electrical issue, sorta O/T

this is for my 72 chevy pickup i know its not traditional but i figured you guys may-could help. thanx.

okay. last week we had a starting issue. this week a another.
got a new ingnition switch and neutral saftey switch, and had the 2 wires crossed on the starter.
so now im leaving homedepot and while driving the engine just dies. try to turn it back over. nuthn. key wont start it again. went back to home depot got some wire an aligator clips ran a wire from the +bat post to the + pos on the dizzy. jumpd the starter with a sd and boom. fires up drives home. WHAT THE HELL HAPPEND? with the wire clipd from bat to dizzy i can start the truck with the key but not with out. i know you guys can help you never fail. thanx. w.

 

What is an "sd"

 

sounds like screwdriver to me

 

Oh come on.. he couldnt spell screw driver for christ sakes
Dave

 

Where's my damb decoder ring?

 

If it will turn over with the key and it won't start check the wire from the key to the coil. If it's a point dist., also checjk for voltage out of the ballast resistor, if used.

Jumping it from the battery proves the basic ignition is good.


jerry

 

You are driving along and the engine just dies. You just put in a new ignition switch. I wouldn't be surprised if the power wire came loose from your new switch or maybe your new switch is bad.

Instead of guessing buy a test light. See if you have power to the ignition switch. Then check to see if you have power coming out of the ignition switch when it is turned on. If so... follow the wire out to the dizzy, it may have a break in it.

If you have to jump the starter with a screwdriver and you have no power at the dizzy.... what electrical component do these two have in common? The ignition switch. The clues point to no power at your new switch.

Always... check your fuses first...

 

i ve had lots of those style trucks,they did have a habit of not starting with the key switch,the starter would not engage on the ones i had.on some trucks i just ran a new wire from the starter solenoid to the key switch,i've seen others that had a push ****on switch mounted under the dash.
i've never had one just die while driving it though.
Randy

 

there is a junction block just beside the battery on the power side. If it breaks you will get nothing check it then check and make sure the hot wire is getting a good connection

 

thanx for the help, those of you who had anything worth a **** to say.

 

Check the fusible link wires at the starter and I think there is a fusible link on a junction block on the firewall right above nd to the drivers side of the dist.

 

check the one fuseable link in the harness. it wasnt broken(to my unerstanding if it blows it breaks. correct?) thanx again for the help.

 

my '74 does that once in awhile... I keep clicking the key and it will eventually fire... tired of checking ****... will try all this stuff when it warms up.

 

Well it doesn't necessarily break persay.It frequently breaks inside the insulation and cannot be seen it must be felt or checked with an ohm meter or something.
Reach under there and fondle it a bit and maybe give it a bit of a tug if it feels real limp anywhere between the starter and the install point(that plastic hootie about an inch long and 3/8 or so in diameter)or if it feels like a spring or the insulation breaks when you tug on it,it is broken.

 

The wire that feeds the dist. goes from the ignition switch to the starter third terminal first. Then it goes to the dist. The reason it does this is the first part of the wire is a resistance wire. When the starter is ingaged the third terminal is also livened up giving it full battery voltage not reduced by resistance wire. the resistance wire is there so the points dont burn. they only need a full 12 volts for starting. Is it possible the wire from the starter to dist. got burned on exhaust manifold or header? By going to dist I meant coil by the way. good luck Ron