Starter solenoid wiring with no Coil… stray wire from “I” terminal…

[guidoverduci]

Hooking up all the wiring that I tore apart…. I’ve got a stray wire off the “I” terminal on my starter solenoid. I can’t remember where it went. It’s short, almost like a jumper or ground. I don’t have a coil. Any ideas?

 

[EPB72]

Don't ground it.maybe it was hanging in space and now your just noticing it? that wire will have power on it when the starter relay is energized/cranking I'd remove it from the relay if you don't find where it went..

Are you running a Carb or FI. possible a cranking input for a Fuel injection system??,, and you say no coil? or your running an ignition system that dosen't need the resistor bypass or no resistor at all??

 

[guidoverduci]

Don't ground it.maybe it was hanging in space and now your just noticing it? that wire will have power on it when the starter relay is energized/cranking I'd remove it from the relay if you don't find where it went..

Are you running a Carb or FI. possible a cranking input for a Fuel injection system??,, and you say no coil? or your running an ignition system that dosen't need the resistor bypass or no resistor at all??

Running a carb with HEI. It’s crazy…. I’ve been looking at older photos with it hooked up and while I don’t have a great angle, it looks like it just bends around and grounds. There’s even a hole there! It’s strange.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Maybe it would help if you understood what the I ware was for...
It bypasses the ballast resistor in the ignition system while the starter is active. One is it gives the ignition system a little extra power that you can't run full time as it will burn up the points. Helps get those carburated engines started. Another reason for the bypass is when the starter is engaged there is a pretty good voltage drop with those big starters. So the spike in voltage you get with the bypass still isn't that much above normal ballast running.

I have found (with multiple different switches) that the Bronco ignition switch is not 100% reliable in powering the ignition while in start. Does it most of the time, but not all of the time. I had a couple of gauges powered by the ignition side. As I cranked the engine I would watch the gauges. If they shut off while cranking, the engine would never start. Release the key and try again. From the factory this would never have been a problem, the I-wire would bypass this issue and it would have started right up. So it is good to have. You state HEI, so GM style distributor? The I-wire gets spliced into the I-wire on the distributor. Hopefully the ballast wire has already been removed from the harness.

 

[guidoverduci]

Maybe it would help if you understood what the I ware was for...
It bypasses the ballast resistor in the ignition system while the starter is active. One is it gives the ignition system a little extra power that you can't run full time as it will burn up the points. Helps get those carburated engines started. Another reason for the bypass is when the starter is engaged there is a pretty good voltage drop with those big starters. So the spike in voltage you get with the bypass still isn't that much above normal ballast running.

I have found (with multiple different switches) that the Bronco ignition switch is not 100% reliable in powering the ignition while in start. Does it most of the time, but not all of the time. I had a couple of gauges powered by the ignition side. As I cranked the engine I would watch the gauges. If they shut off while cranking, the engine would never start. Release the key and try again. From the factory this would never have been a problem, the I-wire would bypass this issue and it would have started right up. So it is good to have. You state HEI, so GM style distributor? The I-wire gets spliced into the I-wire on the distributor. Hopefully the ballast wire has already been removed from the harness.

Thanks for the explanation! I do have a GM style distributor, but there aren’t any wires where that would be tied into. I never removed the end off the “I” post, and the other and just wrapped under the larger post on the right of the solenoid. So either this was just hanging (close to metal) or it was grounded (which doesn’t make sense). And there is even a hole right where it could’ve grounded.

 

[jamesroney]

Thanks for the explanation! I do have a GM style distributor, but there aren’t any wires where that would be tied into. I never removed the end off the “I” post, and the other and just wrapped under the larger post on the right of the solenoid. So either this was just hanging (close to metal) or it was grounded (which doesn’t make sense). And there is even a hole right where it could’ve grounded.

I would listen to @EPB72 and don't ground that wire.

That terminal with that starter relay was NEVER connected to ground. That wire wants to be connected (usually thru an insulated binding post) to the "BAT" terminal of on your HEI distributor. It is worth noting that there are other types of starter relays that look similar..that actually DO use that terminal as a ground. Some applications energize the relay thru a clutch safety switch to ground. But the relay in the picture doesn't work that way.

