[[email protected]]

This is a bit off topic, but I have an older full size Chevy that had
all the wires that power the car connected to the starter solenoid
(under the engine). While I have always preferred GM vehicles, I have
always thought that Ford had a better system by having the solenoid on
the firewall, rather than under the engine where all the road crud and
stuff could get on the wires and corrode them.

Last summer my old Chevy decided to not start. I spent several hours
messing with it, and it finally started, and ran fine for another
month. Then, the same thing happened, and once again I fought with
it, and again it finally started. A week later this happened again,
and this time there was visible smoke pouring out from under the hood
when I tried to start the car. At least this time I was able to
locate the problem. One of those wires had shorted to the exhaust
manifold. I pulled the starter, applied electrical tape, was sure to
keep the wires away from the exhaust system, and thought the problem
was solved.

Wrong. The other day the same thing happened, but this time nothing
was touching the exhaust. Yesterday I removed the starter again, and
this time I decided that these wires would no longer go under the car.
I replaced all the wires that had bad insulation, replaced all the
fusible links, and ran the whole harness directly to the battery. The
only wires that remained going to the starter was the main battery
cable, and the "START" (IGN) wire. All the other wires now go right
to the battery. The problem I now have is how to connect it to the
battery side terminal connector. At the moment, I just have this #8
wire squeezed under the terminal, and it's not a very good connection.
I have thought of using an electrical split bolt to the battery cable
and lots of tape. But before I do this, I was wondering if anyone
knows of some sort of side terminal adaptor that can be bolted right
to the battery. I imagine this would be some sort of custom thing
available at an auto racing/customizing store, but I am not into that
sort of thing so I dont know where to look.

Can anyone help....

Mark

[Eric in North TX]

On my '65 GTO which presented a cranking challenge, I put a ford
solenoid on the fender and simply bridged the terminals at the starter.
There is a kit for that, or you can do it with a little thought.
http://www.jcwhitney.com/webapp/wcs/...alogId =10101

[rsnyder]

I found this at a local auto parts store.

http://www.shop.com/op/~BATTERY_BOLT...-prod-17115565

I use it to hook up my second battery with a isolator between them.

[Big Al]

"Eric in North TX" wrote in message
oups.com...

On my '65 GTO which presented a cranking challenge, I put a ford
solenoid on the fender and simply bridged the terminals at the starter.
There is a kit for that, or you can do it with a little thought.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/webapp/wcs/...alogId =10101

This amazes me. What possible gain is there for using this kit? Had a 460
Ford some years ago that came from the factory with a GM style starter. It
had a link jumping the large stud to the small one, and a solenoid mounted
on the fender well. I removed the remote solenoid and the link on the
starter, ran the small wire to the starter. Worked fine. I think with the
Ford the solenoid was already designed in the wire harness for smaller
engines and they just took the least complicated way out.

Al

[Don Young]

wrote in message
...
This is a bit off topic, but I have an older full size Chevy that had
all the wires that power the car connected to the starter solenoid
(under the engine). While I have always preferred GM vehicles, I have
always thought that Ford had a better system by having the solenoid on
the firewall, rather than under the engine where all the road crud and
stuff could get on the wires and corrode them.

Last summer my old Chevy decided to not start. I spent several hours
messing with it, and it finally started, and ran fine for another
month. Then, the same thing happened, and once again I fought with
it, and again it finally started. A week later this happened again,
and this time there was visible smoke pouring out from under the hood
when I tried to start the car. At least this time I was able to
locate the problem. One of those wires had shorted to the exhaust
manifold. I pulled the starter, applied electrical tape, was sure to
keep the wires away from the exhaust system, and thought the problem
was solved.

Wrong. The other day the same thing happened, but this time nothing
was touching the exhaust. Yesterday I removed the starter again, and
this time I decided that these wires would no longer go under the car.
I replaced all the wires that had bad insulation, replaced all the
fusible links, and ran the whole harness directly to the battery. The
only wires that remained going to the starter was the main battery
cable, and the "START" (IGN) wire. All the other wires now go right
to the battery. The problem I now have is how to connect it to the
battery side terminal connector. At the moment, I just have this #8
wire squeezed under the terminal, and it's not a very good connection.
I have thought of using an electrical split bolt to the battery cable
and lots of tape. But before I do this, I was wondering if anyone
knows of some sort of side terminal adaptor that can be bolted right
to the battery. I imagine this would be some sort of custom thing
available at an auto racing/customizing store, but I am not into that
sort of thing so I dont know where to look.

Can anyone help....

Mark
Most auto parts stores have side terminal cables with an extra wire just for
this purpose.

Don Young

[Eric in North TX]

This amazes me. What possible gain is there for using this kit?

