Can someone tell me what each post is??

[EarlsflyinCobra]

Ford solenoid wiring??

There are no markings on the unit.....I understand the two large ones are unidirectional.....but which of the small ones is I and which is S???

Please help the dummy...................LOL

[computerworks]

[strictlypersonl]

Ron's diagram assumes that you're using a late-model starter with integral solenoid (with a connection to the coil). The I terminal on the starter solenoid serves the same function as the one on the starter solenoid.

[trularin]

For a single terminal Ford starter, you will need to connect 'B' of Ron's drawing to the starter and 'I' is used to bypass the inline resistor going to the coil. 'I' makes the coil voltage a bit hotter while starting. Once the engine is running, 'I' will have NO voltage to it, so you can NOT use it as a secondary safety feature.

Just a little added information.

[EarlsflyinCobra]

Are there wires under the GOLD cover?? Only ONE connection I see on the rear......

Boy, I really feel like a dunce now.........LOL.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by EarlsflyinCobra

Are there wires under the GOLD cover?? Only ONE connection I see on the rear......

Get your jumper cables out, lay that starter in the driveway, attach the black jumper cable to your negative battery post and to the side of the starter motor, attach the red cable to the positve post on your battery, and then, with your foot firmly planted on the starter motor, touch the cable to that one connection in the back and see if the starter motor engages and turns, if it does then you can quit looking for other connections.

[B L & sons]

I may be wrong but if the solenoid is mounted to fiberglass you will need to ground the solenoid housing

[MrMagoo]

I just swapped a starter out, and it looked just like yours. There was only one connection to the starter, which was Ron's "B" from the solenoid. On the "A" side it was just connected to the battery. There was a wire hooked up to "S" but I haven't traced it back.

[trularin]

Unless you havce some real loud music playing in the background, you should be able to hear the solinoid clack on and off.

You will know if you have the right wires connected when you turn the key and the solinoid jumps in your hand.

YOU MUST GROUND THE METAL BODY OF THE SOLINOID FOR IT TO WORK.

[EarlsflyinCobra]

Metal body of solenoid is WELL grounded, for sure.....in fact, the whole car is well grounded, not wanting to have that problem tooooooooooooooo.

[dlotz]

Originally Posted by computerworks

So just to clear this up for me:

When running a single post starter, you don't run the A to the starter instead you run the B on the solenoid to the one post starter in lieu of the A?

The "I" on the solenoid goes to the "+" on the coil unless your running an MSD right?

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Originally Posted by dlotz

So just to clear this up for me:

When running a single post starter, you don't run the A to the starter instead you run the B on the solenoid to the one post starter in lieu of the A?

The "I" on the solenoid goes to the "+" on the coil unless your running an MSD right?

On my 65 Mustang,
"A" directly to the battery, "B" to the starter, "I" to the ignition switch, ("I think"), I'm running an MSD box and dist............If I remember right when I wired it up 10+ years ago, the MSD box is "hot" when the ignition is on all the time, the "I" terminal engages the solenoid to send juice to the starter from the battery, which is controlled by the ignition switch only, again, "I think".............

Without an MSD using old factory type igintion systems, both small terminals are used, I believe the battery side would go to the + side of the coil....not totally sure, I'd have to look at another car to be positive, but, that's how I remember it....

David

[Excaliber]

I find it hard to believe you even need the I terminal at all with todays modern electronic ignition systems. MSD doesn't use it, for instance.

The I terminal was for "back in the day" with POINTS and CONDENSERS and RESISTORS in the circuit. Does anybody even run points anymore? Certainly not a single modern ignition system.

Voltage, with a POINT system, was reduced from 12-14 volts to 6 or 7 volts to keep the points from burning up. It had nothing to do with running the starter itself. The I terminal by-passed the resister and hit the points with full battery voltage ONLY when the solenoid was actually engaged. That is, when the starter was actually cranking the motor over. Thats why the I terminal is ON the solenoid, which could be mounted on the firewall (typical of Fords) or the starter (some Fords) or in BOTH places, some "special" applications (big Lincoln with a 460 for instance).

