Matt's Product of the Day: Engine Ground Strap Kit for VEs
09-16-2003, 04:51 PM
#1
Matt's Product of the Day: Engine Ground Strap Kit for VEs
So what is it? I'm sure you guys have seen them elsewhere. It's a bunch of bigarse wires to upgrade the grounds on the engine, to supposedly improve power by giving the engine's sensors, ignition system, and other electronics on the block a better ground reference.
What does it include?
It includes a new run of 4awg wire from the battery to the ground bracket on the engine block. The factory one runs through here also, but if your car is like mine, it's already green and corroded on both ends from the battery. The factory wire also makes a stop on the frame underneath the battery box.
It includes 5 runs of 8 awg cable from the bracket on the block to various places on the engine- in addition to the tiny factory grounds:
One goes to the alternator itself.
Two goes to the ground straps near the front fuel injectors.
One goes to the far end of the engine, near the VTC solenoids.
the last one is a short run, straight up to the Crank Position Sensor.
So what is the benefit in adding all these grounds?
BlehmCo Engineering's Back Road Butt Dyno indicates smoother throttle response, power gain, and less noise in the stereo system.
Here's a quote from the test pilot:
"Gee Whiz! I really didn't notice that much difference in first gear since I run through it so fast anyway, but second and third gears showed a noticeable improvement- all the way to the rev limit at 6700 rpm! It seemend to have more torque when cruising around in 3rd gear at 35-45mph also. when I put my foot down, I could actually feel it accelerating. Before the grounds, I really didn't notice it. It even made the alternator whine on my stereo go away! This is a GREAT product!"
So what's the catch? You gotta pay BlehmCo Engineering $55 for them.
Why $55? Because every connector is hand-crimped AND soldered to provide the best connection to ground. Quality parts aren't cheap, and neither is the high-priced engineer that designed this thing!
Now for the pics: It's designed to be practically invisible on the VE engine. (VG application will be soon, but not out yet. BlehmCo needs a car on-site to design the kit first.)
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/go...s/IM000488.JPG
As you can see, every connector is crimped, soldered, and shrink wrapped to provide tbe best connection and protection from the elements. In this prototype kit, the connectors were the only ones available, but the ones in forthcoming finished product will be better quality.
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/go...s/IM000490.JPG
Here is the entire kit, minus the alternator ground strap. It was added after these pics were taken, but is in the same form as these.
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/go...s/IM000491.JPG
Here is the bracket that bolts to the block. Simply drill a 5/16” hole in the bracket above the existing stud, clean the bracket, bolts, and the side of the block for the best electrical connection, then bolt the new wires onto the bracket and reinstall on the engine. The bolt is made from Stainless steel to prevent any corrosion from ruining the connection.
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/go...s/IM000492.JPG
Here’s the bracket bolted back onto the engine. Note the factory cable is still on the original location, and the new 4AWG run is on the same bolt as the other wires, simply on the other side of the bracket. Also note how clean and shiny the bracket is. You MUST clean the bracket up before installing this stuff, or it won’t do you any good. I used some fine steel wool, and a wire wheel attachment on my drill—Made extremely quick work of cleaning it up.
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/go...s/IM000493.JPG
Here’s the first connector. See how I cleaned the factory wire connector and the mounting point.
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/go...s/IM000494.JPG
Here’s the grounds already installed on the two straps near the front injector bank.
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/go...s/IM000495.JPG
Here’s the one on the far end of the engine. I believe the original spot for this one is just above the power valve (very right edge of the pic), but if you look closely on this one, you’ll notice there’s a bolt sheared off inside that one- so I had to move the ground. Not a big deal, but probably would be better to mount in the original location like the Nissan engineers intended. They were put there for a reason.
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/go...s/IM000496.JPG
Here’s the kit installed on the engine. Note that it’s almost invisible, aside form the white zip ties. If you look closely, you’ll see that I ran the wires underneath the factory harness above the valve cover for a stealth look.
