Gear Reduction Starter!

[Grayscale]

So this has nothing to do with the wire that was originally running from the OEM starter to the coil but now has nowhere to tie to on the GR starter unit?

I was thinking that there might have been a problem with that. My gear-reduction starter's solenoid has a black/red lead; I've never installed it. I'm under the assumption that the '76 USA and Canada harness uses a black/white wire to trigger the solenoid. Unlike the gear-reduction-unit, the old starter solenoid should also have a black/yellow wire that feeds full-voltage to the coil during cranking; be sure that this wire is not grounded out, as the new starter solenoid doesn't connect to it. Was there a wire-connector-type (gender) issue happening with the swap? There is more investigation on my part, which I didn't accomplish, yet; I need to look and see what is in my truck, particularly at the coil/igniter/resister assembly.

 

[Grayscale]

So this has nothing to do with the wire that was originally running from the OEM starter to the coil but now has nowhere to tie to on the GR starter unit?

How did you make the connections at the new starter solenoid? Pic?

 

[Fzjrvakma]

See pictures below of the starter (black and white wire) as well as the connection between the distributor and coil (red and green running from the black box)

 

[Grayscale]

Looks okay at the starter.

I don't know about the aftermarket coil wiring. Is there some literature about its set-up, and the MSD coil and black box? Green, red and brown, what do they represent? Is this electronic ignition? It is almost as if two wires lead to the coil-positive terminal.

The plug cables insulate, but, you might still have to keep distance, due to the high voltage from the ignition, like that brown that is grounded on the engine head? (minor issue). The black cable from the battery-positive looks vulnerable, and it at least needs some red electrical tape to identify it - I recently had someone from the local fire department disconnect aftermarket battery-terminals, on a different car, lol. They need to know which is which, but both cables were black, and thanks for their service.

 

[Fzjrvakma]

I guess the underlying confusion I've got right now is everything was working fine with the old starter which had the connection for the 12 volt power to the coil on the back of the old starter and I was forced to remove it with the new gr starter. It kind of makes sense that that would be the source of why the ignition system is now not getting power since nothing else changed.

 

[Green Bean]

It seems that you can easily test your theory… hook up a switched 12v wire to the positive side of the coil.

 

[Fzjrvakma]

Sure I can test it but I'm trying to fix it permanently and I don't think there's a way I can provide 12 volts from the new gr starter motor. I'm trying to focus on how to manipulate the system I've got to provide the 12 volts

 

[Fzjrvakma]

Maybe the better question is why the ignition system does not need the full 12 volts at startup with the involvement of the new gr starter motor? What does the starter motor have to do with providing ample power to the coil?

 

[Grayscale]

So, in your pic, you are holding the black/yellow lead with your left hand? All you did was disconnect the black/yellow wire? I have a hard time distinguishing between the black/yellow and the black/white.

Back on page number one they describe the stock resistor on the stock coil. Inside the solenoid, is a power source, when the ignition switch is on start, it fires up the coil by by-passing the resister, as when you are cranking, the old starter was a heavy load, and it makes the coil fire a bit weaker. That by-pass circuit is the black/yellow wire.

Was the new starter cranking at ST, or does it crank on "ON"? If it cranks on "ON" you miswired the starter (with some certainty).

 

[Fzjrvakma]

The new starter cranks at start not at the on position.The wire on the new starter is technically black and white and leads into a harness that runs through the firewall I'm assuming to the ignition. The old starter had this black and white wire connection as well as a green wire that ran directly to the coil's positive terminal.

 

[Fzjrvakma]

The only black and yellow wire involved in the ignition system appears to be a heavier gauge that goes from the firewall to the positive terminal of the coil.

 

[Fzjrvakma]

Yes on the electronic ignition. That black box is a Mallory Circuit Guard.

 

[Grayscale]

So your old starter's green wire was not connected to the male blade-terminal on the starter's solenoid, that one had the black/white connection?

I just confirmed that both of my '75 solenoids have a wire that was connected to it with a square ring-terminal. on the solenoid, the other end is female blade terminal. I'm pretty certain that this one doesn't trigger the solenoid, but, it powers the coil during cranking. An earlier starter, its solenoid only has a male-blade terminal, I just rebuilt the unit, it seems to work on the bench with a battery. The mice ate some of my original wiring harness, right at the starter.

I also just looked at the new (rebuilt) gear reduction (I need to post the part #, as there is one floating around that doesn't look like mine), and it also has a blade terminal, which I didn't see that last night.