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Working on my 1953 F350. Seems like 1 step forward and 2 steps back. I put in a new wiring harness this week. I try to start it and the soleoid chatters. I bypass the solenoid and the truck starts right up, not even drawing much of an arc. So starter works. I run to town and get a new 6 volt solenoid. Come back and install it and it is chattering too. Are they selling me 12 volt solenoids? Or am I doing something wrong?
What starter solenoid and ignition switch are you using? There are a few different types that are wired differently.
Generally all have a power in (from battery), power out (to the starter), and a trigger (run signal from the ignition switch). Where things differ is the run signaling. The stock setup is looking for a completed ground as the trigger signal. Other styles are looking for a hot signal. But it gets even more complex than that. Some have two small terminals that can be used for the trigger circuit, each requiring a ground and a hot. Some also have two small terminals, but one is a trigger, the other goes to the coil to give resistance bypass for spark on startup. There can be variations from these as well.
I have a remote starter switch, I could try that to ground or to hot and see if it makes a difference. Also when I tried it with a test light, but no starter attached, the light came on. No sign of blinking. I thought maybe the starter was drawing too much, But truck starts right up when I touch starter wire to the hot side.
My solenoid triggers with a hot lead. I even ran a dedicated ground to the mounting bolt in case it wasn't getting enough ground through the case. What now? Solenoid shows it is passing voltage through with the starter disconnected. Will just chatter with starter connected.
Let's make sure you have an appropriate solenoid - do you have the actual part number or any identification markings?
Additionally, how confident are you that your battery is up to snuff? Maybe see if your local parts store could load test it?
battery is showing 6.3v. It is not showing much voltage drop when starter is turning. None of the solenoid labels show voltage. 6 volt has been requested each time. I wondered about weak battery, but meter is not showing it and it starts fine when I touch the starter wire to the hot side of the solenoid.
This is leaning towards the solenoid - I was hoping you could share more information on the particular part number/markings of your particular troublesome solenoid to ensure you have an appropriate one. You can't always trust the parts store application database or the guy behind the counter.
I think you want a solenoid that crosses with one of these part numbers:
STANDARD MOTOR PRODUCTS SS558, SS-558, SW219, U928, U937
American Auto Parts (Poweready) 317-6
Bendix P&D SW-55
Borg Warner S53
Delco Remy U925
Essex Wire 20-1
F&B Filko SW-80
Gauranteed Parts Co. SS43
Holley 70-1
KEM SW82
C. E. Niehoff FF-130
Preferred SW42
Sorenson SS2
Standard Blue Streak SS-558
Tungston Contact Co. SS-200
Valley Forge SW-10
Wells Ampco F-499
New York Coil SS-304
General 2720
Nimco SS95
Pollack SS-15
Lastly, does your solenoid have the black nub button on the bottom? That acts as a alternate starter switch. What happens if you attempt to use that to start the truck?
This is leaning towards the solenoid - I was hoping you could share more information on the particular part number/markings of your particular troublesome solenoid to ensure you have an appropriate one. You can't always trust the parts store application database or the guy behind the counter.
I think you want a solenoid that crosses with one of these part numbers:
STANDARD MOTOR PRODUCTS SS558, SS-558, SW219, U928, U937
American Auto Parts (Poweready) 317-6
Bendix P&D SW-55
Borg Warner S53
Delco Remy U925
Essex Wire 20-1
F&B Filko SW-80
Gauranteed Parts Co. SS43
Holley 70-1
KEM SW82
C. E. Niehoff FF-130
Preferred SW42
Sorenson SS2
Standard Blue Streak SS-558
Tungston Contact Co. SS-200
Valley Forge SW-10
Wells Ampco F-499
New York Coil SS-304
General 2720
Nimco SS95
Pollack SS-15
Lastly, does your solenoid have the black nub button on the bottom? That acts as a alternate starter switch. What happens if you attempt to use that to start the truck?
I didn't know about that button. I will try it in the morning. I will also get part number. Pouring down rain here at the moment. Truck is out in my ahop. I am suspicious about it being the correct solenoid too. I have requested 6 volt, but no markings that say that on the solenoid or the box.
I think Bmoran4 is right about this! You are being handed the wrong part. I did some online shopping just a little bit ago. I went to the websites of O'Reilly, Napa, Auto Zone, Advance,. I inputed your truck 53 F-350, and they all showed me nothing but 12 volt, 4 terminal, starter solenoids. So you'll need to take the information that Bmoran shared with you and do some shopping.
Here might be a possibility from NAPA:
I am not sure what you are using for a start signal though so verify if it pulls in on a ground, or a "hot".
After doing some more digging, I believe the SS558 has an isolated base and triggers on ground. Ford used this style extensively at least into the 50s. Furthermore, the SS571 (Napa ST-58) is the 6V solenoid that is a grounded base and triggers on power. Either can be made to work in your truck in conjunction with feeding the starter switch the proper trigger potential.
Note for extreme clarity: ground and power does not correlate with the - and + battery terminals respectively in a 6V+ ground system. As stated in the name, a 6V positive ground has it's ground connected to the + terminal on the battery and the - the power side. This is the reverse of most traditional circuit nomenclature today where the ground is the - side and the power the + side.
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