Again, there are no pics of the alternator strap, but I will get those up as soon as I buy some more connectors. The one I used isn’t pretty, and I don’t want to reflect poor quality on my end. As for routing, you can run it against the block, behind the intake manifold, or you can run it along the bottom of the radiator if you’re concerned about heat.
So, to cap it off, you get:
One 4awg wire to run from the battery to the distribution point,
Five 8awg wires to run to the factory ground straps on the engine.
One 1 /4” stainless steel bolt to attach all of the grounds.
All lugs and connectors are crimped, then soldered on for strength and conductivity, then shrink wrapped to look pretty.
Colors?
I can do:
Black
Clear/black (pictured)
Red
Clear/red
Clear/white
I’ve got those on hand now, and can most likely find other colors if the demand is there.
Again, the price is $60, Shipped US mail (in the 48 states anyway- elsewhere, you pay the additional shipping charges.
My email is Matt93SE@sbcglobal.net. I accept paypal, personal check, money order, cash, equivalent value in beer, or other items I may be willing to barter for that value ~$55.
What does it include?
It includes a new run of 4awg wire from the battery to the ground bracket on the engine block. The factory one runs through here also, but if your car is like mine, it's already green and corroded on both ends from the battery. The factory wire also makes a stop on the frame underneath the battery box.
It includes 5 runs of 8 awg cable from the bracket on the block to various places on the engine- in addition to the tiny factory grounds:
One goes to the alternator itself.
Two goes to the ground straps near the front fuel injectors.
One goes to the far end of the engine, near the VTC solenoids.
the last one is a short run, straight up to the Crank Position Sensor.
So what is the benefit in adding all these grounds?
BlehmCo Engineering's Back Road Butt Dyno indicates smoother throttle response, power gain, and less noise in the stereo system.
Here's a quote from the test pilot:
"Gee Whiz! I really didn't notice that much difference in first gear since I run through it so fast anyway, but second and third gears showed a noticeable improvement- all the way to the rev limit at 6700 rpm! It seemend to have more torque when cruising around in 3rd gear at 35-45mph also. when I put my foot down, I could actually feel it accelerating. Before the grounds, I really didn't notice it. It even made the alternator whine on my stereo go away! This is a GREAT product!"
So what's the catch? You gotta pay BlehmCo Engineering $55 for them.
Why $55? Because every connector is hand-crimped AND soldered to provide the best connection to ground. Quality parts aren't cheap, and neither is the high-priced engineer that designed this thing!
Now for the pics: It's designed to be practically invisible on the VE engine. (VG application will be soon, but not out yet. BlehmCo needs a car on-site to design the kit first.)
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/go...s/IM000488.JPG
As you can see, every connector is crimped, soldered, and shrink wrapped to provide tbe best connection and protection from the elements. In this prototype kit, the connectors were the only ones available, but the ones in forthcoming finished product will be better quality.
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/go...s/IM000490.JPG
Here is the entire kit, minus the alternator ground strap. It was added after these pics were taken, but is in the same form as these.
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/go...s/IM000491.JPG
Here is the bracket that bolts to the block. Simply drill a 5/16” hole in the bracket above the existing stud, clean the bracket, bolts, and the side of the block for the best electrical connection, then bolt the new wires onto the bracket and reinstall on the engine. The bolt is made from Stainless steel to prevent any corrosion from ruining the connection.
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/go...s/IM000492.JPG
Here’s the bracket bolted back onto the engine. Note the factory cable is still on the original location, and the new 4AWG run is on the same bolt as the other wires, simply on the other side of the bracket. Also note how clean and shiny the bracket is. You MUST clean the bracket up before installing this stuff, or it won’t do you any good. I used some fine steel wool, and a wire wheel attachment on my drill—Made extremely quick work of cleaning it up.
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/go...s/IM000493.JPG
Here’s the first connector. See how I cleaned the factory wire connector and the mounting point.
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/go...s/IM000494.JPG
Here’s the grounds already installed on the two straps near the front injector bank.
