I finally finished wiring my car. After doing a rudimentary check of all the circuits by hooking the car up to a battery charger, I purchased a battery (odyssey pc680) so that I could get her fired up. The problem I ran into was the starter spinning, but not engaging the flywheel. The engine is a SBC with a 153 tooth flywheel and a high torque mini starter. The starter is wired via ford solenoid. I'm pretty sure I got the clearances correct when installing the starter. I've searched a bunch of threads here so I feel like I have some sort of direction, but was wondering if this could possibly be wiring related or mechanically related. As always, all the advice is appreciated..
did you put a strap from the "S" terminal on the mini starter to the positive terminal on the starter?
I have a mini starter on my flathead. The starter may not need a seloinode just put power to small terminal and should turn over.
Here is how I wired the starter. The main reason I used a ford solenoid was to keep the power to the starter dead when not in use. Thanks Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
May be you connected starter motor directly without solenoid? You should connect wire from ignition lock/relay to small strater terminal, not to BIG one The second sugestion is that your free-wheel clutch (hmm not sure I used correct word, here we call it "Bendix" ) is somehow damaged /not suitable for this starter/flywheel combination.
Now I see the photo ) Seems that you just shortened solenoid. Remove the red wire which connects solenoid's terminals between each other.
Check to see if the mini starter is receiving 12 volts without the Ford solenoid. Where is your battery located? My friends that have dirt track cars run AWG #2-#4 electric welder cable for battery cables because their batteries are located way aft. And remember...........you can't have too many grounds.
usually starter is connected somehow like this: big wire -from solenoid directly to battery terminal (depending of what is connected to ground) most common to positive terminal. A small wire from solenoid's small terminal to ignition lock or additional starter relay. So, when you connect this small terminal to + - than solenoid engages free-wheel clutch to flywheel simultaneously connecting starter motor to those big wire from battery.
Unless I have the jumper to the wrong terminal? The terminals weren't marked, but I tried to wire it as shown in diagrams etc..
you say the starter spins but doesn't engage the flexplate. most mini starters i have used had two sets of mounting holes.... are you sure you are using the correct ones for the 153 tooth?
You have created your own monster here. You don't need or want the red wire between the solenoid post where the battery cable and the stud for the lead to the field windings is. You do need a wire between the post on the solenoid that the cable from the Ford solenoid hooks to to the S terminal on the solenoid to activate the solenoid on the starter when the Ford solenoid sends power to the starter. NapalmV8 illustrated it better than I did and quicker. Leave that big jumper wire off and put the wire between the cable and the pin and it will work as it should.
You guys are the best! Once I get my daughter to day care I'll switch the wires and report my results. It wouldn't be me if I didn't screw something up lol!
It popped and sputtered. I know what the problem is. I timed it off of the harmonic balancer. After doing some reading, I'm pretty sure the balancer has slipped some and I'm not timed at a true TDC. Either that or my dizzy is 180 degrees off. Unfortunately I can't get to it due to work and family. I'm so impatient to get this thing started! Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
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