positive ground

Don c · Oct 21, 2008

What was the reasoning for the positive ground on a lot of eq. My JD 60 is neg. ground, had been changed and the 40 I am looking at is positive ground. Thanks for any and all answers. Don c

rustyfarmall · Oct 21, 2008

At the time positive ground was used, the theory among all automotive type and electrical engineers was that positive ground WAS the best way to do it. Positive ground was the current technology, and I believe that nearly ALL 6 volt DC applications subscribed to that theory. It was NOT just tractors.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 21, 2008

Six volt Chevrolets and most General Motors vehicles were NEGATIVE ground. G.M.C. pickups of the six volt era were positive ground while there Chevrolet cousins were negative thus causing much confusion in a Chevrolet dealership.

ScottyHOMeY · Oct 21, 2008

I'm no 'lectricical engineer, so this is worth every penny you're payin' for it, but I recall hearin' back along somewhere that the thinkin' behind positive ground was that it was the natural order of things. As best I recall, the idea was that (contrary to what you'd think) the negative post is negative because it is the one givin' up electrons and the positive post is the one gainin' electrons so it gets the + sign.

Somewhere along the line, the EEs got into it and, I've seen an explanation of why they went to neg ground, but it was enough over my head that I didn't retain enough of it to share all these years later.

LenND · Oct 21, 2008

I think all 6-volt Ford and Chrysler products were positive ground, also.

buickanddeere · Oct 21, 2008

For DC the chassis has to be either + or - . Some manufactures chose one, the rest chose the other.
Shouldn't mean beans for difference in operation.

old · Oct 21, 2008

Most things and note the word most where + ground before the 1950 early 60s then they switched things over to - ground. It was believed that the way current flow was the reason for it but they have since changed there minds on current flow and now hook things up - ground because of the change in thinking.
Hobby farm

Unruh · Oct 21, 2008

My mechanic explained to me that the difference is the way the spark jumps the gap, but I've forgotten which way it is. One way the spark jumps from the electrode of the spark plug to the ground and the other way, the other way around. He showed me, too, by shorting a spark plug with a screw driver that you could see which way the spark would jump.

sasedivy · Oct 21, 2008

Had to with corrosion I believe... Some automotive bodies were found to suffer corrosion problems resulting in the polarity switch.

I also remember hearing that some larger steel structures will have a negative charge induced to help reduce corrosion.

John T · Oct 21, 2008

Ive read those manufacturers who preferred Positive ground (Ford n Chrysler I believe) believed such yielded less corrosion where auto frame members were joined and theres also the spark plug factor concerning Pos or Neg ground because its easier to emit electrons from a relatively hotter electrode tip to a relatively colder ground strap, the same way electrons in a vacuum tube are emitted off a heated surface to the cooler plate.

John T

positive ground

Don c

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rustyfarmall

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Anonymous-0

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ScottyHOMeY

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LenND

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buickanddeere

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old

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Unruh

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