Wiring Starter Question

[woodfork1]

Just installed a new M&H Engine AC and front light harness. Is this the correct way to wire the starter. 1 to the Battery and the Purple and Yellow together.

71 C10 EFI Dist.and Internal Regulated Alternator

[NoNeck]

If I remember correctly, if you are using an HEI distributor you don't need the yellow wire. You identified your distributor as an "EFI", but that stands for "Electronic Fuel Injection". Or am I just old and confused?

POP

[bigmac73]

unhook that yellow wire unless you are running a points style dist,

plus you dont have it hooked up the purple wire goes on the S terminal and the yellow goes on the other side

[woodfork1]

HEI is correct, bad typing. Thanks for the information.

[woodfork1]

So let me get this straight. Disconect the yellow don't need it. Move the purple over to the one that connects?

[woodfork1]

Isn't the small connect the S and then there's the B terminal connects to the Battery and M terminal.

[ray_mcavoy]

The original starter solenoids in these trucks had 4 terminals:

B = battery cable to + battery terminal.
M = connects directly to the motor.
S = purple wire ... connects to "SOL" terminal on ignition switch.
R = yellow wire ... bypasses the ignition coil resistance wire to feed full battery voltage to the coil when cranking.

Judging by your earlier pic, it appears as though you are using a newer style permanent magnet starter motor. That probably doesn't even have an R terminal on the solenoid.

As the others have said, you can simply leave that yellow wire disconnected if you're using an HEI distributor. If the new harness has the opposite end of that yellow wire connected to the pink/red HEI feed wire, you'll want to put some tape or heat shrink tubing on the yellow wire's terminal to keep it from shorting out on anything.

There are some GM ignition switches that don't supply power to the coil when cranking. They relied on that yellow bypass wire instead. I don't think that's the case with the ignition switches in these trucks though. But in those cases, the yellow wire can be hooked to a relay to simulate the action of the "R" terminal when using a starter that doesn't have one.

In any case, you don't want the yellow wire to be connected between the HEI "BATT" and starter solenoid "S" terminal. That would backfeed power from the ignition to the starter solenoid and keep the starter engaged all the time.

[woodfork1]

After several weeks away I got back to the old truck. I found out I needed a starter. Replaced it and it started up on the first try. Wow!