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Will be moving my ground for battery cable location to correct bolt. and checking wire and will verify the Distributor.
But can you explain how it can creat it ground? short from having a bad ground?
In your case, where the starter is involved, starter current seeks a return path through smaller ignition wires when an engine ground is loose or missing. those wires overheat because those wires cannot handle the large current a starter can draw and will blow a fuse or fusible link.
Perhaps an electrical engineer can give you a better explanation.
Any EE's out there?
Try hooking up the starter and wiring but disconnect the bypass wire for the coil at the coil and see if it still blows a fuse. And to be clear, I've never seen a fuse on a points ignition system unless it's an aftermarket solid state unit.(no points). It also possible the bypass wire from the R Term. to the coil is shorted or the Ign. wire from the Ign. Sw. to the coil is shorted. Without putting hands on it it's hard to diagnose, just giving you possible scenarios.
Ok side note after looking at Pics of 69 Fuse box at work. We are popping the Stop/Hazard fuse when we try and start it. Not an Ignition fuse. All works until we try and start, then click and we pop it, nothing works.
My dad was reading a diagram wrong or label... but its the lower left large fuse Stop/Haz.
Ok side note after looking at Pics of 69 Fuse box at work. We are popping the Stop/Hazard fuse when we try and start it. Not an Ignition fuse. All works until we try and start, then click and we pop it, nothing works.
My dad was reading a diagram wrong or label... but its the lower left large fuse Stop/Haz.
Check grounds, you are backfeeding (Artf. Grnd.) thru that circuit.
Check grounds, you are backfeeding (Artf. Grnd.) thru that circuit.
Roger that so my ground on that old E brake bracket must stuck it works wo show voltage but when I try and hit the starter it cant hold a load, and thus find a weak link?
Still not sure i understand how it can use a hot link to be a ground but I get the concept and the bad grounding. will report back with more into and pics and new ground ha.
The R terminal will read voltage during run and crank as the resistor wire and the bypass wire are both connected at the coil. At the R Term., in the RUN Pos., the voltage will be less than 12V ( due to the resistance wire) if the coil is connected and the points are closed. If points are open then R terminal will be 12V due to no load on the resistance wire.
That is why in one of my posts I stated the coil wires have to be removed to accurately check R at the solenoid
So, do we know yet if the car has points? Is the ignition tap used in the fuse box like the pic below. Sorry I keep asking this, but if the ignition tap
Is being used, it is fed power from the Stop/Hazard fuse. This IGN tap is commonly used to power a 12V aftermarket electronic points conversion kit like a Pertronix. Sorry if I missed any of the thread that talks about this. Is it still points or not?
So, do we know yet if the car has points? Is the ignition tap used in the fuse box like the pic below. Sorry I keep asking this, but if the ignition tap
Is being used, it is fed power from the Stop/Hazard fuse. This IGN tap is commonly used to power a 12V aftermarket electronic points conversion kit like a Pertronix. Sorry if I missed any of the thread that talks about this. Is it still points or not?
Very interesting information to me. Mine uses the spare ignition spade for a Pertronix module. I was wondering if that needed a fuse or not. But now I know, it goes through the Stop/Hazard fuse. I wouldn't have guessed...
I'm thinking, since the ignition wire from fuse box and the coil wire from starter solenoid connect at the coil, either one of those wires could be shorted out and blowing the fuse.
And I'll mention again, send photos of your set up. Get one of the fuse box, similar to the previous post, one of the inside of the distributor, and one of the coil connections. That would help a lot.
Last edited by zxryder72; Dec 29, 2025 at 04:41 PM.
Racer. The IGN plug actually might be fed by the back up light fuse to the right. Im going by memory earlier. Regardless. Yea. Its fused. Generally all the fuses on the left need no key for power. Fuses on right need keyed power with key ON. I had issues with blowing fuses with my Pertronix. I figured the issue. Will explain if Thread starter has similar problem.
Well looks like stock corvette distributor outside too me. Vaccine advance, cable drive tach & Has tag on it too like my 66 did. I did not pull rotor off but looking under the cap looks like points?
also pulled ground cable, retapped the factory location, sanded frame, got a new bolt & washer. Locked that down with the new ground where the stock location is.... she runs! exterior Lights all working no fuses popped. Fired right up with some gas added to bowl. Adjusted idle to 800 ish. Video attached.
Will tidy up trans heat shielding, new battery cable grommets, & then rebuild front right caliper... then should be good to drive around the block & figure out more bad things hahaha. Thanks for the info.
Great news. It’s running. Not that it’s the issue as now confirmed; however, for future reference your distributor looks like it has an electronic conversion kit unless it has a factory TI set up - something I’m unfamiliar with.
Good you got it going. Ignition is some kind of electronic Hall Effect sensor with those plates coming down under the rotor. I only know Pertronix and yours is not like one of those. Someone will probably recognize what you have.
Photos I've seen of stock Transistorized Ignition have a big *** magnet under the rotor.
Last edited by zxryder72; Dec 29, 2025 at 09:04 PM.
Ensure that the ground from the battery is good and attached bolt clean, also look for ground wires from the engine to the frame. Inspect the positive battery cable that goes to the starter, make sure cable is not rusted/corroded on the inside, and there are no cracks in the outside jacket.
Looks like the very first answer was the correct one!
Great news that it was only the battery ground and easily fixed.
There's another heavy-cable ground between the forward starter bracket to the engine block and the underside of the passenger motor mount horn. Obviously it wasn't your issue, but it would be good to check that it's still in place and in decent condition.
Great news that it was only the battery ground and easily fixed.
There's another heavy-cable ground between the forward starter bracket to the engine block and the underside of the passenger motor mount horn. Obviously it wasn't your issue, but it would be good to check that it's still in place and in decent condition.
Interesting how the pic is. I have no forward bracket. I only have the 2 bolts holding the starter to the Block. I will say I have another Ground, from the Outside Starter bolts to the Frame. That ground is using the lower mounting bolt of a steering part, not sure what its called. Similar to a Pitman arm but its not on the steering box bolts to frame. And cleaned that mounting and checked cable as well.
The starter is mounting as way on my matching number 66 with no front bracket)
You are missing the starter brace. Your starter nose cone can break without the brace.
The brace bolts to the side of the engine block and also where that ground cable from the frame was originally attached. Use a star type lockwasher between the ground cable end and the engine. It's not there to prevent the screw from backing off. It's there to make a better electrical connection between the engine and the ground cable.
Rodger that thank you. Looks like the brace is 64-69. so I need two haha.
Sometimes A replacement starter is installed and the threaded hole on the starter is missing and the bracket can't be used, unless you drill and tap a new hole. But who wants to do that an a rebuilt starter. Ask me how I know...
