Battery ground to aluminum head?

[70SwingerGuy]

From what Ive read, the general consensus is that aluminum is usually not a good metal to ground to, so what are some thoughts on my main battery ground wire being grounded to my Edelbrock aluminum head? Should I relocate it?

 

[tjpatte]

That’s where mine has been for about 6 years with no problem. For a while in the 80’s (I believe) home wiring was made of aluminum, it conducts just fine just not very malleable.

 

[pomonamissel]

i've always grounded the neg lead on the starter mount , for a good starting and block contact for the neg lead of the battery .

 

[dano]

Mine is too (SpeedMaster heads) and I have a Sniper which is sensitive to grounds and no issues.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Aluminum is a conductor so there's no reason not to use it.

 

[DFX 340 Duster]

Aluminum is an excellent conductor of electricity.
With exposure to air and over time aluminum surfaces will oxidize and form a layer of aluminum oxide.
Aluminum oxide is a poor conductor of electricity.
Some aluminum alloys have their surfaces clad with an aluminum oxide layer to inhibit corrosion.
You can test the surface of the aluminum for conductivity by using a continuity tester (light) or a meter.

Therefore, you should prepare an aluminum surface for grounding or conducting electricity by removing any oxide layer that may have built up. You can use Scotchbrite pads, sandpaper, Emory cloth, wire wheel, file, etc to remove the oxide layer and produce a fresh shiny or bright surface.

 

[clementine]

If your ground cable is old, make a new one. The interior of the cable can be shot and the cladding can look good (Think brake hoses).

If grounding to aluminum, make it visible to monitor as a previous reply mentioned, they build up oxide over time and need cleaning.

$0.02

 

[Professor Fate]

Aluminum is absolutely fine.
The power drops to your house are most likely aluminum.
Your starter is most likely mounted to and therefore grounded to an aluminum transmission case or bellhousing (and it also consists of an aluminum housing!).
Your distributor grounds through an aluminum housing.
Your coolant temp. sender may be grounding through an aluminum intake manifold.
Aluminum engine blocks and heads have been used for grounding for decades.
Now go have a beer.

 

[70SwingerGuy]

Now go have a beer.

Ok, if you insist

 

[tonysrt]

The problem with aluminum house wiring is the AC current that fluctuates, DC, which our cars use doesn't have that problem.