Minimum wiring to start with clip removed

[landarts]

I am getting ready to start my next project with a 1969 k10 over my two week vacation over the holidays. A few weeks back I rolled the truck into the driveway and cleaned and removed the front clip completely so I can get to removing the motor. The truck originally from factory had a 292 6 cylinder and I have a rebuilt one to go back in the truck. Before I remove the V8 I would like to see if it is a motor that will run and possibly be used for another project that needs a v8. With the front clip off which has the wiring harness attached to it to make the electrical connections needed to make it run, I would need to wire something up to get it going for testing purposes. What would be the simplest way to do this?

[StingRay]

Battery power to the coil and to the starter. You can use a remote starter switch to turn it over. From the ignition switch you normally provide full 12 volt to the coil when starting and then a lower voltage at the resistance lead running. Full 12 volts will fry the points eventually. And you need a ground. No alternator wiring or anything else is really required just to run. It'll run just fine off of the battery. Be careful to protect any unconnected leads that are powered from shorting out. Kill the 12 volts to shut it off.

And it's that easy to steel one too! One jumper wire with alligator clips and a screw driver to short across the solenoid connections. POOF it's gone!

[AussieinNC]

Assuming you just want to start the engine and check for leaks etc...The standard coils can take full 12 volts for a short while...but you should use the above system only for very short time testing etc.


1/ Make sure Oil pressure gauge, if mechanical, is connected to the dash gauge, or another mechanical gauge
2/ If you have connected any wiring from the cab to the engine, remove the connections and insulate the ends. Disconnect alternator..and insulate all leads.
3/ You will need a battery lead from positive battery terminal to the starter motor.
4/ You will need a ground strap from Negative battery terminal to the engine block.
5/ You will need a wire with a switch in it to provide power to the ignition coil. Run the wire from battery positive thru the switch, to the coil terminal opposite the short wire between the coil and distributor. Keep the switch turned off for the time being. Let me know if you are using a HEI system distributor.
6/ You will then need a wire between the Starter motor Solenoid terminal, thru a press button, to battery positive.

7/ Have your fuel system functional and primed with fuel...and have a fire extinguisher CLOSE BY !!!

8/ How are you intending to cool the engine?

To start:

With the switch turned off, press the button to turn over the engine until you see oil pressure on the gauge.
You should also see fuel in the carb and accelerator pump circuits...

Make sure you have timing and firing order set correctly...

Press the button to start turning the engine over then throw the switch to provide power to the coil...

To stop the engine, turn off the switch...

The standard coils and points can take full 12 volts for a short while...but you should use the above system only for very short time testing etc.

Let us know how you go...

[landarts]

AussieinNC thanks for the detailed list that will really help. Last night before I went to bed I remembered i had a chopped up wiring harness out of a truck from the junkyard. I can actually now re=plugin the terminal block and wiring that goes to the front clip and rewire it that way without removing all the original wire off the clip. I do have a spare core support and radiator ready to go so I will be good with cooling. This will make things easy to hookup and test. One of my other items is I am working on getting a engine test stand ready to go so I can test motors on the stand. Thanks for the help!

[72Subby]

another suggestion is to download instructions from an engine stand company (EZ Run, for example)

They will have a simplified wiring diagram of what you need to start, run, or connect to gauges

(you are doing a very smart thing testing this out on the semi-bare frame before assembling all the bodywork and final wiring!)