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In post #23, the O.P. states that the ammeter pegs negative when the switch is in "on" or "start." It would be good if the O.P. would confirm this is true, and not an error in that post.
Live well,
SJW
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Edit: Disregard. Post 40 showed up while I was typing post 41.
If it does peg in the on position as well as the start position as he says in post #23, disregard my suggestions. It could be shorted in a lot of places if that's the fact.
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St. Jude Donor '25
My posts have been rambling so briefly here's what's going on as of yesterday: My ammeter pegs at -40 with the key in the on position - there is no change when I go to the start position. I replaced the battery and starter/solenoid assembly. Neither the starter or solenoid has made a sound since I replaced them. I'm sure the engine is not locked up.
Today I checked the ammeter gauge with the key in the off position - it moved a very small amount to the negative side - probably because the door was open and the courtesy lights were on.
And then it got ugly. With my wife in the car I put the lift up and checked the S terminal on the solenoid. With the key in the on position - nothing. When she turned the key to the start position the starter engaged for a split second until I jumped and pulled the DVM probes off. At that point the wife is yelling it's on fire in here, something is smoking. Of course it takes forever to drop the lift, so she gets out before the lift is all the way down, but she does pull the hood release on her way out. I pop the hood as soon as I can and flip the lever on the battery shut off, but the garage is already pretty full of smoke. There was no fire, but the wiring harness going to the ignition switch looks to be melted.
So - today I've created some damage to the car. But, I want to get thru this - carefully - and get it fixed.
What do you all think is a good next step?
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Originally Posted by Six7390gt
What do you all think is a good next step?
At a minimum a complete new main dash harness.
I am guessing your cigarette lighter power wire (which BTW is not fused) was most likely was shorted. My brother '65 almost burned down for the same reason
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St. Jude Donor '25
What I can see of the cigarette lighter wiring looks to be fine.
Here's an under dash pic of the ignition switch wiring. The black wire was obviously shorting to something. As I mentioned above this only happened once I hooked to DVM to the S post of the solenoid and the DVM negative probe to the starter motor bolt with the negative battery cable. Before that nothing was happening except the ammeter pegging negative.
So tell me about the 65 ignition switch issue. Of course now I wish I would have replaced that before smoking a wiring harness.
Sorry for the smoke and damage to the wiring harness. Hopefully it can be repaired. When a short is indicated, as in this case (gauge deflects to -40 with key ON), it's time to disconnect the battery and pull out the ohm meter. If the ignition switch is suspect, remove it and test it on the bench for a short (ON terminal to the case).
uh..... bench test the starter, with the new battery ( that is fully charged ) that will eliminate both from suspicion. use jumper cables and a wire
jumper big post on solenoid to ignition post on solenoid. if starter spins you have an electrical problem and no power to your ignition switch wire to your solenoid.
your problem may be an OPEN and not a SHORT.. Big difference... but smoking wires means a short somewhere.
I have two wiring schematics for a 65. One shows a pink wire to the ballast resistor and the other shows a black wire with pink stripe. I believe you have smoked the wire to the ballast resistor. You also may have a short in the coil, ignition condenser, starter solenoid, etc. You can trace each wire by disconnecting it a both ends to verify the wire is not shorted. Then you have to test the devices like the coil and solenoid. Below are pictures of an 066 switch which I have and the connector. Obviously you need to pull the switch and trace the black / pink stipe thru the harness to assure no other wires are burned also. Going to be a job. I have been hesitant to sell the 066 switch due to the number of failures in threads here in the forum. I wanted to tear it down and clean and lube it before I sell it.
You first need to identify the switch you have as the connectors are differrent.
For some reason, I can't upload the pictures. I will try later.
Ron
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St. Jude Donor '25
Thanks everyone on this very frustrating day. I enjoy working on this beauty, but I sure hate messing something up.
I pulled the ignition switch, and there are two black and purple (or black and pink) wires going into the ignition connector. I smoked one of them, Here's a pic.
After I pulled the ignition switch and pulled the connector a bit to get a look at it, this small brass pin came out. Is that one of the tumbler pins from the lock?
It looks like I need to find a good thread on pulling the instrument cluster.
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St. Jude Donor '25
Originally Posted by R66
You first need to identify the switch you have as the connectors are differrent.
Ron
Thanks - here's a pic of the switch:
I'm using these for full color wiring diagrams. Does anyone have a link to Doc Rebuild's full color wiring diagrams for a small block 65 with no FI or AC?
Just to eliminate an issue that is common, check the black/pink wire that runs from the ballast resistor to the + on the coil. Pay attention when you remove the ignition shield over the distributor and see if it appears that the wire is or has been shorted to the shield? Are you absolutely sure you have the battery connected with the + and- correct? Because the black wire on the battery post on a stock car is battery positive and the brown wire is ground, I have seen more than one person assume the black is the ground and connected the battery backwards? I don't think that's your problem according to following your post, but please be sure. You may have had a bad starter to start with and with the new battery connected backwards created a bad situation. Also, is there any chance you shorted the S terminal to ground when your wife turned the key to start?
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St. Jude Donor '25
Thanks everyone - you're clairvoyant. I pulled the ignition shielding and the pink/black wire that goes thru the firewall to the resistor is smoked. The red wire going to the distributor is for my Pertronix 1 module. That red wire is at the top of the resistor to send 12 volts to the pertronix.
The battery is hooked up correctly. When I checked the solenoid, I had one DVM probe on the solenoid S terminal and the other on the starter bolt with the negative battery cable. I'm sure that I didn't short it.
