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Flathead Fever · 03-10-2025, 06:47 PM

First off, has it has been converted to 12V negative ground? Does it have a 12V battery? Positive cable going to the solenoid, negative cable going from the battery to the frame. Then another ground wire probably a #10 going from the engine to the firewall. Make sure where you place the ground cables that the paint is ground off, so the cables make a good connection.

Next is the solenoid, it should be a 12V Ford starter solenoid if it was converted to 12V. It might be marked 12V, it might be marked on the back side against the firewall. Ford made a few versions. The most common one looks like the one you have and was used on everything in the 1960s. With the solenoid facing you like in the photo the large cable on the left goes to at the positive battery post. The cars other positive connections attach to this same connection on the solenoid or the positive post at the battery. The large cable on the right side of the solenoid goes to the starter. It is only hot when the starter solenoid is energized. The one small terminal you have two wires coming off of is what energizes the solenoid. It's only hot when you turn the key to the crank position. Why somebody has two wires there I don't know, should just be one. The other small wire that they did not put anything on is the ignition bypass. It sends a full 12V to the ignition just when it is cranking, it bypasses the coil's resister just when cranking for better starting.

The wires are going to short out where they ran them through the firewall without a grommet.

Pete provided an excellent photo by the time I done typing all of this.

03-10-2025, 06:47 PM	#4
Flathead Fever Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Yucaipa, CA Posts: 1,359	Re: What starter solinoid do I need? First off, has it has been converted to 12V negative ground? Does it have a 12V battery? Positive cable going to the solenoid, negative cable going from the battery to the frame. Then another ground wire probably a #10 going from the engine to the firewall. Make sure where you place the ground cables that the paint is ground off, so the cables make a good connection. Next is the solenoid, it should be a 12V Ford starter solenoid if it was converted to 12V. It might be marked 12V, it might be marked on the back side against the firewall. Ford made a few versions. The most common one looks like the one you have and was used on everything in the 1960s. With the solenoid facing you like in the photo the large cable on the left goes to at the positive battery post. The cars other positive connections attach to this same connection on the solenoid or the positive post at the battery. The large cable on the right side of the solenoid goes to the starter. It is only hot when the starter solenoid is energized. The one small terminal you have two wires coming off of is what energizes the solenoid. It's only hot when you turn the key to the crank position. Why somebody has two wires there I don't know, should just be one. The other small wire that they did not put anything on is the ignition bypass. It sends a full 12V to the ignition just when it is cranking, it bypasses the coil's resister just when cranking for better starting. The wires are going to short out where they ran them through the firewall without a grommet. Pete provided an excellent photo by the time I done typing all of this.