TheSamba.com :: View topic - Intermittent No Crank-1972 bus

Fri Nov 07, 2025 12:34 pm

Xevin wrote: SGKent wrote: leave the hard start relay off the bus until you solve the issue or you are just adding one more variable to cause you issues. Fix the problem first.

SGKent and I 100% agree again :lol:

I will follow both of your advices!! :D
Thank you again

Fri Nov 07, 2025 1:41 pm

airschooled wrote: 1972 buses have a nonstandard (terrible) battery ground strap location in the engine compartment. That’s the first place I would clean and tighten the fasteners.

Robbie

And This

Fri Nov 07, 2025 3:35 pm

Xevin wrote: airschooled wrote: 1972 buses have a nonstandard (terrible) battery ground strap location in the engine compartment. That’s the first place I would clean and tighten the fasteners.

Robbie

And This

OMG Xevin and I agree again. The world is shifting on its axis

Fri Nov 07, 2025 4:18 pm

Xevin wrote:
SGKent and I 100% agree again :lol:
SGKent wrote:
OMG Xevin and I agree again. The world is shifting on its axis
i agree with you both a lot.

does that make me wishy washy?

Fri Nov 07, 2025 10:50 pm

dodger tom wrote: Xevin wrote:
SGKent and I 100% agree again :lol:
SGKent wrote:
OMG Xevin and I agree again. The world is shifting on its axis
i agree with you both a lot.

does that make me wishy washy?
no, washy wishy and not wishy washy

Sat Nov 08, 2025 10:31 am

airschooled wrote: 1972 buses have a nonstandard (terrible) battery ground strap location in the engine compartment. That’s the first place I would clean and tighten the fasteners.

Robbie

Good to know. I did replace the negative battery cable first. It looks like a typical battery cable (black) and it does attach to the frame inside the engine compartment. It doesn't look like the ground strap pictured earlier in this thread.

Thank you for the information

Sat Nov 08, 2025 2:28 pm

Tweed2863 wrote: airschooled wrote: 1972 buses have a nonstandard (terrible) battery ground strap location in the engine compartment. That’s the first place I would clean and tighten the fasteners.

Robbie

Good to know. I did replace the negative battery cable first. It looks like a typical battery cable (black) and it does attach to the frame inside the engine compartment. It doesn't look like the ground strap pictured earlier in this thread.

Thank you for the information
there are a minimum of two ground straps. One between the battery and body, and one between the body/chassis and engine/transmission. The starter where it bolts onto the bell housing has to be clean of paint or the paint may keep it from a making good connection.

Sun Nov 09, 2025 12:07 am

For the next guy reading this with the same problem. Take a battery jumper cable and connect one clamp to somewhere on your starter. Then the other clamp to either the bus frame or directly to the battery negative post. If the starter cranks then you’ll know that your problem is the ground connection between the starter and the battery.

Most electrical components have both a positive wire and a negative wire. Starters have just a positive wire. They need to be bonded to the transmission which is bonded to the frame via the ground strap pictured by Xevin on page one. As Steve said, the starter pad to bell housing must be clean and unpainted for this bond.

Funny thing…. As much as I love Eric at Transworks in El Cajon, he always paints the starter pad when he does a rebuild and when I get a trans from him I always have to remove that paint. I tried explaining it to him and he thought I was nuts.