Many of the OEM ignition switches for the 65-66 Mustang (which is the same switch as the 66-77 Bronco) keep the ignition circuit powered during crank. Many of the OEM switches for the 67-69 Mustang (the bigger key) do NOT energize the ignition circuit during crank. So the generic "Ford" HEI instructions tell you to connect the I terminal to the HEI (+).

Any time I am doing an HEI swap, (or an SEFI conversion), I always add the additional "I" terminal wire power the coil during crank. Because you never know when someone is going to "over twist" the ignition key, or "under twist" it, or replace the ignition switch later. Having the "I" terminal ballast resistor bypass in place ALWAYS works.

Go back and re-read @Broncobowsher post again. Then answer the question that he didn't ask directly, and is MOST IMPORTANT and must be answered first.

1. Where is the power for the HEI distributor BAT coming from? Is there a separate and unique wire installed directly from the ignition switch to the HEI, or are you using the factory wiring harness, with thefactory ballast resistor wire (pink wire) embedded in it?

 

[guidoverduci]

I would listen to @EPB72 and don't ground that wire.

That terminal with that starter relay was NEVER connected to ground. That wire wants to be connected (usually thru an insulated binding post) to the "BAT" terminal of on your HEI distributor. It is worth noting that there are other types of starter relays that look similar..that actually DO use that terminal as a ground. Some applications energize the relay thru a clutch safety switch to ground. But the relay in the picture doesn't work that way.

Many of the OEM ignition switches for the 65-66 Mustang (which is the same switch as the 66-77 Bronco) keep the ignition circuit powered during crank. Many of the OEM switches for the 67-69 Mustang (the bigger key) do NOT energize the ignition circuit during crank. So the generic "Ford" HEI instructions tell you to connect the I terminal to the HEI (+).

Any time I am doing an HEI swap, (or an SEFI conversion), I always add the additional "I" terminal wire power the coil during crank. Because you never know when someone is going to "over twist" the ignition key, or "under twist" it, or replace the ignition switch later. Having the "I" terminal ballast resistor bypass in place ALWAYS works.

Go back and re-read @Broncobowsher post again. Then answer the question that he didn't ask directly, and is MOST IMPORTANT and must be answered first.

1. Where is the power for the HEI distributor BAT coming from? Is there a separate and unique wire installed directly from the ignition switch to the HEI, or are you using the factory wiring harness, with thefactory ballast resistor wire (pink wire) embedded in it?

I won’t ground it.. but it’s bizarre, all signs are pointing that it was.

I’ve got 2 wires going into my distributor, a green and a red. It’s a painless harness.

 

[jamesroney]

I won’t ground it.. but it’s bizarre, all signs are pointing that it was.

I’ve got 2 wires going into my distributor, a green and a red. It’s a painless harness.

OK, there are not less than 100 different "painless harnesses." BUT if you are using the #10113, or the #10114 Painless 28 circuit harness for the 66-77 Bronco...then you are in good shape. From their manual, on page 53, and page 61...they show the ballast resistor as a separate component. So you are getting battery voltage from the ignition switch.

If your ignition switch provides battery voltage to the ignition circuit during crank, then the I terminal is not used.
If your ignition switch does not provide battery voltage to the ignition circuit during crank, then the I terminal goes to the "BAT" connection on your HEI.

You are in good shape.

 

[guidoverduci]

Ok, not used seems most likely. I’ll just remove that wire. Not sure why the PO had it there. Thanks!!

 

[Broncobowsher]

OK, there are high power relays that look a lot like the Ford Starter solenoid. They are not grounded through the body but the 2 terminals go to the coil. Maybe they were running one of those?

I would not run one. While they are usually rated for continous duty, the ability for the coil to pull in and hold during the voltage sag when trying to start can be an issue. I used one once (because it was laying around) as switched accessory power. If you switched as soon as the engine was stopped it would pull in. It it had been parked a while and the battery was a hair down the coil would energize but not actually pull in. I deleted it after I figured what was going on.