My 63 won't start

[Bob R.]

I have been trying for 2 days now with no luck. I thought I might ask for help here.
Over the winter I did a clean up under the hood. Removed the carb, painted the engine and exhaust manifolds, replaced the pluds while I had the shields removed. When I finished I started the car and let it run for about 1/2 hour. It ran great. In March I remove the dash cluster and sent it out to be restored. It comes back and I install it. While at it I reinstalled the original tach cable that I repaired. I installed the missing capacitors one on the battery terminal behind the dash and one to the brown wire behind the dash. I use the AIM to make sure my connections are correct.
I turn the power on and smell wire burning. Shut off the power and check under the dash. The capacitor connected to the battery terminal is hot. I disconnect it. Turn the power on again all seems OK. Turn the key and the battery gage shows negitive the fuel gage moves a little but no cranking. Try the lights and they seem to work.
I check my connections remove the plugs from them one at a time (Lights, wiper, ignition, ect.) to see if I have a bad connection. Still nothing.
I would think that the ignition switch would work with the dash out and none of the other items hooked up at all. As long as I had the switch hooked up and grounded.
So how did I go from a running engine to an engine that won't crank?
Is it possible that when hooking the tach cable to the distributor something got disconnected? All looks good under the hood.
Well the weather is getting nice and I just have to figure this out. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

[William C.]

Re: My 63 won't start

If I am reading correctly, and the car will not turn over ("crank") Then the problem is iether in the power feed to the ignition switch, or in the feed from the ignition switch to the starter solenoid. You can check this easily, by jumping the solenoid battery and ignition studs with an old screwdriver. The solenoid should energize and the starter should crank the engine. If this works, then trace the circuit back to find the problem. If not, the problem is either power lacking to the solenoid (to the battery post) or in the solenoid itself.

[Terry F.]

Re: My 63 won't start

Look for the obvious stuff also. Inspect all the wires at all locations. Look for signs of heat damage, etc (esspecially under the dash).

It helps to have a schematic of the electrical system. Look for were you have power and were you don't have power and whether or not the engine will crank or not. I have rearly every had to fix such problems but I tend to start at the ignition switch and knowing if the engine will crank or not. That usually tells me were to go and where power is or isn't

I suspect one of your capacitors shorted something to ground or maybe you left a wire dangling and it touched ground somewhere. Not a fun fix but you get to learn more about your car.

Good luck, Terry

[Frank C.]

Re: My 63 won't start

Bob...don't overlook the engine wiring harness plug on the firewall, Good luck, Frank

[Albert P.]

Re: My 63 won't start

If you removed/replaced the ignition shielding you might want to see if one of the coil terminals has shorted to the shielding; take the shielding over the distributor off and see if any of the wiring is burnt.

[Kenneth S.]

Re: My 63 won't start

There is a pair of purple wire connectors (male/female) on the firewall side near where you were rummaging around with the tach cable. The connectors are to connect to a starter lockout switch on an automatic transmission. Check to see if you might have accidentally disconnected them.

[mike cobine]

Re: My 63 won't start

Begin step by step.


1. check voltage at the starter solenoid. Easy enough with a test light. Use an alligator clip and position test light where you can see it.

outside top next to engine
battery cable O
pink wire to coil o o violet wire to ign sw.
O switched starter voltage





battery cable - on all the time
violet wire - on when key is on start
pink wire - on when solenoid engages
bottom to starter - on when soleoid engages


If battery cable is on, but goes off (or dim) when you turn the key to start, battery is dead.


If violet wire goes on when key is at start, ign sw and dash wiring is ok.


If pink wire is off when key is at start, solenoid is not engaging.
- could be starter isn't grounding. loosen and tighten starter bolts, check ground straps from engine to frame and to battery negative.
- could be bad solenoid. tap lightly on side with hammer on METAL only. try again.


If pink is on with key at start, check the bottom connection to the starter. If light is on when key is at start, then starter is bad. tap lightly with hammer on metal and try again. check if the starter gear has engaged the flywheel and is stuck (happens). Put car in 4th gear and rock it back and forth. If automatic, then you need to turn the engine by hand, usually breaker bar to the harmonic balancer bolt.

[Bob R.]

Re: My 63 won't start

As usual some good suggestions. Some of the items listed I have already tried. I will try Mike combine's suggestions on the starter wiring this evening. Thanks all for the help.