The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay stand alone 235 start up in truck with messed up wiring

Ok, I have this 55 series1 1/2 ton truck we are going to try and get started today after not been running for many years. The elect system is messed up so we just want to by pass all other wiring and use battery, starter& coil and distributor. whats the best way to do this without destroying the starter, it has a foot starter No linkage return spring. Ignition switch froze with key jammed in it. Looks like somebody installed a button starter on dash to bypass the foot starter. I do not trust any of the wiring inside the cab. It has also been converted to 12 volt because it has an alternator. If you can just give me a simple one line to electrically start the engine that would be great.

problems turning over engine. Starter works fine testing on ground. put starter back in, jumper-ed off battery with spark plugs out and it turned over. put plugs in and it barley turns over. pulled starter cleaned ground strap connection and removed floor button contact switch put starter back in truck and jumped positive cable lead right on brass boss lead of starter.....still no engine turn..... disengaged starter spins like crazy. Only conclusion we came up with is the battery (12 volt) was weak and didn't have enough cranking amps....going to put a full charge on battery tonight and try again later. i found out jumper cables do not work well.....current loss...not sure

Hy subvet, you are confusing me, on one hand you say you have a foot starter, on the other hand you say someone installed a push button for a solenoid type starter, which type of starter do you have, it makes a difference in how we tell you to wire it up for starting. Do you have a ballast resistor on the firewall or does your coil say no external resistor required?

See where the wires for the button on the dash goes.

That could be a makeshift horn button because the horn button on the steering wheel is broken.

yes it has a foot starter but no return spring, you can manually pull lever to engage button on the starter itself. We pulled starter and removed the foot starter button attached to the starter. Thought maybe it was a problem, it was not. what i did find was the braided ground strap from engine block to frame and battery cable ground to frame were both in bad shape....Green. Im going to get a new ground cable and braided strap tomorrow and retry. I was also using jumper cables from a 12 volt battery sitting outside the truck. The starter motor spins like a raped ape dis-engaged, but when engaged its to slow to start. I think after I charge up the battery (Full), install it where it belongs with new grounds it should start.....if not than maybe its a load problem on the starter

We disconnected everything going to the dash, but that wire goes from the positive side of the starter terminal through the fire wall and is connected to an indicator red light which then goes to the ignition switch. I thought it was a button turns out to be some sort of indication light hooked into the switch

I know this engine is going to run, it spins by hand real slick and has decent compression. just need to get the starter to crank it fast enough so we can juice up the carburetor.

With every "original" wire to engine disconnected:

1. Attach a battery cable between the negative post on the battery to a clean/shiny starter attachment bolt (to the clutch housing). You now have a good ground.

2.a. Attach a battery cable between the positive post on the battery to the large post on the foot-starter.

You can now crank the engine by pushing down on the starter button (there is no need to stomp on this button).

or,

2.b.1. If you have a side post on the foot-starter starter-switch (as was originally used in 12v trucks), attach a lead/wire from the side post through a ballast resistor and then to the coil.
or
2.b.2. If you do not have a side post on the foot starter, attach a lead/wire from any 12v source through a ballast resistor and then to the coil.

You can now crank the engine by pushing down on the starter button (there is no need to stomp on this button).

3.note 1: Some might say you can do without the ballast resister for a short running of the engine - I use a ballast resistor.
3.note 2: If you have a resistor coil or an electronic ignition that does not need a ballast resistor, forget about a ballast resistor.

After you run start/run the engine, be sure to disconnect a battery cable.
or
I put a switch in the lead to the coil, this allows you to turn off the engine, without disconnecting a battery cable (be sure to turn that switch on when trying to start the engine).

Thank you Tim, that is what Im going to do.... I saw the ballast resistor and coil wire going to it. as soon as I get good grounds and get my battery I will try again. Yes I only have one post on the starter. thanks for the advice

Started engine today, first time in 20 some years, after replacing bad ground strap, charging the 12 volt Battery it slung that engine over fast and started on the 1st roll....thanks for the post.....someone is going to get a good running 235