Help a brother out here ! - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Tennman · 01-23-2004, 06:49 PM

Trying to help a friend of mine who restored a 57 Chevy car !!! Its awsum too. He put a 350 vette engine in it,all fuel injected with painless wireing harness.The whole car is flawless. The trouble hes having is when he turns the switch on to start it it won't start till he releases the switch !!! I have heard of this problem before many years back on somehting somewhere,but don't remember the fix for it !?!?
Got any clues here guys,get them brains working and "help a brother out "

BigBlockBurris · 01-23-2004, 07:09 PM

Tennman,

I wired my father-in-laws 56 with a new "stock" harness with a HEI. I asume your friends car has a HEI also. I had this same problem. The problem is on the back of the ignition switch. You have the one post (Ithink it was igniton 1) that is hot, key on, while cranking or turning over and you have the other hot terminal (I think ignition 2) that is hot but it goes cold while the car is cranking. Make sense? Both are hot but the one that runs to your HEI goes cold when you are cranking. So it is not getting fire til you let off of the switch. My father-in-laws car would crank but you had to get it spinning good and then let off of the switch and boom, it would fire right up. Simple fix. I got on the 55-57 boards and asked the same question. You have to make a jumper that connoect both. I.E. you have to connect ignition 1 and igniton 2. I made that jumper it has not had a problem in several years. I know this sounds confusing but if you wwill pull the ignition switch out and cycle it(hot) with a test light and look at your wiring diagrams it will be perfectly clear. I hope I helped and e-mail me if you have any more ????'s

MBurris@carolina.rr.com

BBB

**John Fabris** · 01-23-2004, 07:14 PM

I can't remember all of the details, but when you have your ignition witch in the Start position, it is giving power the coil and the starter. Then when you release the switch to the Run position, you are now providing power to the coil via a different contact.

So, it is possible that there is some wiring that is not hooked up, and for some reason something that needs power during the Start is not getting it, and because the engine is spinning when you release the switch the engine starts up.

Could be possible....

MAC67 · 01-23-2004, 10:03 PM

msimple fix for this was to run a wire from the battery slot on the hei to an unused slot in the fuse pannel that became hot when the key was turned on ,, never have another problem

**jamie72** · 01-23-2004, 11:44 PM

i bought a blazer with hei and it was wired in the wrong fuse on the fusebox.it was just as the car is, the hei wire wasn`t hot when the key is in the cranking position just in the on position.
he needs to wire the ingintion swicth so it is hot in the cranking and the on position.

hope this makes sense....
good luck

BigBlockBurris · 01-23-2004, 11:57 PM

That is a easy solution, buuuuut, on a 55,56,57 Chevy stock fuse block there isn't a spare hot switch on terminal. I explored that route but I wasn't butchering a new harness. All the tri-5 guys make the "jumper" at the back of the ignition switch.

BBB

Warbones · 01-24-2004, 12:12 AM

My fathernlaw has a front bumper for sale if he is needing one of those.

MAC67 · 01-24-2004, 01:17 AM

yeah burris you are right , on one of my 57's someone had installed a pianless kit in it , and i think all they did was plug in what ever fit , i had to pull it along side my one owner 2 door and go through it that way, goodinfo to have about the jumper wire on the ignition , thanks , here is a pic of my 2 door,, i sold the 4 door hardtop on ebay this summer , this 2 door is a one owner with 80,000 original miles, had been sitting in dry storage since the mid or early 70's if my memory serves me correct, factory sun visor and spotlamp , and dealer installed 56 hood bird "YUCK" ,, BUT IM NOT GONNA CHANGE IT

da-burb · 01-24-2004, 02:46 AM

I vote for the jumper wire Danny. It sounds like the ignition switch is for a points type ignition. The yellow wire from the starter would have provided the juice to the coil while it was cranking over. As soon as you let off the key that yellow wire would stop being the feed and it would come from the switch/fuse block/resistor wire. Now I know you don't have the resistor wire in this harness, but the switch is still wired that way.

Tennman · 01-24-2004, 11:22 AM

Thanks guys ! I printed all this off for him and i'll give it to him this evening. I knew i could count on ya'll !

01-23-2004, 06:49 PM	#1
Tennman 71 Chevy 4x4 Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: McMinnville,Tn. USA Posts: 450	Help a brother out here ! Trying to help a friend of mine who restored a 57 Chevy car !!! Its awsum too. He put a 350 vette engine in it,all fuel injected with painless wireing harness.The whole car is flawless. The trouble hes having is when he turns the switch on to start it it won't start till he releases the switch !!! I have heard of this problem before many years back on somehting somewhere,but don't remember the fix for it !?!? Got any clues here guys,get them brains working and "help a brother out " __________________ Tenn.man(a.k.a.Danny Cummings)

