way to ground it to the frame? Some kind of thing I can splice into the wire?

If the negative cable runs to the starter this must be a 300 inline 6 ya? I know the small blocks 302 and 351's ran to the front of the block.

Anyway, just replace the one negative cable with two cables, and bolt the two of them together where the factory one was attached to the frame. That's what I've done with several trucks. Just go to the local auto parts store and grab two negative cables that roughly make up the length of the one factory cable.

Yessir... its a 300.

Perfect! I will do just that! Thank you.

I’m actually a little disappointed in myself that I was too dumb to figure that out myself 😂😂😂

BullnoseSooner wrote

I’m actually a little disappointed in myself that I was too dumb to figure that out myself 😂😂😂

Haha, that's what forums like this are for...too ask questions! I can't take credit for the idea...I went to a local shop that does custom wiring and puts together ambulances and police cars, etc...and they told me to do that. I've done it on the last 3 Ford trucks and it works like a charm.

The auto parts shops usually have a pretty decent selection of different length pre-made cables.

FWIW, the newer trucks, the negative cable goes directly to the lower starter bolt on the V8s and the other ground is just an 8ga wire to the ground stud near the battery on the right fender near the radiator support attaching point. You really don't need a number 4 or 6 cable going to the frame as there really isn't anything that grounds though the frame, lights, HVAC fan etc. all ground at body grounds along with the head lights.

If you look, there is a ground from the back of the engine to the wiper motor mounting area, and frequently another one to the firewall.

Ok, so I need some help… I blew the fusible link prior when I reversed the terminals (I know, I know… I was in a hurry)… so I replaced the fusible link, starter relay, and terminal cables.

Got everything back together and attached the battery. As soon as I attached the negative, it blew the fusible link again.

Could it be the voltage regulator?

Which link is it?
Do you only have one???

This one.

How many am I supposed to have? I've just now started getting into this vehicle. It was running fine before winter.

I'm looking at the '85 EVTM and it seems you should have at least three fusible links, assuming that you don't have an aux battery or EEC.
Which, depends on whether you have ammeter or idiot lights.

Sorry there is no '83 EVTM here on the site.











Have you tried to trace the one that blows to see where it's shorted out?

I have 2 more here.

I have not tried to trace it yet.

Is it possible I killed my starter when I swapped the cables?

Those two should connect to a yellow wire and the yellow wire to a black/orange wire and another fusible link (J)at the hot relay lug (as can be seen in the diagrams I posted)

Look at circuit 38-37 and fuselink J in the ammeter diagram

If you're popping fuses you've either got a ground fault or a short, and on a system like this it's gonna be real easy to find.  Start with a meter and check resistance from negative terminal to ground, make sure it's . or lower.  If it's high you need better grounds, but that's not gonna be your problem here, you just need to know what number to expect.  Next with the positive terminal disconnected, negative needs to stay connected, take readings from every connection that's positive to ground.  If you get anything other than oL or open loop, depending on the meter, you found the problem.  If not, repeat while checking to the negative battery terminal.  If your ground to terminal reading was good you won't need to do that step.

Once you find the problem, disconnect cables until you only have the problem in one place and you've got it.

Thank you!