Wiring experts c3 help

[Calvin C.]

Ok, I have sorted my starter out but I have a wire that does not fit the wire diagrams. At the starter I have the Black battery cable, the red harness wire, and the red wire on the small terminal. Then the wire diagram shows a yellow wire for the coil terminal, but I only have a thin redish wire left, no yellow. The redish wire does seem to run to the area of the coil. What is it, and why no yellow. This is what I am sorting out. My 1972 convertible is a base engine car. I will be using it as a accasional fair weather driver, but I am putting it back to original. The previous owner put in a 75 engine, HEI and replaced the speedo and tack with the 75 units, I am putting the original distributor and gauges and engine back, all else seems to be there. I do not think the harness was changed although it apears they added wires.

Thanks

cal

[tom444634]

Re: Wiring experts c3 help

Cal, If my memory serves me correctly, one of the wires going to the solenoid comes from the ignition switch. This should be the red wire. The other wire, (yellow?) goes to the + side of the coil. The purpose for this yellow wire was to bypass the existing wire going to the coil, which is actually a resistive type of wire that drops the voltage to the coil. Doing this provides 12 volts directly to the coil during engine cranking. Once the engine starts, the coil gets its' power through the resistive wire so the coil runs at a lower voltage, 9 volts or so I believe, thus extending its' useful life.

Somebody please clarify this if I'm wrong...

Tom

[John H.]

Re: Wiring experts c3 help

Cal -

The HEI distributor setup didn't use the yellow bypass wire from the "R" terminal on the starter solenoid, as it was fed a full 12 volts at all times directly from the ignition switch (no resistance wire as used on pre-'75 cars); the previous owner who put the '75 engine with HEI in the car probably cut off the existing yellow wire. If you un-tape the starter end of the harness, you should find it.