The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Side terminal on starter

Where does the side terminal connect to coming off of the starter? Is this an additional hot wire or ground?
Thanks,
Joe

Joe,

If you are referring to the starter switch on top of a stomp starter, that side terminal becomes energized as long as the stomper is held down. It is often called a bypass terminal and supplies battery voltage to an ignition system when the starter is cranking. It's not a ground, it real 'hot'!

Stuart

Hey Stu, were those used when they went to the 12v systems?? I'd like to take a look at a schematic if so.
Denny G

So does this wire go to the side of the distributor at the coil / points terminal?
Thanks,
Joe

Joe,

This terminal is only used if the rig has been converted to 12 volts and is running a externally resisted coil. If you are still six volts or have a 12 volt rig with internally resisted coil the little terminal isn't used.

All this terminal does is act as a switch. It supplies full battery voltage that detours around any ballast resistor and goes to the + side of the coil when you start the rig...it 'bypasses' the ballast resistor during START.

As Denny notes, this was a feature used on 12 volt systems OR old rigs that have been upgraded to 12 volts and use the ballast resistor...clear as mud!

Stuart

Just call me electrically challenged ?!?!?
It is a '54 that has been converted from 6 to 12 volt, not by me, so how do I determine the difference between internally resisted coil versus externally resisted coil. There is a wire attached to this terminal on the starter, but I don't recall wher or if it were attached.
Thanks,
Joe

Joe,

Coils are usually marked on their case with "use with external resistor" or "no external resistor needed". If you were to actually need the bypass terminal, the coil might be marked OR you would find a white ceramic ballast resistor somewhere in the engine compartment.

This wire from the terminal on the starter switch would go to either the coil side of the ballast resistor, or to the coil + itself. If it were attached to the coil + itself, it would be one of at least two wires, the other wire coming from the ballast resistor. Does this make sense?

Stuart

Thanks,
I will check when I get home to the shop. I don't think this wire was attached when my buddy pulled the engine to start with.
Thanks again, I am sure i WILL HAVE MORE QUESTIONS AS i GO ALONG.
thanks,
Joe

Okey dokey we got one goin here. Now the 1954 was still a 6v system and had a foot stomp starter, right? The 1955 1st came out with the 12v system but still with the foot stomp starter, right? The 1955 2nd was 12v but it had an ignition switch starter with a solenoid operated Bendix, right?
So, the only starter switch that had the side terminal was the 1955 1st series. And the switch with the side terminal has found it’s way into many early AD’s that have been converted to 12v to by pass the resistor, right?

So does that all sound like the correct observation????
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

The 55/2 and some later years still had the stomp starter with a 12 volt system...if I'm not mistaken. 55/1st were still only 6 volt, so they would not have had a factory bypass terminal on the starter switch.

Stuart

'55 1rst is still 6 volt w/stomp start, '55 2nd is 12 volt, stomp start on 6 cylinder manual trans only, same starter used up to the '59s. The '55-'59 6 cylinder w/manual trans has the side switch, which is wired to the coil side of the ballast (purple wire).

GMC still used 6 volt positive ground in some second series. I own one. It is a 150 with a 248 and was born 6 volt. Parts books and maintenance manuals don't mention it. But the one I have is a second series. The 6 volt battery box is on the firewall, but only large enough to accommodate a group 1, not a group 24, and everything about the truck is 6 volt.

Ok Bill, so the foot starter was used in the 6cyl all the way up to '59 with the standard trans. And the V8 and hydromantic was a key start, that right?? I've researched this with the manuals and bulletins that I have access to but there is always that gray area when it comes to these little details.
That's interesting Ken, I'll make note of it. But for right now I'm gonna just stick with trying to document the Chevy not to get them korn fused with the Jimmy's. I know '55 was a transitional period for all of the auto manufactures, GM especially and there were probably some misfits created from the need to use up the last models stock.
Denny G

Yes, that is correct.
I've heard of the 6 volt 2nd series GMCs, too, but thought that was only on the larger trucks that didn't change bodies right away. I did see something a while back in Cars & Parts listing 6 volt in 6 cylinder 2nd series GMCs, but figured since they were more car guys that maybe their info wasn't correct for a truck. I suppose if they had alot of 6 volt parts to use up (not sure how much is different electrically between GMC and Chevy) that they would have continued using them until they were used up.

If you want to know how far into the 50s that 6v positive ground systems were available on GMC trucks, check out the Sales Brochures on this web site. There really was not a "2nd series" for 1955 GMC trucks, there was the Z-series (1954/55 models) and then a new series in late 1955. They were call "Blue Chip" but I think that also had a series letter-designation.

If you look at the brochures, you'll see that 6v positive ground was available standard and as an option in different years/sizes of Blue Chip GMCs.

Tim

That's cool Tim, ya learn something new just about every day.
Denny G

I had never seen the sales brochure or possibly had never really noticed that 6 volt was standard on a 6. I knew 6 volts was offered in the blue chip series because I have one that runs and another parts pickup that also was born with 6 volt. I think what adds to the confusion is that the maintenance manuals only show 12 volts and parts books also seem to allude to everything being 12 volt on the blue chip. I also have a 55 450 series with a 302 that was born 12 volt and a 55 parts pickup that was born with a v 8 and 12 volt. The sales brochure clears up the whole matter.

Yeah Ken, I don't know how Tim keeps all those sources straight, must be that he's still a young sprout and hasn't started to fade yet like some of us!

I didn't realize there were so many differences between the two plants. Chevrolet seem to have gotten their inventory cleared out in a more orderly fashion than GMC did that year.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL