Originally Posted by VetteVet (Post 8034362)

I suspect that you have a battery feed wire bypassing the key switch and powering the accessory part of the fuse panel. If you don't have power with the key switch off on those items before you turn the key on, then you shouldn't have it after you turn the key switch off unless the key switch is staying connected internally, but you said you've changed the key switch, so that should rule that out.

I would connect a test light or volt/ohm meter between the negative battery cable and the battery negative terminal with the key off and check for an amp draw on the 10 amp scale.

I will have to go to the store and get one since I don't own one.

Your pictures show a stock fuse panel so I ask, do any of these fused circuits stay on when you pull their fuse. Wipers, turn signals, heater, stop/tail, radio.

Turn signal, stop, tail light turn off
The radio remains on
wiper doesn't turn on whether ignition is ON/Off l. (i don't have the arm connected but don't think this would make a difference?)
Heater doesn't turn on whether ignition is ON/OFF

The yellow wire could be the resistance bypass wire from the starter R terminal to the stock ignition coil, which you don't need with HEI. It is next to the purple solenoid S terminal wire in the harness in your pic so it might be that wire. If your harness is for the stock coil and not HEI then it would have that wire in it.

I've disconnected the yellow wire from starter and have same results.

The small black wire with the fuse is for the battery gauge and there should be one where the red wire from the alternator terminates. There should be a junction in the main harness for the alternator, battery charge, alternator voltage sensing, and cab power wires all join.

Sorry, I am very new to this so I'm not sure if I understand correctly. Where would this junction in the main harness be located if I had one?

your post 2 pic 1 --Why do you have a four gauge cable to the fender junction? This should be a 16 gauge fusible link for fusing the battery power only, circuits.
No reason other then a recommendation from someone. I have 16 gauge wire and will swap this out. Could this be part of the reason?

Your post 2 pic 3 What are the purple and red wires plugging into in the fuse panel and where do they go? Also what is the electric choke plugged into?

Originally Posted by 72K5CSTDarkOlive (Post 8034566)

I would connect a test light or volt/ohm meter between the negative battery cable and the battery negative terminal with the key off and check for an amp draw on the 10 amp scale.


It's only drawing 4.75 amps.

Originally Posted by VetteVet (Post 8034678)

You should be drawing less than .004 amps or 4 milliamps

This means that something is on and drawing current. So you have power on even before you turn on the key. which is probably the lights that must be getting current from the battery all the time.

I don't know if you meant that your tach and HEI wires are both plugged into the other IGN-Unfused terminal or not but only the HEI wire goes to ignition power, the tach wire from the tach goes to the ignition coil in the distributor
unless you mean it's the tach light wire and the tach power wire.

Originally Posted by 72K5CSTDarkOlive (Post 8034784)

When Ignition is On and I pull the headlamp switch out.. The headlights and rear side markers come on and the front side markers turn off.

Originally Posted by VetteVet (Post 8034807)

You shouldn't need the key on for the headlights or all four side markers. It sound like your markers and front turn signals are wired wrong.
Here is a diagram for them. I think there is a different one for the front marker/turn lamps.



Attachment 1688365


Here it is in PDF.

Attachment 1688367