[bhw3]

In my effort to trace down a starting problem on my ‘55 Nomad, I noticed that a red wire was not connected to one of the spades going to the battery terminal side of the switch. I looked at a wiring diagram to see if a red and black wire were connected there, and apparently both are supposed to be there. The wiring harness is new. I was advised by one member, who has been extremely helpful, that on the new harnesses that red wire would not be connected if the engine was still running points and condenser. It would be connected if an HEI was installed. If it is suppose to be connected, and it’s not, what would be some of the problems I would have? My question is, should I connect it , or not? Any helpful information or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[bhw3]

The second picture is the same wire as pictured in the first. I took the second picture after I realized the red wire in the first picture appeared to be connected, but actually it wasn’t connected to the spade at all. Any misdirection from Tom is clearly my fault. I did not explain well enough to him what I was seeing. He has been a blessing trying to help me through these issues. Thank you both for your patience with me, and all of the advice you have generously given. Electrical problems on these old cars have always given me fits. It’s my brain that is not wired properly to understand how it’s all supposed to work together. There’s a good chance now that I may have solved one problem. Would that wire not being properly connected have anything to do with the problem I was having at the starter? Thank you. Have a blessed day.

 

[bhw3]

I assure you, I will make sure all the ground straps are in their proper place. The new starter bendix was not meshing smoothly with the flywheel. It just didn’t sound right. There must be an alignment problem at the nose housing where it bolts to the bell housing. I pulled it out to bench test it, and it worked perfectly. I benched tested the old one as well. No problem. After I get the wire back on the ignition switch, and make sure everything is grounded properly, I’ll put the old starter back in, and see what happens. Thank you for your kind remarks about my Nomad. I can’t take any credit for how it looks. I didn’t want something that would require a lot of work. I’m getting to old, and I just don’t bend the way I used to when I was younger. I expected I would encounter some problems from time to time, but I wasn’t expecting something right out of the gate. Thanks for everyone’s helpful advice. You’ve pointed me in the right direction. I think I can see success in the near future. Have a great day.