Question on starter wiring

[AusTx68]

So there are three terminals on the starter. A large terminal for the positive battery cable, a small one for the purple ignition wire and the other large terminal that powers the starter motor. This terminal also has the yellow wire which leads up to the coil then splits off to the fuse box thru a resistor wire.

The way I understand it, when the ignition key is turned to START, power is sent thru the purple wire which activates the solenoid which engages starter motor. Power is then sent up the yellow wire to the coil providing 12 volts. Once the motor starts all power is killed to the starter and the resistor wire feeds 9 volts to the coil to keep the motor running. right? (68' C-10)

Assuming all above is correct, I wired up my starter by replacing the yellow resistor wire with 20 gauge yellow wire. That way I get a full 12 volts to my Mallory distributor which calls for 12 volts. The yellow wire also goes down to
the starter as originally wired up. Not sure that was even necessary since I am was getting a full 12 volts from the fuse box.

With the new wiring, when I turn the key to the ON position (not START) the starter makes a winding noise then promptly blows my fusable link. I ending up cutting the wire from the coil down to the starter. This all made sense since that yellow wire was sending voltage to the starter on the side that engages the starter motor.

So finally here's my question, Why doesn't that happen with the OEM wiring?? You would think that power to the coil would also send power to the starter motor right?

[GMCMAX]

Should be four terminals, Large for the battery cable, below that for motor power from the solenoid, small for the purple from the switch, small for the yellow to the coil.
Switch energizes the purple to engage the solenoid, solenoid contacts across the battery to motor terminals, and also sends power back up the yellow to the coil.
If the yellow was hooked to the motor terminal, it would try to power the starter motor through the switch and overload the circuit blowing the fuse.
I believe the two small terminals are marked s for start (purple) and I or R for ignition (yellow).

[fixit-p]

The yellow wire is not the resistor wire, the resistor wire is the one which goes to the bulkhead connector and the "R" terminal is isolated from the purple wire. When you wire an HEI or similar dist eithe run the wire to the ignition unfused terminal on the fuse block or remove the resistor wire from the bulkhead connector and wire it there no need to go to the starter.

[AusTx68]

Hey guys thanks for clearing this up for me. I forgot to mention I'm running an aftermarket starter. It for sure only has 3 terminals. My mistake was was trying to set it up as OEM. I will delete the line to the starter and move on.

[skeeterbug]

while on the subject im trying to wire up my starter as well, its only been 3 mon since i took all the wires out of the truck but cant remember how it was wired up i am re ally lost now. i am running an hei dist, the starter has three terminals one large top center and two smaller on each side, the large terminal is for the pos+ cable from the battery correct? the solid purple wire from the firewall bulkhead is from the ignition correct?,and goes to one of the smaller terminals? also the neg main cable from the battery does it ground to the frame its to large of a connector to go on the starter?, there is a smaller wire with a connector coming off the neg cable ill asume it goes to the other small terminal on the starter correct or am i totally f#$%ed up on this? i should have taken pictures, the bad part is i wired the thing up but have never left it apart for months on end, please help!!!

[fixit-p]

Batt positive to big post on starter.
Purple from ignition switch to "S" terminal on starter (closest to engine)
Batt negative to engine block.
Thats it since you have HEI nothing is wired to the starters "R" terminal.

[robzilla]

Originally Posted by fixit-p

Batt positive to big post on starter.
Purple from ignition switch to "S" terminal on starter (closest to engine)
Batt negative to engine block.
Thats it since you have HEI nothing is wired to the starters "R" terminal.

i'm running points system, and the starter only has 2 terminals. the large one for the battery, and another smaller one. of the yellow and purple wires, which would go onto the smaller starter terminal. this starter was taken out of a 71 gmc. or will this starter not work? and where would the other wire go to?

thanks

[stellar]

The starter is ok the solenoid needs changed to one with 2 small posts instead of 1. Purple wire to the small post you have now. Should be marked S. When you get the sol with 2 small posts the yellow wire will go from the other small post on solenoid marked R to the coil.

[fixit-p]

If your starter solenoid only has 1 terminal it would be the "S" terminal so that would be for the purple wire. The yellow wire is needed on points type ignitions to provide full battery voltage while the engine is cranking for easier starts. With that solenoid you have 3 options (IMO) 1, convert to HEI. 2, install a remote starter solenoid (Ford style) that has an "R" terminal and 3, use a bosh type relay to actuate off of the purple wire and supply batt voltage to the yellow wire.

Edit>>Was typing while stellar posted, I agree you can also just change the solenoid for a 4th option.

[robzilla]

thanks for the info. i took some pics of the unit, and the one post is broken off. i was going to change to hei, but the unit i got from my brother has the hook up for a computer controller, thus making it not good for the truck. i am searching for another hei unit, that would work for this truck... the search continues. i'll hook up the purple wire, and turn over the engine to get it to tdc to allow for install of the distributor, and then pull the starter to change the solenoid.

[VetteVet]

Originally Posted by skeeterbug

while on the subject im trying to wire up my starter as well, its only been 3 mon since i took all the wires out of the truck but cant remember how it was wired up i am re ally lost now. i am running an hei dist, the starter has three terminals one large top center and two smaller on each side, the large terminal is for the pos+ cable from the battery correct? the solid purple wire from the firewall bulkhead is from the ignition correct?,and goes to one of the smaller terminals? also the neg main cable from the battery does it ground to the frame its to large of a connector to go on the starter?, there is a smaller wire with a connector coming off the neg cable ill asume it goes to the other small terminal on the starter correct or am i totally f#$%ed up on this? i should have taken pictures, the bad part is i wired the thing up but have never left it apart for months on end, please help!!!

