Help me with my electrical gremlins

[birdistheword]

So I just bought a 69 C10 that had been sitting in a barn for the last few years. filled the carb up with gas and it starts up and runs. But the starter cranks slow and might have a weird knock to it. But you can barely hear the engine run. After driving the truck a few miles the battery cable terminals on the battery are almost hot. The negative is warm but the positive is almost hot. The truck has some after market quick release cables but would it be the starter just being 1,000 years old? Almost everything is original on the truck. hanks for any suggestions or help. I was thinking about just getting a new starter and battery cables when I do an engine swap.

[Ol Blue K20]

Is the battery the old one or a new one? If its old... it may be the cause of the heat

[cdowns]

clean all the battery cable ends and where they hookup to get them to work better

[birdistheword]

The battery is a little over a year old out of one of my other trucks. The terminals are clean and tight on the battery. The alternator was putting out like 16v at idle which I thought was a little high and the voltage regulator doesn't look too old.

[1968k10blue]

That might be your problem, they are supposed to output 14v, besides voltage regulators are pretty cheap

[steelhorse]

16 volts is too high you are cooking the battery. You have a problem with the regulator. Slow cranking could be either a bad starter or high resistance in the battery cables.

[FRANKENSTEINC10]

Make sure to trace the wires from end to end. I was having an issue with mine as well. I had a bad wire from the battery to the starter. Replaced and no more issues with it getting hot.
But if y I u are charging over 15.6 on a 12 volt system you could be cooking the battery. Try disconnecting the main power wire from the alternator for a few minutes and seeing if you get the same problem. Make sure to cover the ends of the wire if you Only unhook one side.

[birdistheword]

That's what I kinda figured. I'll be swapping in an engine from another truck that has a brand new alternator and voltage regulator and battery cables. So hopefully that will solve the issue. But I will try what you said FRANKENSTEINC10.