I have a 1986 ford f150 4x4 with a 302 engine in it. I have looked in my haynes manual schematic and ones on the web and i cannot get my starter to crank over. My battery is new and fully charged. My negative battery cable is connected to the starter and is also grounded on the exhaust manifold. The positive cable goes to the starter relay on the fender well. On the other side of the relay I have a cable running down to the starter and is connected to the same connection as the negative battery cable. I looked at the starter and there is only one connection. There is also what looks like a ground connection on the cable going from the starter relay to the starter. I have this connected to the back of the exhaust manifold on the passenger side. When I hooked up the battery and turned the key over the relay just clicked and the battery cables got hot. If anyone can help, I would appreciate it.

 

That is correct. There is only one connection on the starter, and there should be only one wire there. The hot wire from the starter relay.

You have the negative of the battery hooked to the starter at the same place you have the positive form the relay. when you try to start the truck, you are doing the same thing as holding a screwdriver across the battery terminals, shorting them out.

The exhaust manifold is not a good place for the ground, since it get hots and will melt the insulation among other things. The factory usually has a stud sticking out of the passenger side front corner of the block, down under the alternator. This is where your ground should be connected to the battery negative. If that is too hard to get to, a large bolt on the intake manifold somewhere might work, as long as it's scraped clean of paint.

Get rid of the negative on the starter, and hook it up like this:

 

thanks, I will try this tonight.