Hello New to Forum

Welcome to the Barn. I not only like your truck, but your barn looks prettty cool too. Wish I could help with your "problem" but can't. Most of the GR8 folks on here are so knowlegeable, surely with their expertise you will get it sorted.
 
I'd make sure that battery was toast first.

First, disconnect the heavy wire from your battery to the solenoid. Now clamp a wire to this bare solenoid from a 12 volt battery making sure that you have the polarity correct. Clamp the other wire from the 12 volt to the stater casing, not the terminal. Is your truck still positive grounded?

6 volt solenoids have double the amperage rating of a 12 volt solenoid and 6 volt starter motors will just spin faster than with 6 volts with no harm to the starter.
You can now start it in the normal manner with the push button.
 
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hook a test light up to the starter cable terminal and see if it stays lit when you let off the button
 
Foamspoon, Two things I've noticed on your truck via the pic's you've posted. The first was a po has removed about three inches of your front fender aprons. I asume this was done because of rust damage or to do some intense lowering that never hapend. Either way when you get your running boards in place you will see what needs to happen. Those trucks are so prone to rust there that they make formed patch panels to fix it. The second thing I noticed is your wiring. Sure I/we all want to see it run before you go dumping $$$ into it. I personaly would disconect the wiring at the solenoid leving onlt the battery cable and cable going to the starter motor. Then take the wire off the coil that goes to the key switch. Now when you try starting it you'll just run a wire to the battery side of the solenoid and it will bethe equivelant of turning the key on. And to opporate the starter just ground the little terminal on the solenoid. It looks like the PO may have converted it to 12 volts as I saw a ballest ristor up by the voltage regulator. So my nexts thought would be to look carfully at the coil for any markings of 6 or 12 volts . Ive lost one very nice and rare car to sombodies questionable wiring and wouldn't wish it on anybody so when i look at your wiring I get a little concerned. After you hear it run and are sure you want make it driver nspring for a wiring harnes, there's nothing worse for a car guy than seeing the remains of his car burnt to the ground.Tim
 
@pistonbroke

thanks for the great response.

1. I know about the front fender issue. At some point I am going to buy lower replacement panels.

2. I included a picture of the 12v coil.

3. I will try your other recommendation with the wiring.
 

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pistonbroke said:
Foamspoon, Two things I've noticed on your truck via the pic's you've posted. The first was a po has removed about three inches of your front fender aprons. I asume this was done because of rust damage or to do some intense lowering that never hapend. Either way when you get your running boards in place you will see what needs to happen. Those trucks are so prone to rust there that they make formed patch panels to fix it. The second thing I noticed is your wiring. Sure I/we all want to see it run before you go dumping $$$ into it. I personaly would disconect the wiring at the solenoid leving onlt the battery cable and cable going to the starter motor. Then take the wire off the coil that goes to the key switch. Now when you try starting it you'll just run a wire to the battery side of the solenoid and it will bethe equivelant of turning the key on. And to opporate the starter just ground the little terminal on the solenoid. It looks like the PO may have converted it to 12 volts as I saw a ballest ristor up by the voltage regulator. So my nexts thought would be to look carfully at the coil for any markings of 6 or 12 volts . Ive lost one very nice and rare car to sombodies questionable wiring and wouldn't wish it on anybody so when i look at your wiring I get a little concerned. After you hear it run and are sure you want make it driver nspring for a wiring harnes, there's nothing worse for a car guy than seeing the remains of his car burnt to the ground.Tim
Click to expand...

I followed your directions. I was a little confused about the final wire connection to start the truck.

Screenshot-2025-02-06-at-5-20-32-PM.png
 
So you have a modern 12 volt starter relay and it apears to be hooked up backwards. Again ' look for 12 volt markings to confirm this. If it is the large cable your pionting to should go to the positive battery terminal. These soleniods work in the posision you have it in. Next, to activat it these need to have power not a ground to the small terminal that your pionting at. If there is a second small terminal it would go to the coil. These are normaly marked S (starter switch) and I(ignision bypass). This is a vary common solenoid they used almost 25 years.Tim
 
The heavy terminals for battery and starter connections can be flipped. It's just a connection made when the solenoid is energized.

560226


... and as I said in my previous post'
"I'd make sure that battery was toast first.

First, disconnect the heavy wire from your battery to the solenoid. Now clamp a wire to this bare solenoid from a 12 volt battery making sure that you have the polarity correct. Clamp the other wire from the 12 volt to the stater casing, not the terminal. Is your truck still positive grounded?"

560233
 
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"Can I just turn the key to start?"

Yes, but you may need to hook up another "external" battery as I mentioned, 10-15 minutes job at most so why not?

Glenn
 
glennpm said:
"Can I just turn the key to start?"

Yes, but you may need to hook up another "external" battery as I mentioned, 10-15 minutes job at most so why not?

Glenn
Click to expand...

I really appreciate your help. I am not following hooking up an external battery part. I know you gave me directions but I am missing something in translation of it.

Thank you again for all the help!

Bryan
 
foamspoon said:
I really appreciate your help. I am not following hooking up an external battery part. I know you gave me directions but I am missing something in translation of it.

Thank you again for all the help!

Bryan
Click to expand...

Bryan, the "external battery" could be a jump box but you would be better suited using jumper cables from whatever you have for another 12 volt vehicle, jumped to your truck.

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Disconnect the cable from your truck's solenoid "battery terminal" before you do this!
 
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