Hey all, I did a 350 to 455 engine swap like 2 years ago but never finished buttoning it up. Now that I have more time at home I am getting around to it. I do not remember how to hook up the 4 wires that came off the starter solenoid. Can someone please remind me? edit: This is a 1971 skylark. The 455 engine is from a 1975 with electric distributor.
The two red and battery positive cable connect to the large terminal. (the other larger terminal has the field wire from solenoid to starter) The yellow goes to the "R" terminal. The purple goes to the "S" terminal. When you say "electric" distributor, do you mean HEI? or something else? (if HEI, you need to eliminate the resistance wire so you have full voltage during "run" position)
Thanks! Yes, HEI. The resistance wire runs from the fuse block to distributor right? not from starter to distributor...
Correct. The "yellow" wire to the "R" terminal is a relayed voltage for full power to the coil during starting. It feeds full voltage during cranking back through the pink wire to the + on the coil. If you bypass the resistor wire, you will not need to use the yellow wire, but it will be fine if you connect it. I usually just "push the pin" for the resistor wire, and run a 10-12 gauge wire from that point to the coil, and eliminate the resistor, pink and yellow wires. Keeps things orderly and still "logical" to the wiring diagrams. (then I put the removed wiring in a baggie in the glove box, just in case they are ever needed again).
the two red wires dont look like fusible links to me. Looks like someone replaced the links with regular 10 gauge wire. Thats a fire waiting for a place to happen.
The wiring on this car was butchered. There is even lamp shade wire in parts. so can I switch back to fuseable links?
Sure can. You have to. You can leave it like that! Somewhere on here I have the Dorman part numbers for them. Readily available at any auto parts store. I'll look for my old post....
Dorman 85620 and 85621. 14 and 16 gauge fusible links with the correct GM ring terminal on them One wire on the harness is 10 gauge and the other is 12 gauge. So two different sizes of links
Good catch. I saw that tape and forgot to ask about it. Battery power flows from the positive cable to the starter solenoid and then to the two wires (10 and 12 ga) to the fuse block and then to the entire car. So, having the links is the first line of defense against a wire fire. Second is good grounding and bonding everywhere.
Yes. They are a larger number gauge (but smaller diameter wire) to "sacrifice" themselves in the event of a direct short.
Quick question. Do you guys usually install the wires on the starter before installing the starter to the engine? My starter is already on the engine and there is seems to be very little room to get my hands to everything.
If you have a floor jack, I set mine on the pedestal of the jack, then raise the jack up high enough to connect the wires, that way you don't have to either hold the starter, or have it hanging by the wires (bad thing to do)
I would be more worried about lamp shade wiring and loose connections than fusable links. You can put inline fuses farther up stream.