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/go...s/IM000495.JPG
Here’s the one on the far end of the engine. I believe the original spot for this one is just above the power valve (very right edge of the pic), but if you look closely on this one, you’ll notice there’s a bolt sheared off inside that one- so I had to move the ground. Not a big deal, but probably would be better to mount in the original location like the Nissan engineers intended. They were put there for a reason.
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/go...s/IM000496.JPG
Here’s the kit installed on the engine. Note that it’s almost invisible, aside form the white zip ties. If you look closely, you’ll see that I ran the wires underneath the factory harness above the valve cover for a stealth look.
Again, there are no pics of the alternator strap, but I will get those up as soon as I buy some more connectors. The one I used isn’t pretty, and I don’t want to reflect poor quality on my end. As for routing, you can run it against the block, behind the intake manifold, or you can run it along the bottom of the radiator if you’re concerned about heat.
So, to cap it off, you get:
One 4awg wire to run from the battery to the distribution point,
Five 8awg wires to run to the factory ground straps on the engine.
One 1 /4” stainless steel bolt to attach all of the grounds.
All lugs and connectors are crimped, then soldered on for strength and conductivity, then shrink wrapped to look pretty.
Colors?
I can do:
Black
Clear/black (pictured)
Red
Clear/red
Clear/white
I’ve got those on hand now, and can most likely find other colors if the demand is there.
Again, the price is $60, Shipped US mail (in the 48 states anyway- elsewhere, you pay the additional shipping charges.
My email is Matt93SE@sbcglobal.net. I accept paypal, personal check, money order, cash, equivalent value in beer, or other items I may be willing to barter for that value ~$55.
09-16-2003, 06:10 PM
#5
Fiddy Fi Dolla Jeffy. 
Install time.. 30min to an hour, depending on how fast you work.
Install is extremely easy. The hardest part is getting to the engine block ground, and that's still on the front of the block, right under the radiator hose. (but it doesn't need to be removed, just push it out of the way for a minute.)
tools needed:
10,12mm sockets.
1/2" or 9/16" wrench and socket (for the stainless bolt. metric cost several $ more. screw that.)
small wire cutters to trim the zip ties.
Install time.. 30min to an hour, depending on how fast you work.
Install is extremely easy. The hardest part is getting to the engine block ground, and that's still on the front of the block, right under the radiator hose. (but it doesn't need to be removed, just push it out of the way for a minute.)
tools needed:
10,12mm sockets.
1/2" or 9/16" wrench and socket (for the stainless bolt. metric cost several $ more. screw that.)
small wire cutters to trim the zip ties.
09-16-2003, 06:47 PM
#6
Damn Matt... wasn't this just a suggestion like a few hours ago??? Oh well... good job... 
Can't wait for you to fab up a set for VGs... as long as nothing else unforseen comes up
... I'm down for one as soon as you can put one out...
Can't wait for you to fab up a set for VGs... as long as nothing else unforseen comes up
... I'm down for one as soon as you can put one out...
09-16-2003, 07:27 PM
#8
Originally Posted by Matt93SE
Soon as I get a guinea pig VG, I'll make one.
I've actually had this on my mind for quite a while, just never got around to doing it.
I've actually had this on my mind for quite a while, just never got around to doing it.
would that mean free of charge since the car will be the guinea pig?
09-17-2003, 07:52 PM
#13
Bring 'er down. give me a few days to get the connectors in.. just ordered another box of them as the ones I used on mine could have fit better.
You can have these damn bent MHTs back when you come too (long as you trade the Rotas. )
You can have these damn bent MHTs back when you come too (long as you trade the Rotas.
)
09-19-2003, 08:47 PM
#17
your turn..
FYI, everyone.. here's the colors I have right now..
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/go...s/IM000500.JPG
if you want something else, I'll see what I can come up with, but it's got to be worth my time to hunt weird colors down. certain shops will carry orange, purple, blue, etc but they're fun to find.
FYI, everyone.. here's the colors I have right now..
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/go...s/IM000500.JPG
if you want something else, I'll see what I can come up with, but it's got to be worth my time to hunt weird colors down. certain shops will carry orange, purple, blue, etc but they're fun to find.
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