The S stands for solenoid (a mechanical switch drawn in by a strong magnetic force) but it could just as easily stand for "starter" as it regards a typical Ford.

You needed to by-pass the resister when cranking because battery voltage falls to about 10 volts when the starter is engaged. Running only 10 volts THROUGH the resister meant the POINTS were only getting 4 or 5 volts, which was not enough to deliver a good hot spark from the coil. Hard starting was the end result if the I terminal was not employed.

CW's drawing is very accurate, by the way.

[767Jockey]

OK, it's my turn to play dummy. My solenoid is mounted on the fiberglass firewall. Do I have to run a ground wire to the mounting bolt of the solenoid where it's mounted to the firewall?

[Excaliber]

Yes you do. The solenoid metal holding braket must be grounded back to the battery in some way. A starter mounted solenoid is ground through the starter itself which is already bolted to the engine. If not, then you must ground the starter to perform any testing.

[dlotz]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

Yes you do. The solenoid metal holding braket must be grounded back to the battery in some way. A starter mounted solenoid is ground through the starter itself which is already bolted to the engine. If not, then you must ground the starter to perform any testing.

Can I ground the solenoid housing to the engine block or does it have to go all the way back to the battery in the trunk?

[dlotz]

Do you guys see anything wrong?

[Excaliber]

Any GOOD ground will lead back to the negative terminal on the battery, no need to go directly to the battery. SO, I'm going to ASSUME you have a really good ground connection between the engine block, the frame of the car and the negative terminal on the battery. Therefore, engine components or the frame ARE the "negative" terminal of the battery. Any ground wire that connects to the frame or the engine is thus also a good ground connection back to the negative post of the battery.

Doltz, on that diagram the only thing I see missing is a small red wire from ignition to the MSD. You show the big red heavy wire direct to a positive battery source (the solenoid) which is good, but you also must have the little red wire that "turns on" the MSD when the key is on?

MSD usually states some where in their literature that they recommend a ground wire directly to the negative post on the battery. Thats just to cover their butts on the ground issue because they (like myself) don't trust what YOU think represents a good ground. They wanna know for SURE when you call tech support and say, "It don't work". "Did you run a ground direct to the battery"? "Uh, no..." "Do that first and then then call us back".

[dlotz]

[quote=
Doltz, on that diagram the only thing I see missing is a small red wire from ignition to the MSD. You show the big red heavy wire direct to a positive battery source (the solenoid) which is good, but you also must have the little red wire that "turns on" the MSD when the key is on?.[/QUOTE]

Oops, Good catch

I actually do have he small red wire running to the IGN source. i just forgot to draw it in the diagram!

I have the engine block grounded to the chassis with a large flat 1 inch wide braided ground strap.

[Excaliber]

A few years back I had to re-wire my whole front electrical system, got a new harness from ERA to do the job. I was installing a self tapping metal screw in the floorboard. As fate would have it, the stinkin' screw drilled through the floor and directly into the positive battery cable under the floor going to the solenoid. This was of course a clean, tight direct grounding of the positive cable. It revealed every possible source of grounding wire from the frame, to the headlights, to under the dash, to the motor, etc. etc. by melting the insulation off every wire that was ground. When the enough ground wires had finally burned through (I'm standing there going WTF is happening???) the current path then ran through my metal wrapped over plastic hydraulic line to my slave cylinder. Melting the plastic slave line and dripping brake fluid all over the floor. Freakin' nightmare, it slowly dawned on me what was going on and I frantically disconnected the battery in the trunk. A small part of the dash area still has a couple of burn scars (patina you might say). Oh, and the smoke got in the gauges and darkened the lens. So, I got all new cool looking gauges now too.

Me and this car been through a lot together, the bond is tight, I'm taking it to my grave with me. Currently running the best it's ever run, awesome, I love this ride!