Starter wiring?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 385
Likes: 3
From: Lincoln CA
Starter wiring?
Ok, my '72 Corvette has had the starter, clutch, tranny out of it for 5 months or so. Putting it all back together and there are 3 terminals on the starter.
One large one (power from batt and fuseable link to fuse box?) and two small ones. One wire is red, one is purple. I think the solenoid has a P and R on them next to the terminals, but it is hard to see... So I have the red one going to what I think is R and the purple wire going to the P...
Does this sound right?
If they are reversed will anything bad happen or will it just not start?
One large one (power from batt and fuseable link to fuse box?) and two small ones. One wire is red, one is purple. I think the solenoid has a P and R on them next to the terminals, but it is hard to see... So I have the red one going to what I think is R and the purple wire going to the P...
Does this sound right?
If they are reversed will anything bad happen or will it just not start?
Drifting
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,651
Likes: 13
From: Holly MI
The purple wire is the start wire from the ignition switch. The red wire needs to go to the coil. The red wire is used to bypass the high resistance wire that normally powers the coil. It is only used during cranking. Do a few searches and you should be able to confirm this. I am typing from memory. I do know that the purple is the start wire from the ignition though.
Ken
Ken
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 385
Likes: 3
From: Lincoln CA
Originally Posted by bb69
The purple wire is the start wire from the ignition switch. The red wire needs to go to the coil. The red wire is used to bypass the high resistance wire that normally powers the coil. It is only used during cranking. Do a few searches and you should be able to confirm this. I am typing from memory. I do know that the purple is the start wire from the ignition though.
Ken
Ken
Thank you, however I know this. I need to know which pole/terminal each wire goes to at the starter... I guessed and it turns over but I didn't get it to start yet. We have spark, so the purple wire is working (from ignition switch to starter solenoid) and the red wire is working (giving power to coil to create spark.)
I noticed the carb is leaking so I yanked it off and am going to replace it with a new one... this is not an original carb, but a vacumn sec Holley.
Hopefully with a mechanical secondary Holley, double pumper I can fit my stock dual snorkel air cleaner on top...
Now I just have to figure out fuel lines...
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,379
Likes: 6,390
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Purple goes to the "S" terminal, and the other wire with the same terminal size on its end goes to the "R" terminal - i've seen that wire as either red or black. There is no "P" terminal.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 4,135
Likes: 1
isnt there also a ground wire for the heater blower motor that has to ground to the starter mounting bolt? if you land that wire on one of the starter terminals the heater fan switch will not work, fan will only run with the key off.. its the ground that completes the fan blower circut
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,094
Likes: 298
From: Midlothian VA
Originally Posted by lars
Purple goes to the "S" terminal, and the other wire with the same terminal size on its end goes to the "R" terminal - i've seen that wire as either red or black. There is no "P" terminal.
Purple goes to "S" terminal. The other small wire that looks red with the same connector size as the purple wire began life yellow in color and has faded to red/orange. If you were to unwrap the harness you'll find that it becomes yellow as you get closer to the coil. This yellow/red wire should go to the "R" terminal where it supplies +12 to the coil during the start process. If you leave it off the car will start off the purple/"S" terminal but the coil gets reduced voltage making the start process less efficient.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 385
Likes: 3
From: Lincoln CA
Originally Posted by lars
Purple goes to the "S" terminal, and the other wire with the same terminal size on its end goes to the "R" terminal - i've seen that wire as either red or black. There is no "P" terminal.
It's all together and turning the motor over fine though.
Last edited by ZO SIC; Feb 17, 2006 at 12:41 PM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 385
Likes: 3
From: Lincoln CA
Originally Posted by carl a
isnt there also a ground wire for the heater blower motor that has to ground to the starter mounting bolt? if you land that wire on one of the starter terminals the heater fan switch will not work, fan will only run with the key off.. its the ground that completes the fan blower circut
Also, when removing my stock manifolds I noticed that my HVAC box has a few cracks in it and some actual holes where the plastic has been broken in. Is there a repair for that or just replace the entire thing? Also, can you replace that with the motor in the car or does the motor have to come out? As it is, I don't use the heater, ac, defrost, etc. That all needs to be worked on... the switches, strings, whatever.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,094
Likes: 298
From: Midlothian VA
Originally Posted by ZO SIC
Interesting... I did have a "spare" ground down there, but I think it was grounded to one of the bellhousing bolts that holds the bracket that holds the battery cable. (Car has been worked on previously of course, not original...)
Also, when removing my stock manifolds I noticed that my HVAC box has a few cracks in it and some actual holes where the plastic has been broken in. Is there a repair for that or just replace the entire thing? Also, can you replace that with the motor in the car or does the motor have to come out? As it is, I don't use the heater, ac, defrost, etc. That all needs to be worked on... the switches, strings, whatever.
Also, when removing my stock manifolds I noticed that my HVAC box has a few cracks in it and some actual holes where the plastic has been broken in. Is there a repair for that or just replace the entire thing? Also, can you replace that with the motor in the car or does the motor have to come out? As it is, I don't use the heater, ac, defrost, etc. That all needs to be worked on... the switches, strings, whatever.
It should be grounded to the block via the bolt that holds the starter to the block. It grounds the wiper motor, blower motor, and the TCS relays on the firewall (right next to the tune-up information sticker).
Racer
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 439
Likes: 0
From: Mukilteo Washington
Don't want to hijack this but I'm in the same boat, It's been 7 months sence I took mine out plus I had 3 beers 
. I have a 77 with HEI, In my harness from the fuse box I have 3 wires, a purple wire (should go to the "S" terminal) a red wire with a fusable link and a large eye connector (should go to the large + terminal) and a black wire with a large eye connector (should go to the starter bracket ground). I can not find a yellow wire for the "R" terminal, Should I have one? If so where would it be routed from?
I also have a large + battery cable coming from the battery that should connect to the large terminal and a large - going fron frame to engine. Thanks
. I have a 77 with HEI, In my harness from the fuse box I have 3 wires, a purple wire (should go to the "S" terminal) a red wire with a fusable link and a large eye connector (should go to the large + terminal) and a black wire with a large eye connector (should go to the starter bracket ground). I can not find a yellow wire for the "R" terminal, Should I have one? If so where would it be routed from? I also have a large + battery cable coming from the battery that should connect to the large terminal and a large - going fron frame to engine. Thanks