Alright, here is whats going on:

1) I don't have the time or money to have my steering wheel yanked to replaced the key switch on the steering column
2) Father-in-law suggested I use a push button starter switch as a temp/permanent fix
3) Bought a 60 amp starter switch (the first one I bought was faulty), some ring type connectors, 10 gauge black & red wire and small zip-ties
4) Performed a test fire under the hood with a foot of wire coming off both sides of the solenoid and it worked
5) After running the wires down the front right fender, thru a small opening for the speaker wires, under the dash and behind the ashtray assembly, everything looked promising
6) I hit the button for the moment of truth....NOTHING

If anyone here can provide me with some help, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Well all I can say is it should be pretty straight forward. Just make sure you have constant 12V on one side and the other is going to the post on the solenoid. That's all your key is doing in "start" is putting 12V to the post on the solenoid on the fender.

Got 12V on the battery?
connectioins all good?
switch still good? do a continuity check on it to make sure it's closing. I know you said you tested it but just throwing anything out there at this point.
didn't pinch the wire anywhere in routing it?

 

now I'm really going to go out on a limb....I know a lot of peope whenever doing anything electrical disconnect the necitive cable on the battery, I do. You didn't happen to leave it off?

Thinks like this always seem to be something simple...so trying to think of the obvious things.

 

Battery is connected, no pinched wires, switch is only a day or two old, every connection is sound and not loose. The hot wire is connected to one side of the solenoid where the positive terminal runs into and the black negative wire I have is connected to the other side of the solenoid. Same basic concept as if I was using a pair of pliers to trick the switch but with an actual switch in my dash. Think maybe its not able to pull enough juice through the 10 gauge wire? The switch was made for a heavy duty 12v application from O'Riellys rated at 60 amps.

 

not sure what you mean by the other side of the solenoid. You're not trying to put full power to the starter through this are you? It'll never do it.

What you need to do is have power going to the small post on the solenoid. This will pull the solenoid in and and use it to provide full cranking amps to the starter.

Here's a picture of a typical fender mounted starter relay/ solenoid. They changed the look of them in the mid 80's so you're may look different.

Big posts....left one goes to battery, right one goes to main stud on starter.

small posts...the one on the left should be coming from the ignition switch in "start". You need to be connecting your push button between the big terminal connected to the batter and the small post. Now your push button will be bypassing your ignition switch.

Keep in mind when you do this. It will also bypass any neutral safety switch or clutch switch. So when you push that button you will be cranking. Regardless of what gear it's in. Can be dangerous.

Would not recommend permanently.

 

I had the wires connected to both of the larger posts of the solenoid (which is what mine looks like in the pic you posted). I was running under the assumption that when I touched both of the larger posts with my pliers and it started flawlessly, the same would work if I ran the wires under the same notion, but with a switch in place of the pliers.

In other words, I need to wire my hot wire to the small post of the left and my black wire on the larger post that runs to the starter?

 

oh no!!! what you need to is just pull that solenoid in with your remote switch. bypass the key...not the solenoid.

When you start your engine...there are several hundred amps going to the starter....I'm surprised that little swith and/or wire didn't melt.

I do notice you have a manual tranny...please remember to make sure it's in neutral. I had a buddy do this and was cranking is engine in front of his truck and pinned himself between his truck and the car in front of him. Luckily he was fine but could be a disaster.

 

That small post should have a push on connector if it's still stock. remove that and hook up the wire there

 

It still has the push on connector, its red. Hot goes there and the return (negative) to where?

 

No...you run one of your wires from the large post connected to the battery to one side of your pushbutton.

Then from the other side of your push botton you run the wire to the small post. This will put 12V on the coil of the relay and pull it it and then give starting current through the relay to the starer.

so you should have one wire on the large stud going to the battery...the other wire going to the small post next to it.

 

put the 2 wires from your push button where the red lines are.

 

won't matter which one goes where...

 

Gotcha. When I get off duty I will have to try that. Thanks for your help, I'm still trying to learn how to do more things on my truck on my own

 

No problem at all. When you get to it....all you will have to do is take the wire off the large post going to the starter and move it to that small post.

Now a little on the original problem. When you take you key to "start"...It takes 12V and puts it to that small post with the push on terminal. On it's way there, it goes through the clutch switch on a manual transmission. This ensures you have the clutch in before you can crank the motor...for safety reasons.

I mention this because this could be your trouble instead of the ingition switch. Take a look up under the dash on your clutch petal. You will see a small switch mounted to it. It is common for these to fail, wires to fall off, or simply come out of adjustment. Check that out as it may be the reason your engine isn't cranking and is fairly easy to fix and pretty cheap. In fact, these normally fail and people bypass them...not recommended...get er fixed.

 

Duty? Brunswick, GA? You in the military? Accociated with Kings Bay by any chance?