What did I fry...? Help....

[robby5323]

Trying to get the project running... Took out the old worn out 305 and installed a fresher 327. The problem started when I tried to fire up the motor for the 1st. time. Turned the ignition switch and nothing... I had dash lights and other power, but the starter would not engage. I jumped under and started looking for problems. Made the mistake of my wrench touching the live power wire for the starter. Couple of small sparks and a few foul words. Went back to try again and now nothing. No lights on the dash, headlights, no power at all anywhere... I am hoping just a fuse somewhere and not something more serious. Any ideas where to look or what to check...? I looked at the fuse panel, but didn't see anything that looked blown. So, my problem went from a non-working starter, to no power to anything... Doing some searching here on the site, I remembered I forgot to hook up a ground strap wire for the motor to the body... Would this cause the starter not to work...?

[markeb01]

So long as the negative terminal of the battery is connected to the engine block, and the positive goes to the starter, the engine won't care if the body is grounded or not. This lights however might not operate correctly without a good ground.

The total failure is something else. Perhaps a fried battery cable, a shorted battery or a toasted solenoid. Are you running a stock wiring harness or do you have an aftermarket wiring system?

[robby5323]

stock harness.... Maybe wrong side for start and run on starter...?

[robby5323]

I had the starter wired wrong.... Put the start wire on the leg away from the engine block... Should go to the inside-toward block...? Now, if I could figure out what i fried to have no switched power, I would be ready to go...

[markeb01]

I'd probably start with a test light or voltmeter at the fuse panel and see what if anything has juice, and work from there to the ignition and light switches.

[62gmc910]

Originally Posted by robby5323

I had the starter wired wrong.... Put the start wire on the leg away from the engine block... Should go to the inside-toward block...? Now, if I could figure out what i fried to have no switched power, I would be ready to go...

Check for power across the battery terminals, then check the clamps , sometime if the posts are dirty a dead short will break the connection, or just clean the posts and cables. shorting the starter should not effect any of the harness if the power to the harness is from the stock location

[originalJD]

I had a similar problem. My voltage regulator was shot. I switched it out and everything was fine.

[chris91]

Do you have an ammeter. If so jumper the wires at the ammeter.

[robby5323]

Got it going... The wire that connects from the starter to the harness had what seemed like some sort of fusible link... I'm not sure if it was bad or or not. Didn't look correct, so I cut it out and soldered in a new eyelet and moved the wire from the "R" lug over to the "S" lug. Installed the power wire for the starter and connected the battery. Got out the test light and began checking things... Everything seemed to have power. So, I went and turned on the ignition key and everything worked... Beats me, but I guess that the wire from the starter to the harness had some sort of link or something that was shorted. Or, just moving the starter wire from the "R" terminal to the "S" terminal solved the problem.... A round of thanks to all that helped... I am truly appreciative....