I'm new here. I found this site while web searching for a question I have about my '73 Corvette. Reading some of the threads it sounds like there are some knowledgable guys here.
Background: I bought this car about 20 yrs. ago, drove it for 5/6 yrs. til something went wrong with the engine. I decided to pull it and rebuild it. (it didn't have enough power anyway being stock) It's an L-82 4 spd. Tore it down, machine work to block&heads, bought all new parts, then project got put on hold. Fast Foward to present. Engine is back together and back in the car, but apparently some of the tags didn't make it and I'm not sure where some of the wires go, like for the starter.
I did a search here and about a month ago there was some discussion about mini starters but not enough info to answer my question. I have 4 wires from the harness that goes to the starter.
Large red 10/12 ga. w/large eyelet goes to bat. cable term.
Large purple 10/12ga. w/small eyelet goes to 's' term
But the other 2 wires I need help with. they are:
Very small tan 18/20ga. w/small eyelet (has clothlike sheathing)
Small black 14/16ga. w/small eyelet

There are 3 terninals on the soleniod---battery cable,'r',& 's'.
According to my manual I should have a yellow wire to the 'r' term, but I don't have a yellow wire and the manual does not mention my tan & black wires.
I really would appreciate any help any of you could offer. Thanks

 

Http://www.nrjvette.com/johdotukset/?c=d;o=d
shows the battery cable to the big post on the solenoid.
The small "S" terminal (closest to the block) gets the 12 gauge purple.
Small "R" terminal gets the small yellow (outboard side).
The black wire should have a large terminal and it is a ground for the wiper and heater fan and connects to a starter bolt or a bell housing bolt.

 

Most of the over counter replacement harnesses I've installed have had a tan instead of a yellow.
Tan should = yellow....check at the coil to confirm.

 

As Roger mentioned, the tan wire may be a yellow wire with 'aged' insulation...or it may have been tan instead of yellow when it left the factory. If the other end of the tan line runs to the (+) terminal on the coil [assuming you have a points-type ignition], that tan wire should connect to the "R" terminal; purple to the "S" terminal; the large black wire with the eyelet (should come from the + terminal on the battery...check it to make sure) goes to the large BAT terminal.

There is a large (2 ga.) black ground wire that runs from a bolt on the right-side motor mount to a starter bracket mounting bolt that ties to the engine block; this is the main engine/starter ground wire. DO NOT run that to the solenoid BAT lug {as some folks have done }.

I can't think of anything else on the starter system that needs a small black [ground] wire. But, if it has a spade connector on the end, it may be intended as the ground wire for the blower motor just above the starter system. There should be a female spade connector on the mounting rim under one of the mounting bolts for it to mate with.

 

Thank you for all the help so far. That link to the schematic that Pete sent helped because it is more detailed then the schematic that I have.
I have been trying to trace down that small tan sheathed wire and it does not go directly to the coil. The harness that it is in goes behind the wiper motor(going back from the starter) it comes out of the harness there and thru a hole in the firewall and under the dashboard. Oh, the wire that does go to the coil is a white wire that comes out of that hole in the firewall. Apparently this wiring has been altered. So, I guess that tan wire would connect to the 'r' term. where the yellow wire would go.

 

If you have a "points" type ignition system, you should have two wires on the positive coil terminal: one from the "R" terminal on the starter solenoid and one from the fuse block. The line from the solenoid powers the coil with full 12v. at start-up, then disengages when the solenoid drops out; the other wire is a resistance wire and limits the current going to the coil. {Some folks think this is to reduce the voltage on the coil, but it is to limit the coil current.) The coil in this system needs to be a unit made for ignition system with a ballast resistor in the circuit.

 

It was a points distributor that was in the there, but I'm putting it back together with an HEI distributor (w/tack drive). Do I still need the ballast resistor? Are there any changes I should make for the new HEI? I figured on just plugging the wire that was on the pos. side of the coil (and it was just a single wire) to 'coil' term on the HEI. but is there more to it? I get a little lost with the electrical system when resistor,relays,etc come into play. I appreciate the help.

That small tan wire goes into the firewall inside to under the dash (I don't know exactly where yet)but a white wire comes out from under the dash and to the coil. Is the ballaster resistor under the dash?

 

If your going to use a HEI distributor then you need full 12 volts to the coil all the time.
You can run a new wire from the ING lug at the fuse box directly to the coil +.

 

The ballast resistor is strictly there to limit current to the coil on a points-type system. It reduces the tendency to burn points up. GM determined that once the engine was started, it didn't need as much current to keep it going, so they enhanced point life by incorporating the ballast resistor (1950's??).

 

Not trying to hijack but I am needing wiring advice too. I bought a mini starter for my '76 that has two small posts and one large post. The wiring diagram that petes74ttop posted shows all but the purple wire going to "b" terminal. Is this correct? Thanks and sorry again, Kevin