The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay 72 electric

picked up a 72 350 from a guy truck was dead he did not know said it just quit , no power anywhere charged battery nothing redone the grounds still nothing went to starter hot to there jumped post and turned it over took small starter wire hooked to battery turned key all the way to start everthing works let off start no power to anything hold on start everthing comes on any ideas are welcome guys, I am missing something some where thanks for your help Robert

Yeh,like a period on your keyboard. Sorry, had to say it. Good luck with the electrical gremlin though.

Look for the wire that is to the coil from the ignition switch. You should find a ballast resistor in line with the coil. And it is probably open. With the starter engaged there is 12 Volts on the coil and it will start. With the switch in "run" the voltage will be about 9 Volts at the coil. Sounds like it stops at the ballast resistor. It is a simple fix and the resistor is cheap too. Here is a picture. Don't worry about the text for Pertronix, the picture has a red circle around the Resistor.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2F67-72chevytrucks.com%2Fvboard%2Fshowthread.php%3Ft%3D450680&ei=VLNhVOeoEI35yQTh_4DQDg&bvm=bv.79189006,d.aWw&psig=AFQjCNHg5JVCKc9xfwSlmX74642LyiHS1A&ust=1415775406587322

1972? Seems like there is a bakelite junction on the front of the truck by the battery where a wire from the positive side of battery is joined with another wire on a single stud.

This is located between the battery and the radiator.

If this wire is bad or the connection to it is bad, nothing will happen when the key is turned on.

The reason you have power with the starter turning the engine is because of the by pass wire to the ballast resistor that comes off the battery solenoid.

this truck has HEI distributor

1972 chevy 350 .well this truck is a mess wiring does not match the wiring diagram no power to anything has HEI distributor. messed with it today .I find no fuse link like it shows on diagram it had a HEI DIST,in it before. he put in new one I took some pictures to see what you guys thought but don't know if i can post them on this site .anyway took fuse panel loose checked wires with tester no power accept on two small black ones on firewall put that back on got ready to quit for the day pulled light switch again all lights came on very dim battery is fully charged turned on switch, I guess I shook it a little radio starts playing turn to start nothing and everything goes dead turn switch back on and turn over with remote starter switch, will not hit . he has the one wire run from dist. to fuse block as it should be. something somewhere is killing power .could the switch be bad ??? I don't know you guys are the ones with the good answers. any ideas would be helpful thanks again guys for your time