Al

The hot starts are better with the kit, at least part of the mechanism
is away from the exhaust.
I also have a Ford 460 (.020 over) with headers, and it also has the
G.M. starter. I wouldn't think of reverting it back to the G.M. wiring
scheme, the hot starts are a little weak as it is without putting small
gage wires basking in 1500 degree heat into the picture.

[Mark and Kim Smith]

You could just use a regular 3/8" coarse thread bolt. You pick the length.

wrote:

This is a bit off topic, but I have an older full size Chevy that had
all the wires that power the car connected to the starter solenoid
(under the engine). While I have always preferred GM vehicles, I have
always thought that Ford had a better system by having the solenoid on
the firewall, rather than under the engine where all the road crud and
stuff could get on the wires and corrode them.

Last summer my old Chevy decided to not start. I spent several hours
messing with it, and it finally started, and ran fine for another
month. Then, the same thing happened, and once again I fought with
it, and again it finally started. A week later this happened again,
and this time there was visible smoke pouring out from under the hood
when I tried to start the car. At least this time I was able to
locate the problem. One of those wires had shorted to the exhaust
manifold. I pulled the starter, applied electrical tape, was sure to
keep the wires away from the exhaust system, and thought the problem
was solved.

Wrong. The other day the same thing happened, but this time nothing
was touching the exhaust. Yesterday I removed the starter again, and
this time I decided that these wires would no longer go under the car.
I replaced all the wires that had bad insulation, replaced all the
fusible links, and ran the whole harness directly to the battery. The
only wires that remained going to the starter was the main battery
cable, and the "START" (IGN) wire. All the other wires now go right
to the battery. The problem I now have is how to connect it to the
battery side terminal connector. At the moment, I just have this #8
wire squeezed under the terminal, and it's not a very good connection.
I have thought of using an electrical split bolt to the battery cable
and lots of tape. But before I do this, I was wondering if anyone
knows of some sort of side terminal adaptor that can be bolted right
to the battery. I imagine this would be some sort of custom thing
available at an auto racing/customizing store, but I am not into that
sort of thing so I dont know where to look.

Can anyone help....

Mark

[Mark and Kim Smith]

BTW, you can find all kinds of ring terminals for all kinds of wire sizes.

Mark and Kim Smith wrote:

You could just use a regular 3/8" coarse thread bolt. You pick the
length.

wrote:

This is a bit off topic, but I have an older full size Chevy that had
all the wires that power the car connected to the starter solenoid
(under the engine). While I have always preferred GM vehicles, I have
always thought that Ford had a better system by having the solenoid on
the firewall, rather than under the engine where all the road crud and
stuff could get on the wires and corrode them.

Last summer my old Chevy decided to not start. I spent several hours
messing with it, and it finally started, and ran fine for another
month. Then, the same thing happened, and once again I fought with
it, and again it finally started. A week later this happened again,
and this time there was visible smoke pouring out from under the hood
when I tried to start the car. At least this time I was able to
locate the problem. One of those wires had shorted to the exhaust
manifold. I pulled the starter, applied electrical tape, was sure to
keep the wires away from the exhaust system, and thought the problem
was solved.

Wrong. The other day the same thing happened, but this time nothing
was touching the exhaust. Yesterday I removed the starter again, and
this time I decided that these wires would no longer go under the car.
I replaced all the wires that had bad insulation, replaced all the
fusible links, and ran the whole harness directly to the battery. The
only wires that remained going to the starter was the main battery
cable, and the "START" (IGN) wire. All the other wires now go right
to the battery. The problem I now have is how to connect it to the
battery side terminal connector. At the moment, I just have this #8
wire squeezed under the terminal, and it's not a very good connection.
I have thought of using an electrical split bolt to the battery cable
and lots of tape. But before I do this, I was wondering if anyone
knows of some sort of side terminal adaptor that can be bolted right
to the battery. I imagine this would be some sort of custom thing
available at an auto racing/customizing store, but I am not into that
sort of thing so I dont know where to look.

Can anyone help....

Mark

[Steve Barker LT]

check out the side terminal extender on page 4 of this pdf
http://www.noco.biz/pdf/CatalogsTerminalsEnds.pdf you can find them at
napa and carquest I'm sure.

--
Steve Barker


wrote in message
...
I was wondering if anyone
knows of some sort of side terminal adaptor that can be bolted right
to the battery. I imagine this would be some sort of custom thing
available at an auto racing/customizing store, but I am not into that
sort of thing so I dont know where to look.

Can anyone help....

Mark

[[email protected]]

On Thu, 9 Nov 2006 22:16:43 -0600, "Steve Barker LT"
wrote:

check out the side terminal extender on page 4 of this pdf
http://www.noco.biz/pdf/CatalogsTerminalsEnds.pdf you can find them at
napa and carquest I'm sure.

Thanks for all who replied.
Now I know what to use.

Mark