Just a vent here....I'm all sorts of frustrateD. I'm trying to get my car (76) to at least CRANK over...and nothing. When I got the car someone had bypassed (bubba'd) the starter switch with a push button starter....just turn the key, push the button, and voila. One wire to one small post on the solenoid, and another wire to the other little post on the solenoid. She cranked REALLY slow when I got her, so I put in a new battery, new starter, new key switch, and a new ignition switch. Granted, I could not tell for certain that the ignition switch was bad, but I figured since I had everything all torn apart, I might as well replace the 34 year old part with a new one. It was cheap.

I found the purple wire that goes on the starter, but it was just dangling there. The solenoid mount is on one end, and the other end has a flat female spade that was attached to a melted plastic piece. I can NOT for the life of me figure out where it goes. I've looked at wiring diagram, and assumed by the flat spade that it would attach to something. The only male spade under the hood that does not have anything attached to it is a reddish colored wire, about 8 inches away from the wiper motor. Tried hooking it to the purple wire...nothing.

I even got some alligator clips so I could quickly attach and detach wires in order to see if I could get SOME life out of it. Nothing. Fuses are all good.

I'm tired right now........and so very discouraged. Maybe it's something simple.....I mean, it has to be, but I just can't figure it out. There's power at the starter, but I just can't do anything with it. There's supposed to be a purple wire that comes off of the neutral safety switch, goes to the engine harness block, and over to the starter solenoid.....but can I find a purple wire on the block? No. Grrrrr. Here I try to undo some shoddy work with the original stuff, and am not rewarded for my efforts.

Uggghh......( sigh)

 

I must have form of OCD or something. It was just eating at me, with the starter not working, so I just went out to the garage for a bit...2:30am. I put a test light on the red wire that looks like it would connect to the purple wire...and SUCCESS! The light would come on when the key was turned, and go off in the reverse and drive gears. So I know the neutral safety switch is good.

I then had one of the little jumper wires connected to the black wire (ground) which in turn went over to the stud on the body of the starter. Gave her a crank...and she actually tried to start! I cranked it a few time until I saw smoke coming from the starter side of the engine. Lo and behold...I melted the jumper wire! :o It was all sorts of melted. So I removed the jumper...still using the grounding stud on the back of the starter....and it cranked over. Only problem was.....it KEPT ON cranking, even after I turned the key off. I panicked and ripped the cable off of the battery...effectively separating it from the bubba'd top post terminal in the process.

So now I guess the issue is the grounding. Am I using the wrong place to ground this wire? Is my solenoid bad? It's just weird that it kept on cranking and cranking. The starter is a reman starter, but I know that even so, they use new solenoids. What am I doing wrong here?

 

Validate that the "black" wire is really ground. On my '72, The big black wire is hot, the smaller black is the ground for the wiper motor, heater fan and AC. Many people have connected both black wires together - which will not blow a fuse but will get the wiper motor hot (the wiper winding). Carefully check those wires!

 

I had similar issues with my Vette.
The previous owner had installed a push button starter and my wiper ground was hot!

Mine is a manual and it would appear that after some work was done, the clutch switch was not connected, neither was the neutral switch on the tunnel. Because of this, you could put the key in the ignition, turn it and nothing! Bubba installed the push button as per the OP's post and it started.
I have now removed the push button starter and installed a clutch switch and now she starts with the key.

The wipers were also bubbad on mine and I think JimT has hit the nail on the head. Bubba obviously thought the wiper grond black wire should be connected to the starter Black wire not realising this was indeed Hot!

The joys of Vette wiring!

 

So I think have a solution to my situation, albeit a little on the extreme side. I ran across a guy on Craigslist selling the complete motor with all of the wiring and computers (still in the car actually) from a 1991 TransAm GTA. I can get the whole setup for $250! The engine was rebuilt 15k miles ago, so it beats the mystery engine that's presently in my car. I get all of the accessories, wiring, lines, radiator, new starter, and all of the goodies for that price...I just need to pull the motor. So I'm going to pull that out and swap it in. I know there is a bit of extra stuff to do with that conversion, but it will be worth it in the long run. Shoot, you can't get a complete TPI setup on eBay for that price!! I'm a happy man today.

 

Funny stuff there guys. A bubba story of my own. I just got back in from outside, pulling the interior and got into the dash. I now know where all his duct tape, zip ties and silicone went. I hope I die before I get to that point in this build, It is HORRIBLE. The new harness will hopefully make more sense than this cluster f***.

I'm really glad I'm not alone with Uncle Bubba.

Steve