strange flat wire

[unknowntitan]

taking a look at the engine bay i noticed that there is a flat wire from the engine to the chassis i believe it is a ground point but not sure

[MilesA]

Looks like a ground strap. They are usually made of woven wire with lugs on either end. There should be one on each head. With age, they can deteriorate and break. You can find replacements at most auto parts stores.

[unknowntitan]

Thanks it is a woven strap i was wondering if i could use somrthing like 10 gauge wire instead?

[MilesA]

Thanks it is a woven strap i was wondering if i could use somrthing like 10 gauge wire instead?

Woven flat wire strap is better, IMHO. You have to consider there is a lot of vibration for that wire and insulation is not necessary for a ground wire. Look at what the engineers originally specified and try to match it, they usually know what they are doing.

[cww516]

You probably could, assuming you have the proper terminals and crimping tool to get a good connection at each end. The advantage of using the braided stuff is that it's way more flexible than even stranded wire, which you need when the engine moves around under acceleration and such. If you're looking to avoid paying parts store prices, you might be able to find the same kind of braided copper wire (without the terminals) at Menards or similar, but you'll probably have to buy enough of it that the price will be a wash anyway. If you do end up using 10 gauge wire, make sure you leave plenty of extra length, or maybe even a loop so that the terminals aren't stressed.

[MilesA]

You can buy ground straps ready-made for $5-10, your time is more valuable than that. Metals have a tendency to fatigue under repeated stress, meaning they get weaker and weaker over time. I'm sure you've broken coat hanger wire by bending it back and forth a few times -- same principle. Whatever material they use for these ground straps is able to cope with that, plus the woven flat construction allows for more flexibility than a round cross-section would. So, you could save a few bucks by using whatever wire you have on hand, but is it worth doing, I don't think so.