wiring issues

[Bake75]

In process of a restoration. Ordered painless wiring harness. I went with a 200 amp 1 wire alternator and a new mini starter. I cannot seem to get this wired correctly. does anyone know or have experience with this harness from the battery, starter selinoid, alternator and starter? Thanks in advance

 

[eric0o1]

For a one wire alternator that large you will not need any of the alternator wiring provided with the Painless harness with the exception of the #901 ground wire, it can still be used to help ground the case of the alternator. You will need to provide your own output wire (4 awg or larger) and I would also recommend a large 200 amp inline fuse between the alternator and the battery. Look at the 3G diagram on page 64 of the instruction manual, it offers a visual of what you will need to do and how to connect your output wire. Just omit the regulator wires shown in the diagram.

You can run the #915 wire that would normally go the the output lug of the alternator to the Maxi fuse and connect it to the same side of the fuse as the #916. DO NOT leave the #915 just rolled up in the harness, either cut it from the splice in the harness or connect it to the maxi fuse with the #916.

 

[Bake75]

ok. Thanks. I have all that covered pretty well. My biggest problem is with the starter selenoid and the starter. This new mini starter is showing to connect on the same side as the battery power which is where my maxi fuse and altenator connect. As I'm sure you know there is also a control wire coming back from the starter as well. The diagrams I have just don't cover all of this.

 

[eric0o1]

Can you show me what diagrams you have or what part# your starter is so I can look up their diagrams? It'll be easier to explain this if I can relate it to the diagrams you have in front of you.

Are you still using the fender mounted solenoid/relay, or only using the solenoid on the starter?

 

[Bake75]

I do have the fender relay. Initially i assumed i needed it. They didn’t send a diagram with the starter. Go figure. I have recently quit ordering item from this particular bronco supplier as several item i have ordered from them will not work correctly. Anyhow. I just googled the diagram online for this ford mini starter. I can call you a little later this afternoon when I’m in front of the bronco. Or try to attach some pictures. Thanks a lot for your help.

 

[eric0o1]

just attach the battery power to/from the starter to the opposite side side of the fender mounted relay that the battery and alternator are connected to, just like you would a factory set up. The starter should already have a jumper installed between the "s" post and the battery lug on the starter. if not, a jumper will need to be added.

 

[Bake75]

thats the way i have it and nothing so then i started looking at the starter and it has a terminal like a control wire that says it runs to the opposite side of the selenoid from where the main starter wire hooks up. there is a yellow jumper already on the starter as well. i have power thru the selenoid but, the opposite side of the selinoid like connecting up an old starter does not power the new starter. as I was mentioning every diagram i have seen on these starters says hook it up to the battery side of the selinoid and the little wire to the opposite side of selenoid but this doesn't work. if i move the large starter wire to the positive battery side of the selenoid it starts cranking without the key. ?? I have also used a new style pertronix distributor and flame thrower 3 coil and not sure if this is related too.

 

[Bake75]

is this a possible ground issue? does the main ground from the battery need to go to the engine or frame? or can it go to the body?

 

[eric0o1]

I always ground the battery to the frame, then from the same spot on the frame, ground the frame to the engine. The body can then be grounded to the frame in multiple places. I ground the core support to the frame, the firewall to the back of the engine, and a ground on the rear to the body to the frame. If the engine isn't grounded then the starter will not engage

 

[Bake75]

thanks for your help. I will go thru it all and double check. hopefully i can figure it out.

 

[DirtDonk]

Both methods of connecting the new starters will work. But the one you were quoting originally actually works more reliably with more starters and more old trucks.
Nothing wrong with trying either of course, but if you have issues with it cranking, or especially if you have an issue with starter run-on, then wire it with the main starter cable over on the same stud as the battery cable.

The most common issue with that is the sheer number of big connectors on that one side tends to make it kind of crowded sometimes. To that there are some relays available with longer studs, which is a real life-saver in cases like this.
Or you can create another power-stud to put the clutter over there and just have the 3 wires (battery, starter and power-to-aux-stud) on the original relay.
And ALWAYS use the fender mounted relay with the mini starters in a Bronco. The reasons are to take most of the load off of the ignition switch and to give you a convenient place to mount all your power wires. Doing it like GM did with all the big important wires down on the starter stud has it's own set of long-term issues.

The solenoid mounted on the starter uses enough more current than the fender mounted relay does that it puts a little extra hurt on the Ford ignition switch.

Paul