Where Do I Ground???

What type and year engine?

Yeah the neg terminal, and check your spark plugs.(resistor type for noise)

There's more printed about grounding marine electrical systems than all other aspects. I don't make it a practice to add any ground wires to the battery because off the corrosion factor, the best thing to do in my opinion is add a negative ground bus bar close to the engine and connect the neg cable from the battery to this and run all the ground wires from this. I run the engine ground, ignition ground and dash ground to this point, also the gas tank ground. I ground the engine to the head and have a ground cable from the head to the other head in the rear of the motor, I even ground the choke to the bus bar, thats called a star ground, all points to one ground.

Hey captan1 ... a question about grounding the gas tank? My tank was previously connected to the engine by copper tube, so I figure it was grounded to the engine and then on to the bus bar from there. I replaced the copper with a newer flexable (non metal) fuel line. Should I consider running a ground from the tank directly to the bus bar??

Well guy's, the fuel sender needs a ground, I've never seen the fuel tubing acting as a ground but I haven't seen everything.

I guess if you wanted to cut down on wires you could add a neg. bus bar back there, couple of grounds for the gas tank, rear light needs a ground and only one wire up to the engine bus bar.

Good point about the filler neck, I don't think mine is grounded, used for static type of situation?

Here is the uscg regs for fuel system grounding
[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 33, Volume 2]
[Revised as of July 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 33CFR183.572]

[Page 857]

               TITLE 33--NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS

   CHAPTER I--COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED)

PART 183--BOATS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT--Table of Contents

                         Subpart J--Fuel Systems

Sec. 183.572 Grounding.

    Each metallic component of the fuel fill system and fuel tank which
is in contact with fuel must be statically grounded so that the
resistance between the ground and each metallic component of the fuel
fill system and fuel tank is less than 100 ohms.

                                  Tests

Just thought you like to know. Any other question reguarding USCG specs chech this site
http://cfr.law.cornell.edu/cfr/cfr.php?title=33&type=part&value=183

I might have a couple extra.... Who wants to buy an ohm?

Thanks ohm boyz!!

So my next question is what's the best way to secure a braided ground wire to the fuel tank? My tank is the original steel cylinder type tank, holds about 15 gallons. It has three female threaded fittings 1. top center threaded opening 2" to accomodate filling up the tank, 2. top right - threaded opening fits a brass fitting that connects to the fuel line, and 3. bottom threaded 1/2" opening that holds drain plug.

Should I use a compression strap to secure the ground wire to one of these fittings? Another option might be connecting the ground to the galvanized steel staps holding the tank in its seat, but at the moment, I have rubber gasket material between the tank and straps to cut down on vibration ... it seemed like the right thing to do at the time, but may be overkill. SM