Topic: 71 C3 454 new AC Delco mini starter wiring problems
in Forum: C3 Electrical
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71 C3 454... new starter wiring issues.
Pulled off old one: it has an extra small bolt- it was shot- that small bolt snapped right off with the plastic solenoid part.
My new AC Delco mini starter has a blank hole spot where this would normally be.
I thought the extra wire was a resistance or something, so I hooked everything back up without that extra wire.
When I went to hook the battery up, I heard it instantly start buzzing.
I put a generic mini starter in my Chevelle once and it also had different wiring, but that was HEI ignition.
Anyone had issues with new staggered bolt/168 tooth AC Delco mini starter on stock BBC?
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You should have 4 wire sets on the starter. The large eyelet wires are of course the battery cable, and the power to the rest of the car on the center terminal of the solenoid. The power wires should be red, and there may be one or more of them, but there will be at least one.
The two small eyelet wires will be purple, and yellow.
The purple wire is the start signal from the ignition switch. The purple wire always goes to the terminal of the solenoid closest to the engine block.
The last wire, the yellow one with the small eyelet, goes to the positive side of the ignition coil. This is the ignition bypass wire. It provides a full 12 volts to the coil while cranking the engine. After the engine is running, and the key released, the ignition/coil voltage is stepped down thru the resistor wire from the ignition switch.
Do you know exactly what it was that was buzzing?
The two small eyelet wires will be purple, and yellow.
The purple wire is the start signal from the ignition switch. The purple wire always goes to the terminal of the solenoid closest to the engine block.
The last wire, the yellow one with the small eyelet, goes to the positive side of the ignition coil. This is the ignition bypass wire. It provides a full 12 volts to the coil while cranking the engine. After the engine is running, and the key released, the ignition/coil voltage is stepped down thru the resistor wire from the ignition switch.
Do you know exactly what it was that was buzzing?
Joel Adams
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Above is a picture of my old starter (as I took it out):
You can see the 3-pack (as I call it) of wires:
1) large (pulled off the nut in pic)
2) rt small wire
3) left small wire (this terminal is missing on the new AC Delco mini starter).
A fourth, individual large wire is grounded on one of the large bolts.
Also have another large battery wire coming down, too, that I can't figure out where it goes.
I double-checked my wiring...
I'm leaving the resistor wire off (no terminal on Delco mini).
Do both large wires attach on to the same large nut? One is obviously POS battery (have to put on solenoid. Then the other wiring harness w/ 3-pack looks like the engine compartment- does this also get attached at the same solenoid location?
I'm almost debating on replacing this new mini with a correct, large starter. At least everything will work.

Does this help. I beleive you would want to leave the yellow wire off, joel correct my diagram if you see something wrong. the battery wire and the other bigger red wire would go together on the large post, the purple wire would hook up to the small post
in Forum: C3 Electrical
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