Ground?

[jviss]

Looking at the pictures again after reading these posts and an article on grounding systems, I am wondering if the reason the wires are not connected to anything is because they are merely connecting to each other. Effectively, I've got a green/yellow wire seemingly from the AC connected thru a cable lug (don't know why) to another short length of green/yellow wire connected to the engine. Seems like the wire should have just run directly to the engine without the extra connection. Does that make sense?

I was thinking a piece of equipment was removed, and that lug connected to it.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

I'm having a hard time understanding where the ends of wires (and how many wires) are connected but it sounds like you are now saying there are 2 wires. The end of one wire is at the AC panel on the ground buss? The end of the other wire is the lug on the engine frame? The 2 wires are joined with a crimp for a ring connector and hanging loose? So they didn't even use a butt connector?!?!

If this is the case, it is a simple AC panel ground to the engine block, which would also be taking the ground from the DC system. I suppose this functions as a normal AC ground connection to the engine block, as you should have. I have a single green, stranded grounding wire (maybe 8 AWG but I'm not certain) terminating on one end at the AC panel ground buss and the other end terminating at the negative DC ground buss, which in turn is grounded to the engine block with a single cable.

I suppose there is no urgent need to replace it, but, yes, yank out the old and properly install a new ground for your own satisfaction.

 

[jviss]

FWIW, here's the ground and bonding scheme schematic form the Tartan 3800 manual. It is, indeed, #8 bare solid copper wire.

 

[Tally Ho]

Interesting. What gauge wire? Solid or stranded?

Stranded. Not sure what gauge it is.

I just checked the manual….8 awg. It doesn’t mention if it was supposed to be insulated.

Greg

 

[jviss]

Stranded. Not sure what gauge it is.

I just checked the manual….8 awg. It doesn’t mention if it was supposed to be insulated.

View attachment 217866

Greg

I always heard O'Day had good owner's manuals. I have a manual for my Tartan 3800, but it's riddled with errors, apparently due to cut and paste from other models' manuals, and there are many parts that are just to generic to be useful. I thought it might be interesting to write one, but then, the audience is only 42 hulls!

I still want to write an operating manual specific to my boat in case I am incapacitated, so someone else can do what needs to be done. For example, my 1-2-BOTH-OFF switch isn't really for the purpose marked; and so on.

 

[Tally Ho]

It is not that good…pretty generic.

A few good charts for rigging dimensions, plumbing and electrical schematics. But the keel detail is not accurate (shows 2 rows of keel bolts, but the boat only has a single row).

And after 35 years of PO’s, who knows what was changed.

Greg