Please forgive me, this is a long one. I tried to group pictures with the subject area but could not do it. They are all down at the bottom.

I have a 65 Convertible that I am in the process of “reassembling”. The body is still off the frame and I am trying to reinstall the wiring harness for the whole car.

I have upgraded several things that involve the electrical system:

-Edelbrock Pro-Flo 3 EFT system
-MSD electronic ignition
-Serpentine belt system that has a CS-130 series alternator used by Chevy from 1986 – 1993 that is been rebuilt by Speed Master. I was told by Speed Master that the units are rebuilt to be self exciting and should be used as a single wire alternator. Just attach the red battery wire to the battery post on the back of the alternator and that is it.
- Powermaster mini high torque starter.

I am getting confused now since a couple of these new components are somewhat interrelated with the ballast resistor and its wiring.

ALTERNATOR
So here is the alternator (picture below), red wire on the battery terminal, black on the ground, the other two just dangling and don’t need to be attached to anything. Since I will be using electronic ignition I can’t use the ammeter so will have to change to a voltmeter and wire it somewhere else.

I needed to do something about the wires that go into the external regulator that I removed. I found a site that provided a diagram on how to jump the wires so things will continue to work properly (See below). Do the pictures of the actual jumper wiring and the diagram look correct to anyone who has done this?

POWERMASTER MINI STARTER.
Here are pictures of the new starter and the wires (picture #1) that were attached to the stock starter. I talked to Powermaster and they said to just attach the red wire (and the black with white stripe wire) to the Battery terminal, and then attach whichever wire goes to the ignition to the IGN terminal. I figured that it would be the purple wire since the pink ones are associated with the ballast resistor (picture on the right). Does this sound correct to anyone who has done this? Will wiring it this way provide the 12V to the starter when the key is in the start mode then go to Zero Volts when the key is in the “run” position. I don’t want to burn things up.

BALLAST RESISTOR WIRES - Here is where I am REALLY unsure of what to do. Picture #2 shows the pink (the one on the left) wire coming from the starter bundle of wires (Picture #1 up by the starter pictures), and the pink one on the right (picture #3) comes from the bottom terminal of the ballast resistor. They merge and attach to the coil. The pink wire that attaches to the top of the ballast resistor comes from the dash wiring harness (picture 4) that originates at the ignition switch. One of the pink wires at the ignition switch (picture on the right) goes to the ballast resistor, the other to the fuse box. Which of the pink wires can I just roll up and tape to the wiring harness (I don’t want to cut them out in the event they may be needed in the future by someone). None of them needs to be attached to the MSD coil since it gets its power from the Pro-Flo 3 Systems ECU. I am assuming that I can eliminate all the pink wires shown except for the one that goes to the fuse box.

As you can see there are a few things going on here and I am getting headaches trying to figure it out.

Thank you so much for any guidance that can be provided.
Mark

 

I have done similar mods as I used to have throttle body FI on my 63 327. Ballast resister not likely need with MSD distributor. I have pertronix, left my ballast resister there and put both wires connected together on one side. For extra alternator wires due to one wire alternator I got some tape, bent them over and wrapped them up making sure no shorts. Your new starter comes with it's own starter solenoid or you use the original? A look at a wiring diagram would answer some of your questions.

I believe the purple wire from the ignition goes to the starter solenoid.

 

mrtexas- boy, that was fast. The starter consists of just what is in the pictures. No solenoid as the original. When I talked to Powermaster they did not mention anything about needing a separate solenoid to install. All I needed to do is put the red wire to the battery terminal and the wire that goes to the ignition key to the the ignition terminal, that's it.

 

some of the others can help with the MSD hook up but as far as the wires go i can tell you where they go after going thru this for my TI. #1 wires going to the Starter. Pink goes to the "R" of the solenoid. #2 goes to the + on the coil, #3 goes to one side of the Ballast Res and #4 goes to the other side of the Ballast Res from the Pink wire on the Ignition switch, 1,2,and 3 are really all the same wire. With the TI, 2 and 3 get removed as does the Ballast Res and 1 and 4 go to the TI harness. I THINK with the MSD you should not need the Ballast Res but others can help with that. In the TI harness the wires are engineered to give the correct resistance. hope this helps

 

Early66L72, thank you for your response.

My next question is going to show my ignorance. What is the “TI” that you mention in your response?

The Powermaster starter does not have a solenoid, the only connectors on the new starter are one for the battery wire and one for the wire that goes to the ignition (see the 4th picture). I am connecting the red wire to the Battery post and the purple wire to the Ignition post. There is no place to put the pink wire that is in Pic 1,2 &3, As you pointed out, they are the same wire. I do not understand what you mean in your post “…………and 1 and 4 go to the TI harness.”

I called Edelbrock yesterday and asked them about the MSD coil and how to wire it. While discussing with the Tec guy we determined that I had the incorrect instruction booklet for the wiring of the Pro-Flo3 system. The tec guy emailed me the correct booklet that shows how to do the wiring. There is no ballast resistor used. Please let me know what “TI” means.

Thank you again for your response.
Mark

 

TI is an antique 1960s electronic ignition that you could get on Corvettes.

 

Here is how a stock starter/solenoid is wired. Your starter won't work without a solenoid.

 

Thank you mrtexas, I am going to have to call Powermaster about their starter.

Mark

 

Looks like the PM starter has a solenoid built in? Didn't it come with wiring instructions?

 

That starter does have a solenoid it is built into the wedge shaped appendage with the electrical posts

 

mrtexas, I just talked to Powermaster tech guy. Was told that the 9526 mini high torque starter has an internal solenoid. The battery wire gets attached to the BAT post and the purple wire that comes from the ignition is hooked up to the IGN post. When the key is turned it sends power to the starter via the purple wire and activates the internal bendix that is in the internal solenoid completing the circuit which then sends voltage to spin the starter. When the key is released the voltage stops going to the solenoid causing the bendix to disconnect the circuit and the starter stops spinning. He said that most modern electronic ignition systems do not require additional voltage going to the starter to give it additional voltage to spin it.

So now I am back to one of my original questions. It appears that I can remove all the pink wires that are associated with the ballast resistor.......yes?

Mark

 

 

Yes I believe you can.. I was gone the last few gays picking up a 64 1/2 mustang project for my other half so sorry about not getting back to you earlier. TI is the old corvette "Transistor Ignition" RPO K66. So it your starter now has an internal solenoid and no "R" post then all the Pink wires and ballast Resistor can be removed or taped up. If you are getting power the MSD from something other than the Ignition switch then that Pink wire can also be taped up or removed i believe. If you don't remove the ignition switch pink wire then tape it up real good as it will still be "Hot" when the ignition is "0n" Good luck i hope this has helped

 

Early66L72, thank you, that is what I needed. I am not going to remove all the pink wires but will tape all the ends and wrap them into the wiring harness just in case I go back to that configuration someday.

I took the alternator that came with the serpentine system to the local auto electrical shop today to test it. He said it is OK and putting out 100 amps. It is suppose to be a 130 amp alternator, but I guess 100 is OK. He also said that since the alternator has an internal self exciting regulator that I dont have to do anything with the wires that go into the external regulator. Just remove the external regulator and the input wires dont have to be jumped to any other wires. He said I can just dead end each wire and wrap them into the wiring harness. I will have to look into this a little more.

Thank you again, Mark

 

Just unplug and tape up.

 

mrtexas, did that today. Easy. Now I just have to finish running the to and from fuel lines from the EFI gas tank, and hook up the lines from the power steering rack and pinion to the pump then I can put the body back on the frame. Things are coming along.

Thank you for your input, Mark