OK, GENERAL start question time.

[Lurker27]

My understanding of the starter solenoid conenctions is as follows:


Big +12v terminal - solenoid will contact this into the starter MOTOR circuit

2 little terminals - these are both grounds for little stuff.


Big Terminal already connector to starter motor...The starter itself is (somewhere) grounded to the block, which is in turn grounded to the chassis.


The question is - Can I add my own bigass ground from the Big ground terminal directly to Chassis to make sure none of the intervening connections are bad? I think you can do this by connecting directly to the outside of the starter motor as well.

Thoughts?

Ryan

[jlevie]

The large stud on the starter is directly connected to the battery and is the power supply for the starter. One on the smaller lugs is the solenoid input that causes the starter to engage. The other of the smaller lugs is the output from the starter to the unloader circuit. The ground for the starter is via the block to the ground lead between the block and chassis on the lower left front of the engine. Only if the ground strap from the engine to the chassis bad will you have a ground problem for the starter. In other words, there's nothing to be gained from attaching a ground lead to the starter. If it isn't getting a good ground, fix the ground strap connection.

[Lurker27]

Jlevie,

Thanks for the quick response. I believe my ground to the engine is bad - if not from engine to chassis. Voltage shows no drop from battery to starter source and solenoid engages.



With this in mind, Does the starter normally ground to the block where it mounts? I paint my block - could this be the issue? And, if so, couldn't I restore a ground by wiring the body of the starter motor or the NON +12v large starter terminal directly to the chassis (bypassing, mostly, the block - the starter sometimes gets to move the engine very weakly)

[Jean]

The bolts that hold the starter to the engine block would ground it, you can check for resistance between the starter and the engine block somewhere.