im slightly confused as to my wireing its a flathead with a generator converted to 12 volt...all the components are from a 49 ford truck and im trying to put them in my model-A...the truck ran and drove as 12 volt...im just switching pieces it had a key switch with a start position but i want to have a starter button so i bought a generic button but it is a ground connecting button so when you press it..all it does is connect something to ground throught he sides of the switch... it seems to me that the celonoid needs a positive charge inorder to energize and connect the battery to the starter should i be wireing everything positive ground? looking at the wireing diagram in the "how to build a hot rod" book it appears their switch does indeed go to ground and their system is negative ground...this does not work on my celonoid??... easiest solution i see is get a new switch? does anyone have any ideas...i have never wired a car before so im learing as i go....but trying to speed it up as i need this done for saturday...this is not going to be the full wireing...just enough to start it and stop it safely thanks zach
Yeah, I think thew stock switch will only work with a pos. ground system. Stock switches are self grounding too I believe. There may be a way artound this but I don't know. A new switch would probably be easier. I think you need the one with two wires.
if the switch connects one post to the other, all you are doing is completing a circuit, 12 volt in, from the battery, press the button, 12 volt out to the solenoid
zack, what you DO need will be an EXTERNAL GROUND starter RELAY (also called a solenoid.) If you have the original Ford relay; the two LARGE posts are hooked to the starter and the battery. (starter to one and battery to the other) Then the small post hooks to the original GROUNDING TYPE starter button. IF the truck was switched to NEGATIVE ground 12 volt, then you will need to get a NEGATIVE, EXTERNAL GROUND RELAY - 12 volt, NAPA has them. (used on gas engine welders quite often) You can use the GENERIC button switch, but if it's TWO terminal; on side will have to be grounded. You can disconect the key starter switch, it no longer would be used.
Yeah, maybe I don't know what I am talking about. At first I thought you had a stock switch. I have been told I will need a new switch if I switch my 49 Ford to neg. ground. I was told I would need a two prong/two wire switch for some reason. I have been wrong many times and have not switched to neg. ground yet so this is probably one of those cases.
thanks everyone i just got back from radio shack with a new button.. 2 prong...its not really "original" looking....but it'll have to do for this weekend the button i originally had was just a generic chrome button from a parts supplier i assume intended for in an original car thanks everyone for the help it should be turning over in a little while now zach
fordicator...you will need a new switch when you change to neg ground..thats what my problem was all along...i had the switch like you have now(same as original) thanks zach
That is what I thought. I might just leave it 12v pos. ground. Should be fun when I swap the Caddy V8 in it. Rewire the car for the engine or rewire the engine for the car? I will have to think about that one.
Unless the starter relay (you call it solinoid) is a NEGATIVE GROUND TYPE; it probably won't work. But then what do I know; I have only been wiring cars for 50 YEARS!
thanks dave, got it all figured out tonight...i've only been wireing cars for about 5 hours...but all went smoothly once i got past that switch...not realizing it was for a positive ground system thanks everyone who gave me some input.... my new starter button does what it needs now... thanks zach
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