Grounds and label

Vlabruzzo

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Hi all, I really appreciate the help ive been receiving from you all. Hope i can contribute something soon.
Anyhow, what does this label mean and what is this ground stud ? My tank had now ground wire on it and I figure it should. Does it go back to this? Is that supposed to go back to the battery?
Than20200616_193117.jpg20200616_193117.jpg20200616_193117.jpgk you
 

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Vlabruzzo

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Does anyone know? I cant find any info. Ive noticed in the bottom picture the two studs come through the hull and there a block outside that someone currently has covered in bottom paint. Is this block for bonding? It hast a green ground wire attached to it. Should my fuel tank get connected to one of the studs?
 

seasick

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That would be a sacrificial anode. If it is painted, it isn't doing much and you may be OK that way. That depends on a lot of things but most important is whether or not other external metal components are protected (for example motor anodes (zinks for example). If you have shore power, the bonding grounds may be more important.
With respect to the tank ground, there should be a wire connecting the tank to the system negative circuit (battery negative). If the fuel gauge works, then the tank is grounded.
Look at through hulls and seacocks to see if there are green or bare wires connected to them. If so, all those wires should run to a common 'ground' connection.
 
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Vlabruzzo

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That would be a sacrificial anode. If it is painted, it isn't doing much and you may be OK that way. That depends on a lot of things but most important is whether or not other external metal components are protected (for example motor anodes (zinks for example). If you have shore power, the bonding grounds may be more important.
With respect to the tank ground, there should be a wire connecting the tank to the system negative circuit (battery negative). If the fuel gauge works, then the tank is grounded.
Look at through hulls and seacocks to see if there are green or bare wires connected to them. If so, all those wires should run to a common 'ground' connection.
Thank you. The fuel guage does work so it makes sense it gets grounded through the screw. I know the tank has a ground tab so wjile i have it all open i want to make sure it all ok.
Should i run from that tab to the sacrifial anode stud? Should i clean off the paint from the anode? I trailer the boat. May keep in water next season after i work out the bugs.
All the through hulls are plastic except the fuel fill.
Thanks again
 

seasick

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The tank should be grounded to the battery negative or power bus bar negative. Often the sender connects to the tank and the tank has a wire to the negative bus. Before making any wiring changes, run a length of wire from the battery negative terminal to the pink wire on the fuel sender. That is the terminal that connects the sender signal to the gauge. With the ignition on, when you ground the pink wire, the gauge should read full. If it does, the gauge and wire are OK. Now connect that wire from the battery to the ground terminal on the sender. If the gauge reads now, the tank ground is bad. If the gauge doesn't read the gas level, the sender is probably bad.

As long as that anode on the side of the hull is not crumbling, I would leave it alone. . I am assuming that the anode or whatever it is has been there for a long time so if it hasn't disintegrated, leave it. If it is crumbly, you have to decide if you want to replace it or get rid of it and patch the holes in the hull. If you replace it, seal the bolts and the underside well but don't paint the outside of the anode.

As I mentioned, if there are no bonding wires at through hulls or seacocks, I don't see a need for that anode assuming the motor and running gear are protected from electrolysis.
 
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