> Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 23:09:01 -0600
> From: "Gordon V. Wilhelm" <gvwilhelm@shaw.ca>
> Subject: [oletrucks] Wiring questions
>
> Hi all,
>
> I am looking for help from the electrical wizards on the list before I finish
>hooking up the
> Painless 12 circuit fuse box on my 1951 GMC.
>
> 1. One of the steps (in the rather brief instruction sheet) asks me to
>attach a wire from
> the "COIL/DIST" terminal on the fuse box to the ignition coil. I am using a
>Chev 305 with the
> HEI distributor. There are three wires coming out of the distributor. Am I
>correct in
> assuming that I hook up to the pink wire? If this is correct, what are the
>brown and black
> wires for??
The large cap HEI has 3 wires running from the base of the distributor,
to the cap...then there are terminals in the cap to connect two more
wires, one marked "BAT" and the other marked "TACH". You connect the
ignition power wire from the fuseblock to the "BAT" connector.
If you don't have the distributor cap, with the plastic coil cover on
top of it, then you will probably be confused until you get the
distributor completely assembled! DO NOT connect that pink wire coming
from the base of the distributor to voltage!
> 2. The starter solenoid has three terminals. The large middle terminal
>goes to the
> positive battery post and I know that the "S" terminal goes to the ignition
>switch but what is
> the "R" terminal for??
In the olden days, before the HEI came along in 1975, there was this
thing called a "ballast resistor" to cut down the voltage that went to
the ignition coil. The R terminal on the starter is a bypass wire so
the ignition coil will get full voltage when cranking; it was used to
short out the ballast resistor. You can leave it disconnected. GM quit
putting the R terminal on solenoids a long time ago, but the rebuilt
starters all have it stil, just to confuse you.
> The rest of the wiring is going well and with some luck I think that I will
>be able to fire up
> the beast tomorrow!!
Good to hear! Be ready to pull off a battery cable quickly, just in
case.....you never know!
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> Gordon Wilhelm
> 1951 5 window GMC 1/2 ton
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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