The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Electrical help on wire to dist

I have installed a 350 v8 with a HEI distributor. I am running 12 volt system and have installed an alternator as well. My ignition switch has a run position and a start position. I have wired a 12 gauge wire from the ignition switch in the run position and that will work when the motor is running, but I am not sure how to get the power to the coil when I am in the start position. My starter has a pole for the battery connection and a terminal marked s for start.

If I connect a wire to the s terminal and then join it with the 12 gauge wire from the run position on the ignition switch won't the starter run all the time?? Please, I need some help to get past this mental block I am having. Thank you and have a very Merry Christmas all, Jerry

It helps if you tell what vehicle you are working on. What did the switch come from?

Most switches with a start position also send power to the "I" terminal when in start position. A quick check with a multimeter will tell you if yours does this.

Jerry,

Merry almost Christmas...I'm not sure on all the details but your starter solenoid should also have a 'R' terminal adjacent to the 'S' terminal that is key powered to engage the solenoid and spin the starter.

That 'R' terminal is powered during START only and can supply voltage to your ignition. This can be directly to the HEI, or probably through one of the contacts on the key switch, maybe a IGN-2 or something like that. This feature in the solenoid is called the ignition bypass, although your HEI will use full system voltage so there is no resistor to bypass.

So, to get net, some contact on your key switch..probably ON will power the ignition during RUN, and the bypass contact in the solenoid will power for that short period during START.

I hope this applies to whatever rig you have...good luck.

Stuart

The run term. will supply current to the ign. in the start position. The accessory term. turns off all the acces. in the start position. The R term on the solenoid supplies current only when the starter is engaged. You do not need it with HEI.

My key switch will provide voltage to the RUN terminal when in the start mode, but some will not. The IGN terminal on the starter solenoid will provide voltage to the HEI if you need it. If you solenoid doesn't have this post, then check your key switch for a IGN source using a OHM meter or test light when in the start mode. Joe

Guys,
Merry Christmas again and thanks for the replies. I will tell you that what I am working on is a 1956 Chevy BelAir(Sorry it is not a truck, but I do own a 1950 3100 that is next on the list of projects). The 350 is out of a late 70's Chevy. My Ign. switch has tabs on the back to connect for bat, Ign 1 and Ign 2. Ign 2 does not get power in the run position and Ign 1 does not get power in the start position with a test light.

The starter solenoid has a bat connection with power all the time, a S connection that gets the wire from the ign switch to power the starter in the start position and then the only other connection is the one for the starter motor that has a copper tab going straight down to turn the starter motor. If I hook to this tab the starter motor would turn when I turn key to Ign 1 since that would be spliced into the Ign 1 wire going to HEI dist??

As you can see Electrical is not my forte, but I appreciate all help in getting me through this. Thanks in advance for any additional help out there. Jerry

Jerry, I have a 55 Chevy 210, and running a sbc with an HEI. All I did was splice ign1 and ign2 together, and run it to the HEI. So in the run position I got voltage, and when in the crank position I got voltage.

Merry Christmas, Brian

Please clarify whether you have a stock gm starter or an aftermarket ( hi-torque) unit and what style of ignition switch is being used. My experience tells me the original 56 ignition switches do not have a terminal that is usable to supply power to the coil when cranking.

Aftermarket hi-torque starters generally do not have the R terminal mentioned earlier in another post. They only have 2 terminals 1 12v battery connection 2 crank connection. Having a combination of original ( early) ignition switch and aftermarket starter will require a relay in the system that is operated when cranking, the wire to the starter to intial the crank also operates a relay which in turn switches battery 12v to the coil.

Terminal 86 12volts from ign switch when cranking
Terminal 85 good ground connection e.g relay mounting screw when screwed to metal surface only
Terminal 30 12 volts from a permanent battery source
Terminal 87 12 volts to HEI

In the case of a stock GM delco style starter connect the R terminal direct to the HEI. Originally this was done on points style distributors to supply a high level of volts direct to the coil positive on cranking bypassing the rest of the car and ballast resistor if used. Reading other posts I believe a relay and base will set you back a few dollars but a worthwhile investment.

Hope this helps
Andrew

The simplest fix will be to make up a spliced lead to connect the Ign.1 and Ign. 2 terminals together at the back of the switch. Do nothing at the starter. Your switch was designed to bypass the nickel-chrome resistance wire that used to be connected to the I-1 terminal while starting, to give the coil full voltage during cranking with a straight copper wire, not a resistance wire.

I would reccomend using a #10 wire, both as a 12 volt source from the battery to the ignition switch, and as a power feed wire from the ignition switch to the HEI. That's how GM does it on all their wire harnesses for original equipment HEI cars and trucks. Use a #10 fusible link if desired to protect the ignition switch voltage supply against short circuits.
Jerry