I have been reading & learning from this forum for a couple of months have just recently joined, I have a 76 vette that I have been working on for a couple of years, I have completely gone through it from rear to front, dropped a crate engine in it 6 weeks ago, now my trouble starts, I was ready to try and start it for the first time, dropped the battery in, saw some smoke coming from the interior light switch on the drivers door, tore into that & found one of the wires going to the switch was fried, not a good start, will replace that, , tried to see if it would turn over, nothing, long story short, I screwed up & hooked the ground wire for the starter to the big terminal, instead of grounding it, I reconnected it properly, turned the key, engine turned over twice & then nothing, not even a click, battery is new took it out and checked it for a charge, put it back in, tried to start it again nothing, the odd thing is a soon as I turned the key, all of the interior lights went out and did not come back on, wiring is not my strongest area, any ideas on what I may have fried hooking this up wrong, with the lights going out, could it be a ground problem ? I might add the car was a nice driver before I tore into it, so I know every thing on it worked, sorry for the long post any help is much appreciated..........

 

There was a simular problem a couple weeks ago. There are 2 fuseible links in the harness going to the starter, you may have fried one or both. Check out this link.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...t=fusible+link

 

If it's not the fusable links you might look at the positive connection you tightened at the solinoid and check the grounding again, back where the battery grounds to the frame, and the strap that goes from the frame to the engine. Usually, USUALLY if you have lights when you first open a door or turn your headlights on, and then they go out when putting the system under load (trying to start), it's a loose battery terminal or a bad ground. If your links were popped, you wouldn't have lights, or if it was the starter link, trying to start it wouldn't affect the lights. They'd just stay on and the starter'd be dead. Your 12V test light will show in about 30 seconds where the problem lies.
John

 

Will check that out, thanks for your help.........