Starter Question

[1978steven]

I recently put my long tube headers on my '71. When I was doing the passenger side I had to remove the starter. I carefully took the starter down being cautious to not let it hang by the wires. I noted that it had the main power connection from the battery and also a yellow wire on a smaller connection. I marked the little connection the yellow wire went on. When going to put the starter back in I ran across a broken brown wire that looks like it needs to be hooked on the other small connection on the starter. Does this wire need to be hooked up or not? I traced it up to somewhere behind the distributer. I don't know if it goes to the points style distributer or something I am missing. The truck starts and seems to run fine. No missing, sputtering, backfiring, or anything.

What is or was this wire for? Do I need it?

Thanks for the help,
Steven

[Longhorn Man]

this is odd...
There should be 3 wires on a stock points powered starter. Large battery cable, yellow on the R terminal that'll go up to the coil, and a purple wire on the S terminal that goes to the ignition switch.

If the truck has been updated to HEI, then remove the yellow wire and run only the battery and purple.

[1978steven]

NOTE:
I haven't upgraded to an HEI yet, the truck has the point style dist. in it.

[1978steven]

I might be confusing the purple for brown....

[1978steven]

Anybody have any help on the issue?

[GMC AMI]

The s wire is usually a little larger in Dia. than the wire that goes to the resistor post
( R ). The s post is closer to the block and Andy is correct about 3 wires on the point system.

[1978steven]

Should the truck be running with the way it is now?

I guess I'll pull the starter back down and take a look at the posts on there, and make sure the yellow wire is on the correct post. I'll have to splice the purple wire to make it longer and I'll hook it back up on the (S) post. I'll post back here and let you all know how it turns out.

[Brainchild]

Take a tester,and see if the wire is hot when the switch is on,off,in start position.If it is only hot in the start position it needs to be connected to the terminal closest to the block on the starter.Yellow wire to the outside terminal.and the battery cable to the large post.

[Longhorn Man]

While you guys are right on the location of the s and r terminals...I wouldn't say it automaticly. There are too many yahoos rebuilding them now in fereign sweat shops who can't read and only make 30 cents a day. They can't tell an S from an R.
In all reality, I have sen quite a few starters with the posts swapped around.

[1978steven]

Thanks for the help everyone. I'll let you know what happens.

[Brainchild]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

While you guys are right on the location of the s and r terminals...I wouldn't say it automaticly. There are too many yahoos rebuilding them now in fereign sweat shops who can't read and only make 30 cents a day. They can't tell an S from an R.
In all reality, I have sen quite a few starters with the posts swapped around.

Hmmm hadn't thought of that

Hey Steven!Maybe ya better look at the lettering on the back there

[1978steven]

Well, I didn't get to it today it is still a bit wet around here. I'll have to try to get it in the garage this week to get it done. I'll pull the starter down and take a look at it.

[chickenwing]

The yellow mystery wire is to supply a full 12 volts to the coil during starting. Truck will still start without this wire.

[71Longbed]

i agree on the purple turning brown mine did

[1978steven]

Originally Posted by chickenwing

The yellow mystery wire is to supply a full 12 volts to the coil during starting. Truck will still start without this wire.

The deal is the yellow wire is attached and the purple (brown) wire is not. Should it still be running fine like it is?

[chickenwing]

Nope. Factory setup: yellow wire runs from "R" terminal of solenoid to a splice just before the coil. It is spliced to a pink wire wich is resistor wire. Power is only supplied to the coil from the yellow wire when key is in start position. Run position, no power to the coil from the yellow wire but from the pink wire. Purple turned Brown wire goes to the "S" terminal of the solenoid. It sends power to the solenoid only when key is in the start position. If you only have 1 "little" terminal on your solenoid, you have a 75 and later starter.

Sounds like there has been some... ...Creative wiring on your truck. Don't know what has been changed. Just so long as you are getting 12volts on trhat yellow wire when your key is in the start position... You should be fine.
Hope I helped.
Rich

[1978steven]

The solenoid has both "little" terminals on it, and the trucks seems to be running fine no problems. I am still currious about this purple (brown) wire. I guess I might have to invest in a wiring diagram for my truck, or if someone has a diagram they can post on here? I want to make sure everything is ok with the way they have done it, if they changed it.

Thanks for the help everyone,
Steven

[john]

Here you go

http://www.geocities.com/chevroletc1070/wiringdias.html

[1978steven]

Well, thanks for the help everyone. I got her all figured out and fixed up.

It ended up being the yellow wire on the solenoid that was broken and not attached. I guess what happened was at one time the harness with the yellow and purple wires that go down to the starter solenoid must have been melted against the exhaust and caused the yellow wire to break off down there. The truck ran fine without the yellow wire attached so knowbody ever needed to do anything about it until I found it. I just cut back the yellow wire and spliced a new piece of wire on there with a new connection for the solenoid. Used some electrical tape and retaped the the harness where I pulled the old tape off and routed it back down to the solenoid. I secured it to the little tiebacks that bolt to the bellhousing and the engine block and made sure it wasn't going to get into the headers. Hooked the battery back up and she fired right off just like always.

Mystery solved......

I'm not sure if I really needed to even mess with it since I will be going to and HEI soon, but whatever. I feel better that the wire is not just hanging out there and is hooked back and doing what it was intended to do.

Once again thanks for the help everyone,
Steven