TheSamba.com :: View topic - 1972 battery ground cable strap connection location

Thu May 07, 2015 8:29 pm

Guys, I swear... I can't figure out where the battery ground strap attaches to the frame on this bus. It appears to not be the same as a 1971 and not the same as a 1976. So was 1972 some special location?

Thu May 07, 2015 9:11 pm

All the ones I've seen have it going to the engine block. 72 is a weird year.

Thu May 07, 2015 9:35 pm

72 bolts to the wheel well just below where the ECU would go if it had FI.

I think I can almost see the hole just below the kink in the bodyline in this pic:

If that single dangly wire swung to the right a few inches it'd be over it.

Thu May 07, 2015 10:26 pm

busdaddy wrote: 72 bolts to the wheel well just below where the ECU would go if it had FI.

No, it doesn't. Maybe late 72 ie. 73 model year.

Fri May 08, 2015 6:03 am

Mark, I can't believe this. I think Ian is right. I know the hole you're thinking about and this bus doesn't have it. I'd sure like to see an original picture of how VW did it.

Fri May 08, 2015 8:57 am

Not many all original 1972 Buses out there anymore.

Fri May 08, 2015 9:01 am

Ian, I can't tell shit from that picture. Can you?

Fri May 08, 2015 9:04 am

Nope! That's all we get this many years later for "perfect original example"

Fri May 08, 2015 9:05 am

I just cannot accept that VW grounded the battery to the engine like that. It just looks too bush league.

Fri May 08, 2015 9:37 am

aeromech wrote: I just cannot accept that VW grounded the battery to the engine like that. It just looks too bush league.

They did it in the Karmann Ghia so, you never know:

Fri May 08, 2015 10:05 am

Gary, my 72 ground is attached to the block like Ian's picture. But I have a mystery cable with a battery terminal clamp on one end and the other is bolted to the battery tray near the side marker. Always thought that was the orginal ground. I don't use it because the tray is cRusty. Thought the PO added the current strap.

Fri May 08, 2015 10:26 am

Well, I think I'm just gunna fabricate some kind of ground location. I have a rivnut puller. Maybe I'll install a rivnut somewhere solid like VW did with the later buses. They come in large sizes like 8mm

Fri May 08, 2015 10:30 am

I've seen people to something like that near the right side of the cover plate in your photo.

Fri May 08, 2015 10:32 am

Xevin wrote: I've seen people to something like that near the right side of the cover plate in your photo.
"AWOL" Stuart suggested that to me as well.

Fri May 08, 2015 11:10 am

Both diagrams depict the battery being installed with the Neg terminal toward the rear of the vehicle.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/wiring/bus_8_71_1700.jpg
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/wiring/bus_8_71.jpg

Thanks to mayor ratwell. "09/28/04 Early battery negative was bolted to hole in battery tray. Yuck."

72 bus in original condition

ratwell wrote: 68-72 bolted this way. 73-79 bolted above the battery in the front.

72 ground strap

72 trans strap

Fri May 08, 2015 11:13 am

Thanks Tim

Sat May 09, 2015 4:26 am

aeromech wrote: I just cannot accept that VW grounded the battery to the engine like that. It just looks too bush league.

Grounding to the engine is a much better set up in my opinion. With it grounded to the engine you will not get starter current running through the clutch cable even if the ground strap is missing. The reason VW grounded it to the body was to save a few pennies, not because it was a better way to do things.

Sat May 09, 2015 5:27 am

Wildthings wrote: aeromech wrote: I just cannot accept that VW grounded the battery to the engine like that. It just looks too bush league.

Grounding to the engine is a much better set up in my opinion. With it grounded to the engine you will not get starter current running through the clutch cable even if the ground strap is missing. The reason VW grounded it to the body was to save a few pennies, not because it was a better way to do things.

WT,
Respectfully I need to disagree. By installing the "battery return" ground strap to the engine, you'd be sending ALL the electrical loads through the transmission strap, the engine, and fan case. The clutch would flow as well as soon as it became the path of least resistance to the battery. Things like stereos, wipers, headlights, etc would all need to flow through the engine. A much better path for those is through the frame.

Sat May 09, 2015 6:01 am

My second 72 and they were both grounded like this:

Sat May 09, 2015 9:08 am

aeromech wrote: Wildthings wrote: aeromech wrote: I just cannot accept that VW grounded the battery to the engine like that. It just looks too bush league.

Grounding to the engine is a much better set up in my opinion. With it grounded to the engine you will not get starter current running through the clutch cable even if the ground strap is missing. The reason VW grounded it to the body was to save a few pennies, not because it was a better way to do things.

WT,
Respectfully I need to disagree. By installing the "battery return" ground strap to the engine, you'd be sending ALL the electrical loads through the transmission strap, the engine, and fan case. The clutch would flow as well as soon as it became the path of least resistance to the battery. Things like stereos, wipers, headlights, etc would all need to flow through the engine. A much better path for those is through the frame.

Per the original system all the loads you mention are already flowing through the tranny ground strap when the alternator is charging as the strap is the return path to the alternator. If they also flow through the ground strap at those times the engine is off or the alternator is not putting out sufficient amps then such a load is minimal compared to the starting load.

With the engine running and the alternator putting out a large amount of extra amps to charge the battery then the load on the tranny ground strap will be less than as per the original system and not more.