everything and anything

[Franken Chevy]

My friend bought a "1986" square body that has been chopped a couple times. The frame is an unknown year. The motor is a 1978 350 bored to a 355, and the cab is off of a 1986 that was a 2wd 305, rear axle is a dana 80 with a 4:35 ratio, the front I believe is a 12 bolt with 4:35's as well. Problem we are having with it is NONE of the guages work, not a 1. And now his truck wont start, we bypassed the ignition with a push button and it has a new starter in it, but as soon as you hit the button you lose all power and the truck DOESNT even TRY to roll over. We are both at a loss at need alot of help. Thx

 

[Irishman999]

Check your battery cables.

 

[Franken Chevy]

Is this for the guages or to start it? Check the cables for what? Make sure there is no short in them? Make sure there is enough resistance in them? We have power everywhere, until you hit the button. Once you hit the button you lose all power

 

[chengny]

Does the starter spin when unbolted from the engine (with a jumper from the starter casing to ground)?

Just as info - how exactly is the push button wired? Straight from the battery positive, through the switch and then down to the "S" terminal on the solenoid?

As for inspecting the cables - I believe he means for a short to ground ( like chafed insulation).

But before you do any of that - check the gage/idle fuse (4th from the bottom 2nd column from the left) and the IGN fuse (the one directly above the GAGE/IDLE fuse).

 

[350runner]

Check the fuse link at the starter

Sent from the dust in front of you!

 

[Franken Chevy]

Yes it does spin. Im not sure because im not looking at it right now. I believe its positive, spliced into an old ignition wire, ignition wire to the starter, the positive from starter to battery, it may also be positive right to the starter, then positive from starter to battery, also I believe that the switch is grounded to the starter. Ok, I will do the rest of that. Keep it coming I need as much help as I can get

 

[chengny]

Me: Does the starter spin when unbolted from the engine (with a jumper from the starter casing to ground)?


You: Yes it does spin.


I'm not trying to be a wiseguy but; is the engine free to roll over? It's not seized is it?

If the starter works when off the engine (i.e. away from the ring gear/flywheel) but does not crank the engine when bolted in place...you've got to consider that the problem is not with the starter but rather with the engine.

The above is assuming that you tested the starter (while off the engine) using the same by-pass switch (described above) as you are using when it's on the engine and you try to crank it over.

If you know for sure that the engine can move, do this:

Strip all the wires off the starter solenoid - except the big black one that comes from the battery positive. Also, attach one end of a small jumper wire to the "S" terminal on the solenoid. Then, when you are ready, connect the other end of the jumper to the battery positive. The starter should spin the engine - you are down to the basic starter circuit only at that point.

If the starter does not spin - do as suggested above and inspect the 2 main cables (neg to engine ground and pos to starter solenoid). Be sure the terminations are clean and tight. Do not judge the condition of the cables by how they look from the outside. The copper conductors inside the insulation can be broken and the sheathing will look great.

 

[Milblazer]

Check the fuse link at the starter

Sent from the dust in front of you!

This for sure. Mine tested fine and the truck would start and run until I shut it off then I would have to wait a while for it to work again. I pulled the harness, cut about a foot of wire off above the fusible link, replaced with GXL or SXL type wiring (cant remember which off the top of my head), added some new fusible link, soldered everything together, shrink wrapped it, added in some electrical and friction tape and I have been great ever since. One thing to check is if the fusible link feels a bit stretchy or smells burnt


The GXL and SXL types of wires are usually a step above factory wiring in terms of durability and toughness. It has a thicker insulation so there wont be any exposed wires from rocks and road crap beating the hell out of the wire.

Wire referencing site: http://www.kayjayco.com/catPWireSelect.htm

 

[Franken Chevy]

Yes motor is free. If you bolt it up and stick a screw driver it will turn the starter over. The true issue is that when you hit start button, you lose all power, do I possibly need another ground? Maybe because I have it grounded to the starter which has power it isnt truly grounded?

 

[83kid]

Its gotta go from the positive on the battery, to the switch, out the switch to the solenoid, or if you want just from the switch to the starter. The starter should be grounded by being in contact with the engine, which should be in contact with the frame, and the negative cable off the battery should be grounded somewhere to the frame. Do this exactly, just take out what you have now and replace it with all this, and it'll work. Unless there's something wrong with your engine or starter.

for electricity to flow, it has to be in a circle, or circuit. Power goes from the positive in the battery usually to a switch (for these purposes, but in a circuit a switch is not needed), to a load (The starter, which uses the electricity), back to the battery through ground. Through ground can be that the starter is connected to the frame in some way, weather through a series of conductive metals (The engine, secured to the frame) to the frame, which the negative cable for the battery is grounded on.

 

[chengny]

I don't know which wires you cut (and spliced the start switch into), but will assume one side of the switch is connected to a big red lead and the other side feeds out into a purple wire (or yellow if the transmission is manual).

You never really said why the ignition switch was by-passed, again I have to assume that the starter wouldn't crank.

Big question - when the ignition switch was being used, did the system spike low like it does now - when the button is pushed?


If so, it would indicate a dead short to ground somewhere in the purple wire that runs from the ignition switch (start button in your case) straight down to the "S" terminal on the solenoid. Try disconnecting the purple wire at both ends (solenoid and start button) and running a temporary jumper from the button to the S terminal.

If that doesn't work, we'll have to look at which wires were spliced into for the switch install.

For reference, this image shows the wires that should be cut and have the switch connected across them. Look in the upper right corner:

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Franken Chevy]

Im not sure the splicing logic. I was not involved in that at the time

 

[Franken Chevy]

Just talked to my friend, guess the ignition system is still in use. They just bypassed the key

 

[chengny]

They just bypassed the key

Yeah, um...that's what we're talking about right?

This is all about the push button switch that is currently taking the place of the contacts within the ignition switch. The ones that close (and provide power to the starter/solenoid) when the key is turned to the START position.

Not the ignition system that fires the spark plugs

 

[Franken Chevy]

Yes