Is the negative battery cable attaching location the same on a car with A/C as a non-A/C car for a '68 442?

 

Check your assembly manual (or maybe someone can check for you).

If it's like 1970, then the attaching point on the block is the same (if I remember correcty) but the routing of the cable may differ. Interestingly, the correct bolt hole is behind the power steering pump, almost impossible to get to, and uses a hard-to-find bolt size, which explains why on most cars -- which have invariably had their cable removed or replaced at least once -- you find that someone has chosen to bolt it to the head instead.

 

Hi Tom,

It appears that routing of the negative battery cable is slightly different on cars with A/C than without A/C. I've scanned "Figure 2" in manual section 12, page 132, of the '68 Cutlass/4-4-2 PIM, and that should show how it is routed. When I first looked at this picture and saw "A/C GENERATOR", I thought, that's not the compresssor - the compressor is on the other side. Then it hit me - it's not the compressor, it's the alternator for cars with A/C!

Hope this helps.

Randy C.

 

Thanks Randy.

 

page 134 of my 70 manual is missing. Does anyone know is it the same as 68 far as negative cable routing with ac?

 

On my 68 w air, it attaches to top of p/s bracket. Is this correct or should it go to block?

 

Thanks for pointing this out...now I have some adjustments to make.

 

From 70 Assembly Manual

 

From what I can tell looks like non ac cars had it attached to the power steering bracket, but AC cars may have been on the alternator bracket. My 70 manual says refer to another page for ac location which is missing in my book. Hoping someone with an assembly manual has that page. The above page just shows basic routing but not finished routing. I have the above page. There is more than just this page.

 

Click on the little link on the previous post.

 

From 70 Assembly Manual

 

68 AIM, Page 12-132 and 12-132-A are somewhat confusing. Views X & Z on 12-132, upper right, is how my early production Z code is with PS & AC, no clip, opposite of what's shown in the lower left "view 2". at least no clip was present when I took ownership in 86.
But then on 12-132A, it states note A which directs you to figure 2 on 12-132 for 400s with PS and A/C.
The PO R&R'ed the engine/trans before I took ownership. And the OEM cables had been replaced with bolt clamp styles. So maybe it should have said clamp?
I also see 4 variations of the positive cable routing which never registered with me before. Trans and with or w/o AC affect the config.etc. Page 6-1 -132 further confuses me as it only shows 400 SM A engines only. Doesn't show the 400/400 automatic tube. The other diagram presumed to be for "A" engines, denotes "EXC 400 CU IN ENGINE" Neither of these views on 6-1-132 is what I have on my 400/400. My tube is more horizontal which is consistent with other automatic 68 442 autos I've seen over the years.

 

Here is the positive cable tube

 

Hmm.. Did you ask the same question on FB's OCA sight?

 

I realize this is an old thread, but these posts are really helpful references when working through a problem. The reproduction assembly manual lacks the clear detail of where this mounting location is for the negative battery cable. Note it is at the bottom right corner of the vertical face of the block (not the head) — looking at it from the front. On a PS car it is necessary to loosen up the PS pump brackets to create working room to install the cable. It’s a pain to go to this much trouble, but I wanted to “know” I have a good ground using the factory location to troubleshoot an electrical gremlin.

Now on to correcting the braided wire block to firewall connection to have a reliable baseline for my electrical ground.

Hope this helps someone working on this.