Nice old dump truck, you get an E for Effort and probably will get a D- for Design. I don't wish to pile on you. You are trying to fix a starter and don't want to wait for parts. I suppose you know: "and i wanted to replace that with a modern starter solenoid" is not accomplished. You have built a battery terminal that will break loose and fall off and short out and leave you stranded or burned up. If that is the battery cable, how do you keep the starter from spinning ALL the time? Your finished picture does not show the lever that operates the missing switch. I don't understand how it all works because you are a worse "tip" blogger than a starter modifier. You have done what I may have done a few times, and that is: enter this forum with a tip about a simple problem, explaining to a group with 582,000 years of experience and didn't ask one question before hand. In your 9 posts, 4 are this starter, 2 you give advice and you say you are brand new to these trucks?
"so.....maybe i'm the only one who insists on a modern solenoid"
You don't have a modern solenoid, I don't see any solenoid.
darn, I guess I did pile on, sorry...... Oh, Welcome?
What you should have done is turn the contact button on the starter 180 deg and got a new switch if that is what was wrong. O'Reilly's either has that switch or can get it in less than a day (PN S46). Now you have to buy a new starter and switch. An electro magnetic solenoid would have never lasted that long. The mechanical solenoid was pretty well thought out and has huge copper contacts and was used to at least 1959 on 6 cyl three speeds.
We will help you if you let us. This is just trial by fire. Literally. I'm so funny
The only way that cable will have a chance to stay on is to completely strain relieve it with a couple more of your hose clamps around the starter case and smash the cable tight. It will surely still bust off but will be safer. If that cable is always hot (which it can't be) hits the starter case, the battery will blow which will break off the hydraulic cylinder and the dump will activate and bring you to a safe stop.
