George says he has a two position switch.... He shows the V8 switch I think. A 4 position switch. It's probably wired wrong as others have noted and George has guessed.
Would like to know what switch part number, from what vendor, is on it's way.
Click 1Click 2George,
If you bought the V8 switch, Test switch on bench so you can see it's operation first hand. Use continuity/buzzer sound on multimeter to test. Or if no meter, attach a 9V dc household battery to "BAT" terminal and use an ice pick tester....
1. Find the terminal(s) that is ON when ignition switch is in ON position, which is the last CW position before the spring loaded/spring return position.
2. Run a wire from that ON terminal to one side of the ballast resistor.
3. Run a wire from other side of ballast resistor to the coil positive.
4. Run a wire from the side terminal, of the switch on top of the starter, to coil positive. That makes two wires on coil positive terminal.
5. Determine during bench test what ignition switch position turns ACC terminal on/hot and when it is off. ACC position is full CCW position.
Wire all other components to either" Bat" terminal or "ON" terminal or "ACC" terminal. Depending on desired function and looking at wiring diagram. If you find that ACC is on/hot when switch is in "ON" position AND in "ACC" position, then you can wire to either. If "ACC" terminal is only hot in ACC position then use it as desired. Nothing is wired to any ignition terminal that is only hot at spring loaded position. (full CW position)
This will all be moot and unnecessary if you ordered the foot start switch (Click 2 above, $22)Don't get too hung up on wire colors, they may have been changed.
To directly answer your past questions.
1. When the ignition key is on, shouldn't there be power to the coil?.
YES2. The START terminal has no connectivity when the switch is on or off. A purple/violet wire was connected here. (Maybe to the headlight switch or...?)
The VIO wire is for a solenoid equipped starter. It can be labeled "start" or "sol". You do not use that terminal.3. You're switch is missing the IGN 2 terminal. Broken off. Center hole. If I see what I think I see.
4. What you need is the "foot start" switch I linked above. Click 2, $22. Test this switch to verify it's continuity/connectivity between terminals. Ref 5.
5. Back then, ACC was just a word(misworded). Juist an extra terminal to wire to. It was not isolated to keep the coil from getting voltage. There is no "ACC" position on an ON/Off switch. The foot start switch terminals were all on or all off.
6. Using a V8 switch is confusing. Not Kosher. Don't blame you a bit for questioning it all.
Associated Commentary for Reference:
There is a difficult/confusing aspect to this. The V8 ignition switch is called the V8 switch because the 55.2-59 trucks had V8 or 6 available. The 6 were stomp. The V8 were electromagnetic solenoid. GM used two different ignition switches. The available online wiring diagrams, I use, only shows truck wiring for 55.2 but is the same to 59. The car diagrams are somewhat useful. The truck diagram does not show the stomp wiring as George has said.,.just solenoid/V8 switch. So to explain the stomp wiring, I have just spelled it out above to describe what to do with a V8 switch and a stomp/6cyl truck. I could describe which ignition terminal is wired to what, but chose for George to check and understand the V8 switch and wire as described. Least confusing. Colors, and how wires are shown in the diagram, can confuse. The ballast resistor/bypass circuit is different. 6 cyl/stomp uses the side terminal method and the V8/solenoid uses the ignition switch or "R" terminal method. All the while using different draftsman for different years who make
terrible diagram drawings and choose their own way on how to delineate switches and etc.. Using the old fashion curly line crossings. At the same time using dark green all over the place and BLACK! for positive AND negative wires/cables!!!!! This was a period that was very confusing to engineers and draftsman. "OMG! 12V! V8 motors! Solenoids! burning points! What shall we do?". Non standardized messy drawings and sorting out how they wanted to start a car and truck, which switch, solenoid or not, "R" terminal bypass and how it's wired. Don't get me "started". Too late.
