The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Installing starter

On a 54 235 converted to 12v I am putting the starter back in after getting it rewound. The solenoid was replaced as well , just want to make sure the wires go back on correctly. Batt wire to big term. on solenoid , then does purple go to the s terminal on solenoid and the other (black) wire go to the r terminal. The black wire has a large end that would fit on a large terminal so it is making me second guess where it goes. Thanks Murray

Hy Hydra1/2ton, if the black wire is a large gauge wire [which I'm pretty sure it is], it goes on the large terminal with the wire from the battery, the purple wire goes to the terminal closest to the engine block. The black wire is the one that brings battery power into the dash, where it can be distributed. The six volt trucks [which yours was] did not use a ballast resistor circuit, so if you go with the old points type distributor, you will have to install that circuit, for the best cold starting performance, hope that helps.

The R terminal should have a 14 or maybe 16 gauge wire running from it to the + terminal of the coil. It supplies straight battery voltage to the coil during cranking. If you have converted to 12V properly, there should be a ceramic resistor in the wire from the ignotion switch to the coil or a piece of nickel/chrome wire from the switch to the coil + terminal. Voltage at the coil should be about 9.5 volts during normal running.
Jerry

I did have it on the way sb has described in his post and got smoke on the black wire. Of course I didn't take a picture before I took it apart and sent the starter away cause I'll remember how it goes.Duh . If the black wire goes to the instruments it should start without it being on correct?

the black wire comes from the instruments [ammeter], it's the charging circuit ... if the battery is good, it should start without the charging circuit hooked up, but not a great idea, you need to figure out what let the smoke out [or was it just a spark?] - maybe you just didn't have something tight? maybe you haven't completed the 12V conversion?

Bill

Hy Hydra1/2ton, the black 10ga. wire should go up to the ammeter, the other terminal of the ammeter should have a red wire, that takes power to the ignition switch, headlight switch, and the battery terminal of the voltage regulator. So unless someone has done some creative wiring, nothing should happen when the black wire is not on the large battery terminal of the starter. If you got smoke when you connected the black wire to the battery terminal of the starter, then something down the line is shorting to ground, any of the three components I mentioned could be at fault, hope that helps.

The + wire to the coil does not come from the solenoid , but , is spliced to a pink wire that is clustered with the batt. wire that comes through the firewall.

what goes thru the firewall where, doesn't mean anything - track it further and you should find it comes from the ignition resistor, via the ignition switch

if it's been done right, the purple wire from the starter [S terminal on a solenoid] is the ignition resistor bypass, it goes to the coil via the ignition switch using the same wire that goes to the coil from the ignition resistor

wiring diagram that should work for you

Bill