Reply to "Ground Straps"

...In My opinion, and most would agree, the 'Starter Motor' is the Single Most Important Electrical Device in Any Vehicle and Especially in Our Panteras!

It MUST Work, Or We are Going to Have a Very Bad Day!

To that End, I run a 'Beefy' (Thick as I can Find) Round Cable, Directly from one Starter Motor Mounting Bolt, to the Nearest Mounting Bolt, of the (removable) Cross-Member Support. Just to the Right of the Clutch Slave.
I Put one Loop in it for Flexibility.

The Resistance is Lessened with the Shorter Distance to Ground. A Higher Currant is 'Allowed'. IF one is still depending on the 'Woven' Ground Strap (Yuk) Original from the Factory, Connected to the Tail of the ZF Transaxle, Just think...the High Amperage Currant Drawn by the Starter, MUST conduct through the ZF Aluminum Case!! The Electricity, Possibly, in searching for a 'Path', For an Instant, may even travel through the Shafts and Gear Teeth!! Think about THAT one for a Moment!

In My Years of Experience with 'Power Transmission Gearboxes', our Team Once came upon a Very Large Gearbox, in for New Bronze Bearings. Powered by a 70 Horsepower 440 Volt AC Electric Motor, that was NEVER Properly Grounded!
We pulled the Shafts and found the Bronze Bearings were Impossible to Remove, as the Bronze had 'Eroded' to the Steel of the Shaft. Known as an 'Eddy'(SP?) Current.
So severe was the attachment, that the only way of removal was to mount the shaft in a Vertical Mill, and Mill Two Opposing Slots, the Length of the Bearing and all the way through the Bearing, to the Shaft, in effect splitting the Bearing into Halves.
Then the Work Started, I had to Wedge into the Halves and Hammer onto them with a 20 Pound, 3 Foot, Sledge Hammer. Took All the Might I had, About a half-hour, or More, later, I had 'One' Half Hammered Off. Another half and 2 Halves of the Second Bearing to go.

...One interesting fact, upon Close Inpection of the Bearing Half. The Erosion was evident in 'Rings', as in rings like 'Tree Growth'. Why? Because the Motor was Shut-Off every night and the Erosion only took place while running during the days. Every Ring represented a 'Few Hours Shift Period of Operation'. Almost 'Microscopic', there were Hundreds of rings, Eroding(I can't describe it as Welding) the Bronze to the Steel, UNTIL the Shaft finally Froze-Up, and came to a Dead-Stop!!

The point of all this would be, if You are running a Grounding Strap to the TAIL cap of Your ZF, and it is the ONLY PATH for The Starter to CONDUCT 200+ AMP's or More, it is MY Recommendation that You Scrap THAT Strap and Install a Thicker Strap Closest to the Starter Motor.

...For What It's Worth.