hello guys,
I recently bought a starter solenoid for my 1951 ford f1 w/positive ground at autozone. I was a bit concerned when the directions it came with state that the positive cable should be hooked up to where my negative cable is connected. Anybody encounter this before or had problems with it? Thanks.

 

Yeah, you have to remember. These trucks were originally a positive ground.
Everything today, and for many years, are negative ground. So there is a "learning curve" if you have an original electrical system.
I am pretty sure I would end up shorting something out if I had to rewire something original. You gotta think "BASS ACKWARDS"

 

So steer clear of this solenoid????

 

No, the solenoid itself doesn't care which direction the current is flowing.
Hook it up exactly like the old one is hooked up, as long as the new one is identical to the old one.
I hope an expert on this chimes in to verify more detail. But if you pay attention to the connections and keep it the same, you should be fine.
If you are unsure of yourself then take a picture of the old vs the new one and post here. We will get you through it. Just a little slow doing it this way.

 

The new one and the one in the truck now

 

You can't go wrong there my friend! Hook it up just like the old one. Ignore the directions that came from the box.

 

Please be safe and disconnect the battery first!

 

What's wrong with the old one?

I wouldn't trust that new one as far as I could throw it. It might work, but that's not the way to bet.

 

I’m not sure if there’s anything wrong with it but since the starting system is getting freshened up I thought I would just include the solenoid.

 

Hm, could clean up grounds and connections. But few of the modern replacements are an improvement. Solenoids are notoriously bad these days, the el-cheapos anyway. They still make good ones, but they don't cost $7 anymore.

 

I called the manufacturer and they said it works with my truck (positive ground). My hope is that it does improve performance. I just was a but nervous to use this particular solenoid because they are shaped more like the ones that LMC, MidFifty, JCWhitney, offer for 52 and up Fords. I thought they stopped using positive ground in 52???? Not sure but I thought I would double check with the pros on this forum! They haven't let me down yet!

 

If you need a spare or want to replace just as a preventive maintenance kind of thing find a NOS or NORS solenoid RELAY on that auction site. Or maybe on a dusty shelf somewhere near you. They aren't expensive and are known to work. Modern manufacture electrical parts are a crapshoot at best. Whatever you do, don't throw the one on the firewall away!

 

Positive ground thru '55. Makes no difference to the relay/solenoid. What matters is 6v vs 12v. On 6v, the starter can pull 600 amps in cold weather. 12v would be about half that. The cheapo replacements don't seem to be able to take as much current, for as long a time, as the originals. My bet is they are really 12v solenoids that "will work" - for a while. If you buy one specifically made for 6v, from a reputable vendor, you have a better chance of success.

Did you buy a Duralast F1495? It is the only one of 4 listed for our trucks that is 6v

 

The 6-volt positive ground went through 1955. The first 12-volt negative ground, at least in the F-series trucks, was in 1956.

Edit: Ross posted while I was typing. He's quick like that.

 

I'm with a few of the remarks here, the original may just be more reliable than the crap you buy at A-zone, et al.