Original 6 volt positive ground. I installed a new clutch, pressure plate etc. new gaskets in the motor and trans. When I was done and ready to start it I hit the ****on and... nothing. I hit the ****on on the solenoid and it fired right up. I took the starter ****on out and it pretty much crumbled in my hand. I ordered a new one and...nothing. I pulled it out and tried grounding the wire to it to no avail. I accidently left it grounded once when I hit the solenoid ****on and the starter kicked on and wouldn't shut off. What does that tell me? I don't know. I have a hard time wrapping my mind around this positive ground thing. It is backwards to me. Is there a circuit breaker or fuse that the starter ****on runs to? Any advice is appreciated.
The starter ****on on the older fords grounds the solenoid switch to make it start. If it is a single wire start ****on make sure the body of the switch has a good clean surface where it mounts in the dash.
In addition to making sure the starter switch has a good ground through the dash, check that the wire connection is tight. I had a similar problem with a replacement switch and tracked it down to a loose connection.
And find a good original! Repro parts store switches are mostly garbage. Positive ground has NOTHING to do with this...put the battery in backwards and everything in the starter world would work exactly as before. Diagnosis here: Screw a 3 foot wire to that small terminal, put car in neutral if you wish to live, and touch loose end of wire to grounded terminal of battery. Starter should crank as you touch the wire down, stop cranking when you lift it. If this is thus, all is fine thereabouts. Next get a decent switch (used Ford one, maybe NAPA STB 1). Try touching the wire from starter to edge of hole in dash first, after cleaning that edge. Should crank. Then put in switch and try it out. Those switches are very simple, I ***ume what crumbled was the insulation board on the back.
Yep--got a new repop one from a supplier--no good--out in the bushes somewhere. Dug in my junk and found an orig--all good now--2nd repop that was NG. Had the same issue with a dimmer switch-new from a supplier-hit the ****on and the cap end came off first time I used it and went flying over my shoulder-found a used one at a wrecking yard-all good now.
I got a repo switch and it blew apart on the first push Like others, I dug through the junk pile and found the original, with the crumbly ****on, and it worked Be sure you don't have fully painted dash at the ****on,, it grounds to the dash or your dash might not be grounded if fully painted.......
I cleaned all the connections. New solenoid. Made sure everything was tight. Nope. I tried jumping the ****on wire to the Positive ground side of the battery...nothing. I jumped it to the negative side and the starter ran and did not shut off.
I also bought a repo from Dennis Carpenter - pure junk . Found an original one - ****on a little cracked - but it works. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
You may well have a solenoid that needs power lead to small terminal (grounded base solenoid) rather than the proper early Ford one that needs the terminal grounded. Do you have a NAPA or Standard part number for it?? You could either correct the problem or byp*** it by running an extra wire and getting a '52 Ford truck 2 pole ****on.
I have the grounded original 1940 started ****on - used a Standard solenoid part number SS-587 - the local NAPA dealer could cross over this part . It has a single pole - the starter ****on provides the ground - I have this on my 1939 Ford - with 327 Chevy power - rewired the starter to this solenoid. So far - works good.
Does the Mac's part have a box or label with a manufacturer or number? From Mac, your only ***urance is that it is the cheapest solenoid that could be found and that no one in the process has any idea of what ground it has or should have... But your description of activation from the hot terminal on battery sounds it is the wrong sort. Again, on this stuff we are discussing DIRECTION of ground is irrelevant...you have a ground terminal and a hot terminal at the battery, and the solenoid does not care which is which...if it activates when you connect it to the ground terminal, it is acting as a '40 Ford one would. If it activates when you connect to the hot terminal, it is not for your application.
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