Thread: Starter Wiring Help

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Can anyone help me remember how the wires connect to the starter on a 350?
I know the batt cable goes on the large stud. But I only see one other wire I marked "starter" in my harness and looks like it's the hot from the ignition. Which of the smaller two terminals on the starter does it go to? Even better, do you know if it is the one closest or farthest from the engine when the starter is installed?
Any help much appreciated.

As you are looking at the solenoid, the one to the right of the big battery terminal is for the starter to get juice when you turn the key to start. The one to the left of the fat one is to supply 12 volts to your coil and bypass the resistor.

So, the one closest to the engine block is to supply starting 12 volts to kick the solenoid.

Don

So I have to have two wires going to the starter (besides the batt)?

If you use the one that goes to the coil, yes. The idea is, while you are cranking it is feeding pure 12 volts to the coil to fire the engine better. Otherwise, your normal run position goes through a resistor that drops it down to something like 7 volts so as not to cook your coil. When you release the key back to the run position, 12 volts stops flowing out of that other skinny terminal.

The other wire is the one that is hot only when you are holding the key to the start position. It feeds 12 volts to the solenoid to make the starter crank. You and test it by jamming a screwdriver between the fat one and the skinny one nearest to the engine block. The engine should crank while you are doing that.

Don

Being in cold, cold Philly, you probably should have that 12 volts hooked up to the coil. (lol)

You are right about that cold. Every winter I wonder why anyone lives here. lol I'll have to look around the engine bay some more and see if I can find the coil wire. Thanks a lot Don.

Mike

You're welcome. Look on the + side of your coil. If you have two wires there, chances are one is from the key through the resistor (or resistor wire) and the other one will be the one we are talking about. A volt/ohm meter will tell you how much voltage each is putting out and help you trace them.

As an old Pittsburgh boy who used to visit my Sister in West Philly every year, I know only too well about the cold. I remember a buddy and I racing his 340 HP vette against a fuelie vette down the schuykill expressway, with two girls in the car. One on the hump and one on my lap. That was in about 1964. Ah, the good old days.


Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

I remember a buddy and I racing his 340 HP vette against a fuelie vette down the schuykill expressway, with two girls in the car. One on the hump and one on my lap. That was in about 1964. Ah, the good old days.

Hehe.. the old "sure kill expressway". Me and my buddies had some fun on that highway for sure in high school w/ our cars, all the way back in the late '90's I had a '79 Z28, a friend a '69 Chevelle and another friend a '71
Z28. You're lucky to see 55mph most of the time these days w/ the amount of traffic.

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Look on the + side of your coil. If you have two wires there.. A volt/ohm meter will tell you how much voltage each is putting out and help you trace them.

Will do. I'm heading down to the garage now to get some work done. Thanks again.