Maybe everyone i see is doing it wrong, or maybe there it's another reason, but why does the valve cover receive a chassis ground? It is fully insulated from the head by the cover gasket, plug well gaskets, and the bolt grommets. It seems to me that unless you way over torque things, the valve cover won't ground, except in extreme circumstances.

Our is there another reason/people put the ground in the wrong location?

 

I've wondered the same lol

 

This may or may not be the technical answer. But even if the valve cover is 100% insulated from the head, injectors etc. then in the off chance a passing cable rubbed and grounded to the valve cover, or a seal wasn't placed or any mistake that could make the cover conduct electricity then it has to be grounded for when it happens.

This is why we ground outlets for example. The outlet isn't designed to carry current around the frame, but when it fails or breaks that ground needs to be there to protect the people from shock.

 

Just thought of this too. If the valve cover isn't grounded then it will be at a different potential (voltage) than the engine head. If its not grounded then it will build up static electricity and could eventually arc past the seals or gasket creating pits in your head.

 

Fair enough. I had just gotten some stainless cable off a trailer lock at work to run the ground to the cover, and got to wondering.

 

The VC ground is supposed to connect on the front driver side post which grounds it to the head not the valve cover itself - which you are correct is insulated.

 

Driver side post? Maybe we have different terminology for something?

I figured I'd just ground to an intake manifold stud, that way i can hide the wire, and actually be grounding the engine