Wires to starter help?

[Brian Stpehens]

On a 65 small block car there are four smaller wires going to the starter and of course the battery cable, the question I have is which terminal does the black one go to? It is the smallest if all the wires and has been stripped like it used to have a terminal end on it but is missing, the wire is still in the factory loom so I think it is factory.

Any thoughts on what this wire is for and where it goes?

[Wayne M.]

Re: Wires to starter help?

Brian, there are actually 5 wires and two battery cables going to the starter, (unless you have air then, the battery negative terminal attaches under a bellhousing bolt on the driver side). There are two black wires. The smallest is 18 gauge to the ammeter and is twinned in the same terminal with the 12 gauge red horn relay wire (10 gauge if air). This pair of wires goes on the centre solenoid terminal, after the +ve battery cable. The other black wire is a 14 gauge ground wire for the blower and wiper motors, and has a large eye-type terminal to allow it to be mounted on the outboard starter mounting bolt, in the order: bolt/black wire/battery -ve terminal (unless air)/starter housing. My guess is that this is the wire you're refering to, as it frequently suffers damage in starter removal. The two remaining wires are the black/pink stripe 18 gauge to the +ve coil terminal (attaches to the outboard "R" terminal on solenoid), and the 14 gauge purple wire from the inboard "S" terminal of the solenoid to the ignition switch.

[Wayne M.]

Re: Wires to starter help?

Brian, there are actually 5 wires and two battery cables going to the starter, (unless you have air then, the battery negative terminal attaches under a bellhousing bolt on the driver side). There are two black wires. The smallest is 18 gauge to the ammeter and is twinned in the same terminal with the 12 gauge red horn relay wire (10 gauge if air). This pair of wires goes on the centre solenoid terminal, after the +ve battery cable. The other black wire is a 14 gauge ground wire for the blower and wiper motors, and has a large eye-type terminal to allow it to be mounted on the outboard starter mounting bolt, in the order: bolt/black wire/battery -ve terminal (unless air)/starter housing. My guess is that this is the wire you're refering to, as it frequently suffers damage in starter removal. The two remaining wires are the black/pink stripe 18 gauge to the +ve coil terminal (attaches to the outboard "R" terminal on solenoid), and the 14 gauge purple wire from the inboard "S" terminal of the solenoid to the ignition switch.

[Brian Stephens]

Re: Wires to starter help? Thanks. & new wire

Great, that explains why the wipers work every now and then, whenever the wire happens to ground itself.....

A new wiring question. Coming from the firewall there is a two wire plastic connector and then the wires run over near the wiper resivoir, the wires are both black, one has a red stripe and the other has a green stripe. Any ideas what they are for?

[Brian Stephens]

Re: Wires to starter help? Thanks. & new wire

Great, that explains why the wipers work every now and then, whenever the wire happens to ground itself.....

A new wiring question. Coming from the firewall there is a two wire plastic connector and then the wires run over near the wiper resivoir, the wires are both black, one has a red stripe and the other has a green stripe. Any ideas what they are for?

[Wayne M.]

Re: Wires to starter help? Thanks. & new wire

Brian -- hey, I'm on a roll-- these 2 wires should be attached to the back-up light switch on the 3 or 4 speed transmission, and they should follow the speedo cable (if 3 speed) and be held by the speedo caable clip on the driver side underbody tunnel. Uses same clip if 4 speed, but doesn't follow the speedo cable. If your wires are near the windshield washer reservoir, I'd say they are not connected to the switch and just "parked" out of the way.

[Wayne M.]

Re: Wires to starter help? Thanks. & new wire

Brian -- hey, I'm on a roll-- these 2 wires should be attached to the back-up light switch on the 3 or 4 speed transmission, and they should follow the speedo cable (if 3 speed) and be held by the speedo caable clip on the driver side underbody tunnel. Uses same clip if 4 speed, but doesn't follow the speedo cable. If your wires are near the windshield washer reservoir, I'd say they are not connected to the switch and just "parked" out of the way.