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Well....

On my 1952 Chevy 3600, I am having some ignition wiring issues. At this point I have determined the push button is shot, I will see what Napa has sitting around. Currently no pun intended, I have 1 loose wire hanging from the ignition switch, and one loose wire hanging from the starter solenoid. It’s been about a year since I messed with this and I cannot remember what I did to make her crank over. What I tried was connecting these two wires, and crossing the posts on the push button. This results in a loud hum. No starter, no bendix kicking in, also the coil got pretty hot. Sooooo tonight I will go back, with wires, with voltmeter, and a wiring schematic and get it figured out. I tried several other wiring combinations all resulting in the same loud Hum. I think I have some gremlins somewhere. Nevertheless I can get the starter to crank no bendix kicks in though when I cross the poles on the solenoid. So I know the starter works. Anyway no real question here just kinda posting some whiny info. I'll tell ya what I find.

Later
Birge

Birge,

Good luck and keep us posted. Just for clarification, what type of starter does your '52 have. Your post mentions push button and starter solenoid...does your truck have a Hydramatic in it or are these terms being used to describe things rather loosely. Whining is OK.

Stuart

well I don't know if its hydramatic or not, what I have is a turn key that I turn on and then a push button on the dash. THe key turns the ignition system on and the push button engages the starter and the bendix.


Birge

Birge,

That makes sense. Does your truck have a automatic transmission?

Stuart

No its a four speed with granny low. I found a pretty good wiring diagram at www.chevy.tocmp.com
the only thing that troubles me is that its for a 51 and mine is a 52, I think they should be somewhat similar.

I am thinking some wires may be in the wrong spot ie coil wires possible backwards, also I may have a wire or two grounding out. We shall see this evening sometime, and tomorrow. Hopefulley by tomorrow I will have her purring again.

:p birge

Birge,

Those wiring diagrams should be almost the same. The pregnant question is where did your keyswitch/pushbutton/solenoid combo come from. You won't find that in the diagrams unless you hit on a rig equipped with a automatic transmission.

Stuart

Well I thought it was stock.... I know or at least I thought it was a stock igntion key has on and off positions, and then a push button right next to it. If that is not stock what should it be?

Birge :confused:

Birge,

I bought a cab for a restoration I am trying to complete. It had the standard key switch but it also had a strange factory hole on the dash to the left of the steering wheel...below the light switch. I'm pretty sure this was the factory position for the pushbutton on the auto equipped trucks. Another clue is the transmission cover. The auto truck had a cover that went partially up the toe-board.

Your truck doesn't sound like a stock setup. It makes absolutely no difference. Your wiring problem sounds very minor and the solenoid starter with pushbutton is quite straightforward.

Scratch around and if you can't figure it out, come back here and many folks will be able to help. Is your truck still 6 volt?

Stuart

Stuart some parts appear to still be six volt those items would be the gas gauage, ha.. actaully its unhooked I need to install the stepdown voltage piece for this, but everything else is 12 volt now I think.

Whether it's 6 volt or 12 volt, make sure you have a ballast resistor in series between your ignition switch and the positive side of your coil. If I understand what you said correctly in your first post, you said your coil got very hot. This can result from leaving the ignition switch on without the motor running (without a ballast resistor.) It also melts your points.

I might have misunderstood by you meaning your starter 'coil' got hot though. This just came to mind when I read about the hot coil. :p

Birge,

When you are digging, remember that because this rig is now 12 volts that some things will be different than any wiring diagram...the ignition circuit in particular, and maybe more so with a solenoid type starter.

Stuart

Justin your right it was the ignition coil that got hot, I don't know if the ballast resistro is there or not come to think of it. The ballast is similar in shape and looks as a condesner is it not?

Stuart your right I have spent some time searching for dash pictures around the bolt and cannot see any of them with the same push button starter hole in the dash. So be it. I will keep in mind there are goig to b some difference in the woring a bit, I am more looking for a genral idea so as I can make some tests with the meter and make some adjustments.

I'll keep you guys posted

Thanks for the info

Birge

Well I got it figured out, a few bad wires and then a stupid mistake. My buddy actually caought it. I didn;t have enough umff in that old battery to do squat. He hooked up his jumpers and with my little battery chargershe jumped to life, though ran rather pooorly due to bad gas, fuzz on the points, more thatn likely needs wires....all for tomorrow though.

THanks for your guys help. I took pics but have not uploaded them any place yet. I did email them to the bolt gallery

Birge

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/bilge77/album/576460762404921254

Here is the link to the pictures from today or well right after work. I think that should work.

Atom marc I took one for you of the infamous push button.

THanks Guys
Birge

Birge, be sure to invest in a ballast resistor! You can get a universal one at most any auto parts store. It is a big white ceramic deal 2 or 3 inches long that mounts to your firewall with 2 electrical tabs on either end. Put in in between your ignition switch and coil; this is designed to do 2 things: drop the 'running' voltage of the coil down to about 9 or 10 volts, and it also prevents the points from burning up if the key is left on without the engine running.

I've seen a number of old trucks that didn't have ballast resistors on them; usually ones that have been converted from 6 volts. I'd also suggest while you're at the parts house to get a new condenser for you points. It's located under the distributor cap, mounted on the base.

Can't go wrong making these vital and inexpensive maintenance checks!

Yeah I think I have the ballast resitor, Ithink, I will snap a picture of it tomorrow. ALthough mine is not on the firewall its mounted on the side of the engine. Maybe its not one. I did buy new points and condenser and plugs and wires today installed all but points and condeser. I couldn't find my feeler gauge.

I posted pictures in General talk since the above link doesn't quite work

Birge