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Starter solenoid and starter wiring Questions #1066887
09/01/11 02:51 PM
09/01/11 02:51 PM
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Oregon
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I have a project car with a 1975 360 motor and transmission. I got part of the original wiring harness and starter solenoid. It is a rectangular metal box with four posts. My battery is in the trunk so I have run the hot cable to the big battery post on the solenoid. There are three connectors and a bit of wire from the original harness attached to each. There is one with a smaller diameter green wire, and orange wire. The fourth is a heavy (about 10 gauge) red wire attached.
I am guessing from the wiring diagrams I have found that the green goes to the neutral safety switch and the Orange to the ignition switch start run position? I am guessing that a shorter hot cable needs to be attached at the battery in and run to the starter motor? I don't know where the other post with the 10 gauge wire should go?
The starter came with the double connector and a bit of the battery cable and a smaller brown wire attached to the small post on the starter. I don't know where it should go also?
I will really appreciate help in getting this part of the motor wired correctly. Thanks

Re: Starter solenoid and starter wiring Questions [Re: Badge] #1066888
09/01/11 03:13 PM
09/01/11 03:13 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 32,998
Grand Prairie,Texas
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I think that 10 gauge should be the fusible link that feeds the main power to the amp gauge and from the gauge goes to the ingnition switch etc. It goes through the bulkhead connector. Brown wire goes from the start terminal on the starter relay to the starter selnoid S post.

Re: Starter solenoid and starter wiring Questions [Re: stumpy] #1066889
09/01/11 03:25 PM
09/01/11 03:25 PM
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Upper Midwest
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BTW the square box is a starter relay NOT solenoid. The solenoid is built intregal with the starter.

Re: Starter solenoid and starter wiring Questions [Re: stumpy] #1066890
09/01/11 06:17 PM
09/01/11 06:17 PM
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Oregon
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Thanks. The face of the relay is aged and I can't make out any marking next to the posts except for the Battery terminal. So I have the ten gauge which makes sense goes to the alt and on to the ignition switch. That leaves two more connectors on the relay. Green and orange wire. Any guess on which one would be the correct one for start?

Re: Starter solenoid and starter wiring Questions [Re: MoparforLife] #1066891
09/01/11 06:45 PM
09/01/11 06:45 PM
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Vancouver, WA
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Quote:

BTW the square box is a starter relay NOT solenoid. The solenoid is built intregal with the starter.




The start relay has two terminals for the coil to close the circuit for the other two terminals. One of those terminals comes, eventually, from the yellow wire on the column - the start function of the ignition switch. The other is for the neutral safety switch off the clutch pedal or trans itself, in the case of an auto. Some people - myself, namely, for many years - just ground the neutral safety terminal. This allows starting in gear, which for obvious reasons is not recommended.

The other two terminals are for the power in from the battery and out to the solenoid on the starter itself. Since the large stud on the start relay is always hot and fairly good sized, some people use it as a distribution point for power to other stuff under the hood - namely, electric fans, headlights on relays, etc.

The smaller of the two terminals is the output to the solenoid terminal on the starter. Energizing this terminal engages the power from the battery to activate the starter.

Your hot lead from the battery should go to the starter large stud first, then a smaller, but not too small - 8 gauge minimum - wire can go from the stud on the battery to the stud on the start relay. Just don't have your 1 gauge wire from the battery go to the start relay first, then to the starter, that's a no-no.

I won't even get into the debate of having a hot 1 gauge wire leading from the trunk to the battery. There's lots of great electrical tech info at www.madelectrical.com.

Re: Starter solenoid and starter wiring Questions [Re: MoparMarq] #1066892
09/01/11 06:48 PM
09/01/11 06:48 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 32,998
Grand Prairie,Texas
stumpy Offline
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New relays are about $16 at most parts stores.

Re: Starter solenoid and starter wiring Questions [Re: Badge] #1066893
09/01/11 06:48 PM
09/01/11 06:48 PM
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Vancouver, WA
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Quote:

Thanks. The face of the relay is aged and I can't make out any marking next to the posts except for the Battery terminal. So I have the ten gauge which makes sense goes to the alt and on to the ignition switch. That leaves two more connectors on the relay. Green and orange wire. Any guess on which one would be the correct one for start?




The coil terminals are the male spade-type terminals. The one that has the clamp (if present), or the threads for a screw (if the clamp is missing) is the output to the solenoid terminal on the starter.

Re: Starter solenoid and starter wiring Questions [Re: MoparMarq] #1066894
09/01/11 09:16 PM
09/01/11 09:16 PM
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Posts: 32,998
Grand Prairie,Texas
stumpy Offline
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With the spade terminals at the top the green wire goes to the top left the orange wire goes to the top right. The battery and large starter wires plus the wire to the inside of the car to the ignition go on the big round terminal and the brown wire goes to the terminal with the screw.

Re: Starter solenoid and starter wiring Questions [Re: stumpy] #1066895
09/02/11 09:47 AM
09/02/11 09:47 AM
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s.w.fl
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if you ever run across a factory service manual GRAB IT,thier worth thier weight in gold.i see them on Ebay from time to time.

Re: Starter solenoid and starter wiring Questions [Re: bonefish] #1066896
09/02/11 02:15 PM
09/02/11 02:15 PM
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Posts: 96
Oregon
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Thanks for all the suggestions. I took the advice to get a new relay. That second post with the red wire should be to the solenoid. The two remaining are slip on posts and are marked G and I. Part of the problem I am facing is the motor and trans is Dodge, the chassis is a S10 and the body is a 1941 Willys three window coupe. I an using a universal 20 circuit wiring kit. Thanks everyone for your help.







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