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Battery Relocation Start Problem

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ScottVA

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Gentlemen, I just relocated my battery to the trunk on a 65 Belvedere using the Mad Electrical kit. I did not use the terminal block and I mounted a Ford solenoid in the trunk. Both the 8awg and the 14awg wires were routed to the starter relay. Nothing fancyhere at all. I have lights and power to the car, but I am not getting power to the starter. I hear power hit the starter relay, but nothing to the starter. No clicking, not turning over, nothing at all. I am stumped. Any help would be appreciated. BTW, I am electrically ignorant. Thanks, ScottVA
 
The negative on the battery is grounded to a rear bumper bolt. I have 2 engine to body ground cables. One is in the same place as the original strap.
 
Without knowing exactly how you ran the wiring did you ground the engine to the frame and the battery negative? Also if the 8 awg wire is your starter feed it is way to small I would say 4 AWG or 2 AWG would be more like it. More information on how you wired it like a schematic would help us see were the problem is.
 
ok that should be good. can you take a pic of the starter relay connections? Should be the large red cable from the battery on one post and another down to the starter solenoid.
When you connected the neg side to the bumper bolt, did you make sure it is on clean bare metal?
Also, the size of the ground to engine wire should be sized the same as the positive side. The original strap just bonds the firewall to ground. The starter motor is the largest consumer and needs large wiring to and from to operate properly.
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black64 said:
Also if the 8 awg wire is your starter feed it is way to small I would say 4 AWG or 2 AWG would be more like it. .
Click to expand...

x2. Usually 1/0 awg. I looked at the kit and it doesn't include a 1/0 awg conductor even though their drawing shows it.

Could you scan a copy of the schematic that came with it? I couldn't find one on their site.
 
It sounds like it still is a ground issue. the engine should be frame grounded instead of body ground straps. make sure ground connections are to bare metal.
 
I ran 1/0 cable as my power to the starter from the battery positive. So that cable is from the battery to the solenoid to the starter. The 8awg is coupled to the same battery power side of the solenoid and runs to the starter relay where it shares a stud with the alternator I assume and another original wire. The 14awg comes off of the smaller post of the solenoid on the same end as the battery power and runs to the starter relay on another connection point. I replaced the original grounding strap with a 1/0 cable and added a second one. They run from engine to body/frame.

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I guess it could be a bad starter relay, but it was working fine before I changed...not that that means anything. How do you test it?
 
sounds ok. Can you test a few points?
64engwrg.jpg
 
ok that should be good. can you take a pic of the starter relay connections? Should be the large red cable from the battery on one post and another down to the starter solenoid.
When you connected the neg side to the bumper bolt, did you make sure it is on clean bare metal?
Also, the size of the ground to engine wire should be sized the same as the positive side. The original strap just bonds the firewall to ground. The starter motor is the largest consumer and needs large wiring to and from to operate properly.

With a new solenoid mounted in the trunk, do I still have to run another wire from relay to starter solenoid? I have not done this. I assumed the solenoid connection in the trunk was enough. I have nothing going to the solenoid on the starter at this point. My problem, maybe?



x2. Usually 1/0 awg. I looked at the kit and it doesn't include a 1/0 awg conductor even though their drawing shows it.

Could you scan a copy of the schematic that came with it? I couldn't find one on their site.[/QUOTE]
 
ScottVA said:
With a new solenoid mounted in the trunk, do I still have to run another wire from relay to starter solenoid? I have not done this. I assumed the solenoid connection in the trunk was enough. I have nothing going to the solenoid on the starter at this point. My problem, maybe?
Click to expand...

Do you mean the starter relay is in the trunk? The solenoid is always attached to the starter to engage the gear to the flywheel.

Hard to help without a sketch of what you did.
If the heavy wire (1/0 awg) connects from + to the starter motor and the 14awg (probably should be 12awg imo) connects the control from the relay sol terminal to the solenoid terminal, everything is solidly grounded, the ign terminal has its wire from your key switch (usually yellow wire) and the neutral safety switch is connected to the starter relay, it should work...
 
I have a 1968 Ford Mustang starter solenoid mounted in the trunk. The relay is in its original spot on the firewall. I thought the new solenoid was to replace the one on the starter, so there are now 2. One on the starter and one in the trunk. The one on the starter has nothing hooked to it at present. I am thinking that I have to run power to it? If so, what size wire and which post on the relay?
 
starter.gif

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gives you an idea why the solenoid on the starter needs power to operate.
I thought you said you already ran a 1/0 awg to the starter? It would need to connect to the starter solenoid post as in this pic. I'd lose the ford solenoid, I think you've basically added a second relay...

just to clarify, the post on this solenoid is a connection point where the starter's braided wire picks up it's power from. The solenoid operates by a signal through the smaller wire from the relay on the firewall.
 
Glenwood, this helps big time. I know where the terminal is on the solenoid. And I know where battery power is on the relay. What size wire do I run to the solenoid?
 
battery + to starter (solenoid post) 1/0awg imo
battery - to frame 1/0awg imo
frame to engine 1/0awg imo
Relay batt post (shared with alt) to battery + 8awg or really could just connect to the1/0awg on the starter solenoid post
 
This is how I did the challenger, worked great. is the car a four speed

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Here is another pic
 

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this diagram would work since the solenoid and starter motor are supplied power at the same time from the external ford solenoid or relay.

Why would you guys add another relay in the power circuit to the starter motor? I don't see the advantage.
 
I've always run 0-gauge wire from the trunk.
 
I like the idea of the jumper wire that your diagram shows and Glenwood mentioned earlier. I don't know if I can make that work with the stiff 8awg wire and headers. The car has headers and is a 4 speed. Very difficult to reach and a tight area to work in. I may have to look at that though
 
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