Hey, I have an 86 F150 with a 302. I had just put a new motor in it (a 351), and started it up before and it was fine. a month or so goes by, and i finally finish the exhaust, and i go to put a battery in....well, i put the negative cable on, it sparks, and starts to turn over....with no key in it.

It turns over, but wont start. even if i put the key in and turn it foward before i connect it. nothing was touched between the first and second time i started it. i changed the solenoid, and as far as i can see, no wires are grounded out and all grounds are connected. Where else should I be looking? I'm honestly stumped.

Thanks in advance

Rob

 

Pull the small (ign) wire and reconnect the battery for a moment. If it doesn't try to turn over on it's own, it tells you it's Ign. switch related. If it does try to start w/ the wire off it implies it is not ign.switch related.
W/ no power to the selinoid (The unit disconnected) There should be no continuity between the two large posts. The selinoid is like a normally open switch. The small wire energizes the switch and closes the sel. curcuit until it becomes de-energized. at which time the sel. returns to it's normally open state. The sel. is either fused closed or it's being continually energized. One or the other! A bad sel. out of the box is not that unusual, but removing the small (Ign) wire will separate the two.

 

thanks for the quick reply. it turned out my friend had tried my solenoid on his truck, and when he put it back, put the battery positive wire on the same post as the starter wire. now, would anyone know the correct configuration of the wires on the posts is?

*on my solenoid, the large terminals are on the top and bottom, not side to side.

 

The cable that goes to the starter should be the only thing on one terminal, probably the bottom terminal in your case. The large cable that comes from the positive battery post and all the other wires with the big eye should go on the other terminal. That info believed to be correct, but not guaranteed.

 

Sounds good to me! As long as the wire that feeds the starter is on a post by itself, opposite the post w/ the rest of the positive feed wires your OK. As I mentioned before, it acts as a normally open switch, Top or bottom is academic. Boy, wish I had friends like that?