This smaller wire goes to the body, a fender or the core support. There is no place for it on the starter.

[skeeterbug]

thanks guys after hearing it from you all images started poping in my head as to where everything was, like the small wire from the neg. i remember know it was connected to the fender right beside the factory dist. block, duhhh...

[Rick212]

Can I pile on?? My wife's '69 C-10 also had a butchered engine wiring harness. She has a 350, HEI with air. I ordered the correct OEM style harness for the custom HEI set-up but several of the wires are still a mystery to me. Does anyone have a wiring diagram for a '69 HEI small block with air???

I'll post pick is that will help............

Thanks...Rick

[Longhorn Man]

have you looked at the one posted in the sticky thread?

[Rick212]

Yup..............it's not for HEI..............I'll shoot some pics tonight,,,,,,,,,

Rick

[70STOVEBOLT]

How about this one? I was having issues with my battery only providing about 10 seconds of cranking time, so I replaced it. Now every so often when I'm cranking the engine, the starter engages the flywheel, but does not turn the engine over unless I let go of the key and try it again. Then it will turn over, but the turn signal indicators on the gauge panel light up very dim. What could this be? Wiring/electrical is not my forte at all. Any help would be appreciated.

[Murphy IRE]

OK, while I'm installing the 2nd battry, I'm trying to fix the "sometimes just click" while trying to start. I dropped the starter and have installed a new solenoid. The old wires aren't stellar so I'm going to replace them. The purple and the yellow. My question is what gauge should I run?
I bought 14 ga Purple and 10 ga yellow. Is the 14 big enough. I ran 2 ga from the battery to the solenoid on both batteries. I ordered the heat reflective tape to protect them from the heat.
Thanks in advance!

[fixit-p]

Originally Posted by Murphy IRE

OK, while I'm installing the 2nd battry, I'm trying to fix the "sometimes just click" while trying to start. I dropped the starter and have installed a new solenoid. The old wires aren't stellar so I'm going to replace them. The purple and the yellow. My question is what gauge should I run?
I bought 14 ga Purple and 10 ga yellow. Is the 14 big enough. I ran 2 ga from the battery to the solenoid on both batteries. I ordered the heat reflective tape to protect them from the heat.
Thanks in advance!

14 gauge is too small, stock is 12 gauge and the heat it's exposed to raises the resistance and is one of the cause of not starting when hot (also referred to as heat soak) 14 gauge will make it worst, the best thing you could do for that is the remote solenoid mod. http://madelectrical.com/catalog/st-1.shtml as far as the yellow wire 20 gauge is stock.

[Murphy IRE]

OK back to NAPA for bigger purple wire and smaller yellow.
The "click noise" happens when the engine is cold or hot. And it doesn't do it all the time. The engine has always started, just can be annoying with 3 or 4 turns of the key before it starts.

[chev71c10 Australia]

Originally Posted by fixit-p

14 gauge is too small, stock is 12 gauge and the heat it's exposed to raises the resistance and is one of the cause of not starting when hot (also referred to as heat soak) 14 gauge will make it worst, the best thing you could do for that is the remote solenoid mod. http://madelectrical.com/catalog/st-1.shtml as far as the yellow wire 20 gauge is stock.

HI i had the same problem i fitted a fifty amp wire to the ignition . my starter war overheating and gave me the ****s . I have a high 2.9 high torque starter.
It has a polished allumminnium mounting block that bolts to the engine.I undid the allan key bolts the attatch the starter to the mount and rotated the starter within the mount 180 Degrees to try to settle the overheating problem.
The mount stays the same You end with the solinoid facing the road.
the starter never overheats and you dont need the seperate solinoid EASY FIX
hopethe helps cheers matt

[bpmack16]

I just redid my engine wiring harness. The problem I'm having now is the wire coming from the metering block to the starter also has 2 yellow wires connected to it like a Y, the two Uper parts of the Y are yellow wires and the base is the purple/pink wire I can't tell the exact color as the wire is old. But anyway truck ran fine for a day. After that the wire connected to the Y yellow wires melted all most burning up the truck. I believe one yellow wire goes to the HGI and the other to the starter then both connect to that purple/ pink with that states do not cut. So where is this messed up and why is it burning up the wires. O and the part that connects to the starter is on the small post closest to the block.

[70STOVEBOLT]

Originally Posted by 70STOVEBOLT

How about this one? I was having issues with my battery only providing about 10 seconds of cranking time, so I replaced it. Now every so often when I'm cranking the engine, the starter engages the flywheel, but does not turn the engine over unless I let go of the key and try it again. Then it will turn over, but the turn signal indicators on the gauge panel light up very dim. What could this be? Wiring/electrical is not my forte at all. Any help would be appreciated.

Anyone?

[fixit-p]

Originally Posted by 70STOVEBOLT

How about this one? I was having issues with my battery only providing about 10 seconds of cranking time, so I replaced it. Now every so often when I'm cranking the engine, the starter engages the flywheel, but does not turn the engine over unless I let go of the key and try it again. Then it will turn over, but the turn signal indicators on the gauge panel light up very dim. What could this be? Wiring/electrical is not my forte at all. Any help would be appreciated.

Check your battery cables, if you have a multimeter you could test your cables voltage drop (not continuity). Any time a totally unrelated circuit like the turn signal indicators are affected it's usually a poor ground somewhere but it could also be the positive side as well. Also make sure the ground cable is connected to the engine block and not just the frame.

[stellar]

check the brushes in the starter. If the solenoid is worn out, the brushes probably are too.

[70STOVEBOLT]

I replaced the positive cable when I replaced the battery, but I have not replaced the ground cable since I've owned the truck, over 9 years. I will take a look at it. Thanks for the reply.