"Nate Nagel" wrote in message
...
Robert Green wrote:

Another is to mount the supplemental Cutler Hammer ground bus bar
in the case, feed it with a large diameter wire from the existing
neutral
bus bar and move the three or four ground wires now connected to the bus
(old house, very few grounded outlets) to the supplemental ground bus
bar.

Why wouldn't you do it this way? this seems to be the easiest/safest
solution, short of full panel replacement.

Primarily because I'm still convinced there's a supplemental neutral bar for
this box somewhere in the world. The panel box illustration shows three
separate neutral bars for the box I have (but mine only has two) and the
frontmost bar has two threaded screw holes where a third bar could be
mounted, so I still hold out some hope I can find something that will work.
But I am reaching a point where I'm spending a lot more time than simply
mounting the new ground bus bar would take.

The third seems to be what most people do. Put two wires under a
setscrew
and print up a big label for the box "Disconnect Main Breaker Before
Neutral
Rewiring!"

I really don't like this idea, for reasons already discussed.

I don't like it much, either, I must confess. I haven't looked closely at
the box since I confirmed the new bar's holes didn't match the Square D's
(it was close!) but I don't see any way to use the machine screws that came
with the kit. I'm assuming that the correct place for the new grounding bus
bar is along one of the two vertical sides of the box, but I haven't seen
too many new boxes, so I'm not absolutely sure. There's not a heck of a lot
of room inside this box compared to some of the newer ones and I am worried
there won't be enough working room.

I first thought to mount it along the bottom, where there's a lot of free
space but in looking at the photos, I see that the existing ground wires
will be too short to reach and I'd have to wire nut some pigtails, something
I'm not keen on. There is a lot less working room on the sides of the box,
but if I mount it high enough, I can use the existing wire without having to
extend them.

I have to admit, though, I am sorely tempted to take the four ground wires
going to the neutral bus and put as many of them under one screw as will
fit. That may or may not leave me enough open neutral connections on the
bar to accommodate the new outlets. From what I can tell, that's legit to
do with ground wires, but not neutrals.

Thanks for the advice!

--
Bobby G.