carpdad

This is for 1996 4.9L m5od with 95 amp alternator. The photo shows negative wire and found it like this this morning. The car's been having trouble starting.
1. where does that end go to? Even if grounding to anywhere on the frame is ok, please id the location, just so I will know from now on.
2. I got 130 amp alternator. My bracket shows 12 oclock bolt hole. I didn't think about the wire size, and am now planning to change the factory wires to 2 ga with new terminals. I removed all battery wires but would like what to expect at the alternator end.
Thank you.

Lazarus-F150

If memory serves, the heavier wire goes to/bolts to one of the starter mounting bolts.

Snaggletooth

I thought the heavy negative wire went to the engine block?

BLDTruth

I think the frame and the engine block.

Lazarus-F150

Sorry to confuse. I think that the heavier cable connects to the engine block via one of the starter mounting bolts

carpdad

Photo 1 shows the cable that was bolted to the starter ground and the other end to the bolt in the engine mount.
Photo 2 shows the battery terminal. I can try and see if there is any ground bolt on the engine within the area of the length of the cable.
Photo 3 - is it possible these 2 pieces were one cable and just broke off at the engine mount bolt? Is this a good place for the battery ground?
The thinner wire from the battery terminal was bolted to the body right next to the battery.

fomoco998

That was one cable that broke by the clamp that attached to the frame and grounded through both starter bolt to engine and frame.

Lazarus-F150

X2

carpdad

Thanks for all replies. So it's possible to start (although sounds dying) the car with that broken. I used one of those big carry around jump starters.
By the way, I started all this when the oil needle went all the way to right and the temp needle followed. The voltage needle has been going left as well, and I thought the battery drained or the alternator was dying.
Then I caught one post here (SDMartin) who suggested all above things may be on the bad ground.
I took out the starter and the wires and that's when I saw the broken negative cable.