Guilty as charged! I have used poor nomenclature as well as not provide enough information regarding the truck's symptoms.
I appreciate your patience.
Hard starting - Just crank and crank. No sputter, no backfire, sometimes within the first second or 2 there seems to be life, but then it is gone and does not return.
Full gas tank, new fuel pump, carb disassembled and cleaned, new plugs currently milk chocolate brown, new points, cap, rotor, wires, coil etc.
Initially the truck started OK but ran rough. Hence a full tune-up and replacing items mentioned above.
Wiring had been awkwardly patched.
Replaced wires from the side terminal on the starter switch to ignition switch, ignition switch to resistor, resistor to coil, hot wire from starter to ignition switch, etc.
Correct color wires were replaced with the same color as shown in the wiring diagram and the factory assembly manual.
In both manuals were shown violet wire from the starter side terminal to the ignition switch. Not directly to the coil.
The side terminal on the starter switch was intermittent. Sometimes during start, there was 12v at the side terminal and sometimes not.
I used a jumper wire from the battery + to the coil + and the engine fired right up. (Obvious hint here that I missed!) I removed the jumper immediately after start. This is why I started focusing on wiring, switches, voltages, etc.
I replaced the starter switch. Consistent 12v from the side terminal.
But still failed to start. 1 out of 10 times the engine might fire.
A short blast of starting fluid would initiate a start.
Reading bartamos comments brought up an interesting note.
He wrote "3. Wire from the foot switch SIDE TERMINAL to coil pos."
This is not how the wiring diagram and FAM show it. I wired according to them. But....running battery 12v directly to the coil started the engine.
That should have been an obvious clue.
I removed the violet wire from the starter switch side terminal and used a short violet wire (just for consistency) from the starter switch side terminal to the + side of the coil.
The truck fired right up.
I looked at the wiring diagram and FAM just to be certain. They both show the violet wire going to the ignition switch, and only one wire, coming from the resistor to the coil.
I have run out of time today to continue testing the work around. But letting the truck sit for a day or 2 would reinforce the solution.
Does anyone see an issue running 12v directly to the coil during start? I believe this is what is supposed to happen anyhow.
This solution then also means that during engine running, there is now 9.6v +/- coming from the coil to the side terminal on the starter switch. But there should not be any connectivity unless the stomp starter is engaged while the engine is running which is obviously not a good thing.
I will follow-up tomorrow after further testing.
Thanks again!
bartamos, THAMKS!