01-23-2004, 07:09 PM	#2
BigBlockBurris Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Concord,NC,USA Posts: 743	WirinG PROBLEM Tennman, I wired my father-in-laws 56 with a new "stock" harness with a HEI. I asume your friends car has a HEI also. I had this same problem. The problem is on the back of the ignition switch. You have the one post (Ithink it was igniton 1) that is hot, key on, while cranking or turning over and you have the other hot terminal (I think ignition 2) that is hot but it goes cold while the car is cranking. Make sense? Both are hot but the one that runs to your HEI goes cold when you are cranking. So it is not getting fire til you let off of the switch. My father-in-laws car would crank but you had to get it spinning good and then let off of the switch and boom, it would fire right up. Simple fix. I got on the 55-57 boards and asked the same question. You have to make a jumper that connoect both. I.E. you have to connect ignition 1 and igniton 2. I made that jumper it has not had a problem in several years. I know this sounds confusing but if you wwill pull the ignition switch out and cycle it(hot) with a test light and look at your wiring diagrams it will be perfectly clear. I hope I helped and e-mail me if you have any more ????'s MBurris@carolina.rr.com BBB

01-23-2004, 07:14 PM	#3
John Fabris TOTY 2006 Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Magalia CA USA Posts: 2,270	I can't remember all of the details, but when you have your ignition witch in the Start position, it is giving power the coil and the starter. Then when you release the switch to the Run position, you are now providing power to the coil via a different contact. So, it is possible that there is some wiring that is not hooked up, and for some reason something that needs power during the Start is not getting it, and because the engine is spinning when you release the switch the engine starts up. Could be possible.... __________________ John Fabris 67 C10 SWB

01-23-2004, 11:44 PM	#5
jamie72 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: madison indiana Posts: 3,839	i bought a blazer with hei and it was wired in the wrong fuse on the fusebox.it was just as the car is, the hei wire wasn`t hot when the key is in the cranking position just in the on position. he needs to wire the ingintion swicth so it is hot in the cranking and the on position. hope this makes sense.... good luck __________________ jamie72 72 BB cheyenne -- Restoration getting started.. member #807 http://www.myspace.com/whitetailobsession www.antlertalk.com

01-23-2004, 11:57 PM	#6
BigBlockBurris Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Concord,NC,USA Posts: 743	Wiring problem That is a easy solution, buuuuut, on a 55,56,57 Chevy stock fuse block there isn't a spare hot switch on terminal. I explored that route but I wasn't butchering a new harness. All the tri-5 guys make the "jumper" at the back of the ignition switch. BBB

01-23-2004, 10:03 PM	#4
MAC67 " SHOW ME" Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: shelbyville illinois Posts: 2,624	msimple fix for this was to run a wire from the battery slot on the hei to an unused slot in the fuse pannel that became hot when the key was turned on ,, never have another problem

01-24-2004, 12:12 AM	#7
Warbones Navel Inspector Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Wichita, Ks Posts: 1,373	My fathernlaw has a front bumper for sale if he is needing one of those. __________________ 1948 Chevy Aerosedan GONE! I think. 1984 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham Coupe WANTED 1967 IMPALA 1967 CST C10 Long Bed with a 283

01-24-2004, 01:17 AM	#8
MAC67 " SHOW ME" Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: shelbyville illinois Posts: 2,624	yeah burris you are right , on one of my 57's someone had installed a pianless kit in it , and i think all they did was plug in what ever fit , i had to pull it along side my one owner 2 door and go through it that way, goodinfo to have about the jumper wire on the ignition , thanks , here is a pic of my 2 door,, i sold the 4 door hardtop on ebay this summer , this 2 door is a one owner with 80,000 original miles, had been sitting in dry storage since the mid or early 70's if my memory serves me correct, factory sun visor and spotlamp , and dealer installed 56 hood bird "YUCK" ,, BUT IM NOT GONNA CHANGE IT Attached Images

01-24-2004, 02:46 AM	#9
da-burb "Ochre Ogre" Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Springfield, MN Posts: 3,558	I vote for the jumper wire Danny. It sounds like the ignition switch is for a points type ignition. The yellow wire from the starter would have provided the juice to the coil while it was cranking over. As soon as you let off the key that yellow wire would stop being the feed and it would come from the switch/fuse block/resistor wire. Now I know you don't have the resistor wire in this harness, but the switch is still wired that way. __________________ Bowtie Truck Stop Inc. Mid-West GM Truck Restoration Parts Supplier Your Key Parts, Auto Metal Direct, Dynacorn, and Goodmark dealer. like us @ www.facebook.com/BowtieTruckStop 1971 C-10 Suburban (Ochre) 1971 K-10 Suburban (Ochre) 1972 C-10 Suburban (Ochre) 1972 K-20 Suburban (Yellow- that just aint right!) Springfield, Minnesota 56087

01-24-2004, 11:22 AM	#10
Tennman 71 Chevy 4x4 Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: McMinnville,Tn. USA Posts: 450	Thanks guys ! I printed all this off for him and i'll give it to him this evening. I knew i could count on ya'll ! __________________ Tenn.man(a.k.a.Danny Cummings)



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