The wirer that goes from the solenoid to the starter on a 6cyl 240 I guess is 36 inches long, at least that is what the auto parts stores say, and that is how long mine is. I thought that was too long, but perhaps the wire is meant to go under the motor mount to miss the exhaust then to the solenoid and needs to be long. Does that sound correct?

Then there is that 3way hot connection from the alternator, I taped this one up years ago and plain to make an insulated hold down for it, but I am curious what others have done.

Thanks Steve

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Sorry did not see your post, assuming Mon the 9th. I'll look at my truck tomorrow, rainy and dark now. Question does this truck have an ammeter or idiot light?? If ammeter, is it stock in dash or an add on?? On the 3 wire hot connection, did you alter the wiring or like that when you received the truck?? Cap

 

Hi Cap. Mine has both an idiot light and an ammeter with the custom dash panel from the factory; they are common. The insulator block was stock. I broke the stock one free from its holding fasteners on the inner fender by accident and at the time many years taped it and left it. I have seen one truck where they omitted it by moving the wires, but did not note it. The design of the insulator block is very simple. Basically a stud that does not touch ground because it is held up about ½ inch from the inner fender and the screws that hold it in place go through the insulator, so no ground is touching.

 

Without looking at mine and adding this schematic And you have both idiot light and ammeter and my truck DOESN'T and you know what's going on. AS the ammeter was optional, the reason for the insulated block and wire was to pass thru the loop on back of the ammeter. I don't know if that extra wire is outside or inside the harness?? Seem funny to have a complete other harness for an ammeter option. You can answer that for ME as You have the factory set up. Posting this schematic shows routing connection very well. Let us know how you make out or if we can, we'd try to help you more.

http://www.fordification.info/tech/images/wiring/66ignitionstartingcharging.jpg

 

Forgot to look at routing of cable, solenoid to starter. Will post back here in a bit

 

Thanks Cap for schematic and the other information is interesting. Perhaps I remembered incorrectly about the 2 circular lights at the bottom of dash. One light is an oil light and it also has an electric oil gauge. The other light might be ignition, but I would think that could cover amperage flow. I have not started the truck since summer and have it outside the barn in the open air for painting. I painted the cap outside and it actually came out kinda nice. I watched the weather close plus we had a very nice summer in Western Washington. I plan on getting the battery and radiator back in soon and I will pay better attention to the dash gauges.



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Thanks for the pics, your into it for sure. Delay on starter cable, sorry, but I see I wasn't really holding you up. Pics below. My truck originally had 352-V8. I put 240 from a complete parts truck. Did not measure cable length, but would not reach if router under/back of motor mount. notice it goes thru a clip attached to bottom of the inner fender panel. Have no Idea if ever replaced in life of the truck. End at solenoid has a nice molded cover where wire and term meet. After the cable passes over the heater hoses it looks like taped, its not, just the cable all the way #ad
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Your cable looks stock and correct to me Cap and looks about 2 feet long. Mine is a generic 3 foot one from an auto parts store 20 years ago, I think. When I put my 3 footer on, I did not like the fit, so I routed it around the motor mount like my picture. I will check today and see if I have that hole in the inner fender for the wire holder. Interestingly, I have one of those clips I got from a 1965 and 1966 f 100 restorer who lives in Oregon. He had a bucket full of stock bolts he let look through and keep some, and I grabbed one for some reason. Anyways, I found this guy on Craigslist. He has been a good source for hard to find stuff.

 

I have not untapped the wires to insulation block yet. It looks like an independent sub-harness feed to the insulator block. Thanks for the info on the separate amp gauge and the loop, Cap. I would have maybe/probably figured it, but your help cleared it up and now it makes sense--- before it did not. I am still surprised Ford did something like that with the insulator block, but it was inexpensive, and if it would have grounded out, I believe it would have only toasted the extra amp gauge and opened the circuit there without burning the truck up. Here are some pictures before I started the tear down this summer. They show 2 harnesses, but the one pic is poor quality.

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Good Pictures. With Ammeter the wire has to go to it and return from/thru it. Anyone who adds a aftermarket Ammeter has to install such a wire or wires. AMarket Ammeters would have two studs and in some instances the whole electrical load of the vehicle will go thru the Ammeter, EXCEPT the Horn and Starter. Thats why yo see Ammeters rated at 20, 30, 40 up to 100 amps. You would choose the next one above your vehicles total load. Only ONCE in my life did I find a vehicle with no power any where and after tracing it out, the added on Ammeter had burned out. The loop type in a Ford is measuring the current flow thru the wire, not the meter. Just a note, the schematic shows a insulator block UNDER the dash, maybe a look see if your truck has. Apparently the two screws next to solenoid were for the insulator block and the taped group were like that when you got the truck. I see the starter cable routing not like mine, but down and under the M Mount. Term end of the cable at solenoid suggest not OEM. There could have been a production change as the year proceeded. Tho not showing clearly, see the cable heads to the area where clip would be on lower inside fender panel, then to the starter. So short cable-long cable could both be correct. Cap

 

I broke the junction block on the inner fender all by myself many years. If I remember correctly, it broke easy. The insulating material was old fast, 1980 say . I do see the junction block positioned on the inner fender in the picture of the diagram, and the other junction point in the picture of the wiring under the dash. Seems like a lot to do for 2 gauges. I will need to study this some more. Are you saying Cap that one gauge shows the presences of current in the wirer and the other shows the alternator feed to the battery in amps?

steve

 

GSP, on this question, I'll be as clear as I can, I'm really NOT technical on terminology. With truck truck just sitting there and nothing on, engine not running, no lights on,etc. there is battery voltage in the wires ready to go when something is turned on. When somethings is turned on the POWER from the battery flowing thru the wire(s) is the Current.

Now how much Current is flowing is Measured In Amps. The amount of amps that something requires to make it operate properly is a manufacturing concern not ours. We need to be concerned of being sure we can SUPPLY THOSE AMPS to make it work. The amp draw determines the size/gauge wire needed to operate that accessory. If the wire is to small to carry needed amps, the wire will overheat, melt and burn. So AMMETER is showing HOW MUCH Current is flowing to the battery to charge it, IF NEEDED and operate any thing that requires Power,(current).

Remember this, Batteries are Storage Devices, IF the engine is off and something is on, the battery operates that something(s). So when the vehicle is going down the road it is the alternator that is supplying everything.. Come to a stoplight and your waiting to go, engine at idle, it is the battery taking over until the engine revs enough for the alternator to take over again. Ammeter's have a +plus and -minus side. We talked about the whole electric system load going thru the ammeter. When the alternator is not covering the load the ammeter will read on the minus or discharge side, rev the engine, it will go to the + charge side.

Probably said more than you needed, but not wasted knowledge. You should never ask me "What time is It?"........ you'll learn how a clock works. Again, keep us in the loop on your project, we like sharing in your progress, Cap