If you just jump from the battery term to the s term with a screwdriver or similar item, the engine will crank with the key off.  It won't start, but it will crank, if everything else is working.      Then check the Nss and wireing.  If it does not crank when jumped, forget the key and Nss and go back to bad connections to and from the battery, including the grounds.

   Hey guys: Thanks for all of the tips and ideas. Today I'm going to try to tow my '78 to my house so I can work on her out of the sun and rain. I'll  update this post later today.

 

     Thanks again, Chuck

   Ken, I think your right about the readings I got at the "S" post, I think I read from the Starter "+" cable to the "S" post. I know when I tried to jump the two posts, wires got real hot and started smoking. I couldn't tell how many of the 3 other wires were hot but smoke was rising from around the solenoid and the jumper wire got real hot. I'll try to get good readings today. On Tuesday evening I ran a jumper wire from the Purple wire just below the 4 post connector that is at the firewall behind the distributor down to the "s" connection on the solenoid, I left the original purple wire connected too. It still wouldn't engage the solenoid. Today I'll run a wire all the way from the NSS to the "S" post and see what that does.

 

    Thanks for the info, Chuck

    Tux: I have power to everything that I have tried: lights, horn, key busser and P/W. Just nothing to the starter in the "Start" position.

    Which fusible link, there are two on the two red wires going up to the fuse panel from the "+" post on the starter, any more somewhere in this circuit? I'll try to read the voltage on both sides of these two today.

 

   MKAPP: Yep, good frame to motor ground, I took it off a couple days ago and cleaned both connection places. Mine looks just like your Pix and it doesn't need moving because the headers are the shorty type and the 4 tubes come together above the ground wire.  Also the black ground wire is still attached to one of the Bell housing bolts just behind the starter.

 

   Thanks you guys for the good ideas, any more????? Chuck

     Tux, Jim, I tried the "light hammer taps" back on Saturday before I removed the starter and solenoid the first time to get them checked out at the A/Z parts store. Then Tuesday when I had them out the second time, I took the solenoid apart and cleaned it up inside & out, flipped the "+" post around to the good side. I've taken probably 25 solenoids apart and fixed them like this, it just didn't help on this one, it wasn't all that pitted anyhow. It worked fine both times at the store.

    I didn't get time to work on her yesterday, I'll try getting those voltage readings for you guys today.

 

    Thanks a bunch, Chuck

 

   I have NO idea what made it start, Everything that I did today has been done several times over the last 6 days with no success, so I'm at a loss as to what fixed the problem and don't know if it will happen again.

 

   Thanks to all of you guys for your suggestion, I do appreciate your help, Chuck