Remote Starter Solenoid Mod
Hot StartingPproblems with your Chevy?
You’ve ruled out the starter as the culprit, or replaced it entirely, you’ve checked all the connections but you still experience those no start conditions. What to do next? Add a Ford Starter Solenoid to your Chevy of course!
It worked for chevy, it can work for you. Chevrolet offered a remote solenoid for their motorhomes for the very same reason.
Why? Because when wire gets warmer, its resitance goes up. Which means, when things are toasty warm your starter is not getting enough juice to activate the (on starter) solenoid from the original “start” wire. The wire is essentially acting like a ballast resistor. As well, the starter heat soak creates its own set of unique problems. Wiring in a Ford Solenoid ‘My Way’ will alleviate the wire voltage drop problem by giving the starter mounted solenoid full battery potential when you turn the key.
What you need to do;
Get a Ford starter solenoid of course. 🙂
These units ground through the bracket. For fool proof grounds run a well grounded wire to one of the screws you use to secure the solenoid to the firewall or fenderwell.
If you are adament about not having any ford parts on your General Motors product, simply visit your favorite AC Delco parts house and purchase p/n U939 (the item pictured above).
You can use just about any ford starter solenoid, later model cars came with a stubby unit with all the terminals opposite the mounting flange, such as found on 1987 and newer Ford Crown Vics and Mercury Grand Marquis. (until 1996 or so when Ford went to the starter mounted solenoid like the Chevy your converting. Go figure).
Relocate ALL the wires that are currently connected to the BAT terminal on your starter (the large terminal) to the ‘hot’ side of the ford solenoid (thats the side connected to the battery, typically the large post to the left on the ford solenoid)
This will allow you to relocate the wires away from the (hot) engine block
Relocate the ‘start’ wire on the starter solenoid (small terminal closest to the engine) to the ‘S’ terminal on the ford solenoid (if using the relay as pictured above, the S terminal is usually the one on the left)
IF you are still using a points ignition system relocate the bypass wire (small terminal furthest from engine block) to the ‘I’ terminal on the ford solenoid.
Run a new heavy guage wire from the HOT side of the ford solenoid to the BAT terminal on the starter (the large terminal).
Yes, thats correct, the bat terminal will be hot at all times like the original hookup
Now, for what makes this a ford solenoid conversion “My Way”, run at least an 8 guage wire from the cold side of the ford solenoid to the ‘S’ terminal on the starter. (Thats the large lug on the right of the ford solenoid to the small terminal closest to the engine block on the starter).
becuase many of the no start problems are related to excess voltage drop on the original ‘start’ wire and a hot starter, this method of wiring allows full battery voltage to reach the starter solenoid.
the ford solenoid does not require anywhere near as much current to activate, therefore the voltage drop problem is essential irrelavent.
Thats about all there is to adding a remote solenoid to your GM. A couple advantages to having the ford solenoid, its a lot easier to “start the car with a screwdriver” since all the terminals are up on the firewall.
My favorite, disconnect the wires that run to the starter from the ford solenoid and you only need to drop out the starter from the bottom, no fiddling around while lying under the car to disconnect the wiring from the starter, especially if you have header tubes cleaverly designed to be in the way.
I used this set up on my 1971 Cadillac and it has worked flawlessly everytime. Good luck.
For further information and wirering diagram go to www.oldengine.org/unfaq/solenoid.
Happy Motoring