Ok guys...I spent the better half of the morning reassembling the front of the truck. Did nothing electrical whatsoever...yesterday, the truck would fire just fine (granted only ran it for a few seconds...didn't have the radiator, fan blade, etc. hooked up, but did all that this morning). Jumped in after filling the radiator and transmission, and Click, Click...sizzle...the positive side cable started to sizzle at the solenoid (I guess that is the term...frustrated and can't think straight right now) anyway where the positive cable runs from the battery to the fender, (that thing). Pulled the cables off, and checked the wiring, cleaned it all really good, reattached it, Click, Click, Sizzle. Any suggestions? I have come SO far on this swap, and just want to drive my truck...argh!

ok, I need to add this...The vehicle is a '78 F100, just put a 351W into it...SWB, 2WD, Auto C6...I wasn't thinking during the original post...sorry...

 

Your words were, "where the positive cable runs from the battery to the fender". Do you have this correct?
Sizzle sizzle is a dead short, and if I am reading this correctly, the positive cable is the problem

YOu should have a positive cable running from the battery to one leg of the solenoid, and another cable from the other leg to the starter. The negative cable should have a good clean ground, from the battery to the engine block and chassis.
If you have a bad connection, or dead short, you will burn up some parts.

 

That is correct...I have it set up that way exactly...it worked yesterday, what could be the difference today?

The only "electrical" I did today was hooking the battery back up.

 

Is it making the sizzle fromt the battery post?? Check what was mentioned above and also check and clean your battery terminals, I have had dirty terminal make a sizzle noise when they are dirty and the corosion is burning off, and the fact that your solenoid is clicking would suggest to me that you have dirty battery terminals and they are not allowing enough current through

 

You have the cables on the correct posts right?

 

I checked that first to be sure I did have them on the correct sides...the solenoid was making the sizzle and smoke...

 

Was it the solenoid itself, or the connection. It could just be a bad solenoid.
Once in a while the coil inside can go bad, and the solenoid wont change state. Sometimes it gets stuck in its changed state, and it always engages the starter.

You could remove the lead from the solenoid to the starter, and see if the solenoid clicks as it should. This will take the load off of the solenoid, and permit it to simply change state.
If this checks out, then you have verified anything before the solenoid. Once this is verified, you can check the starter by touching the cable end to a 12VDC source. This source can be the opposite side of the solenoid where the positive cable attaches. It will spark, so dont panic. Just make a good connection and see of the starter turn over.
Be sure that the vehicle is not ingear when you do this, as you will be bypassing any safety functions.
If this works out, then you might have a bad leg, or contact inside of the solenoid, and your troubleshooting is over. It just cant handle the load, and will have to be replaced.

Should not take more than a couple minutes with a 1/2 inch open end wrench to isolate.
Also make sure that the cable that runs to the starter is not touching bare metal. Im not talking about the insulator, but any bare ends of the cable. SOmetimes, they can touch a header, heat shield, or even the inner fender apron. Then when you hit the starter, it goes directly to ground, and you get a direct short.

 

Headed Out to Check on that info now...will be back with details soon. Thanks

 

Any info on the vacuum lines for this '85 351W? Figured I would ask since I have a somewhat "captive" audience. I looked in the SB Engine forum, and haven't found anything pertinent...just asking...Thanks again.

 

Im afraid I am of no help on this subject. Except for my injected 75 truck, everything else has minimal vacuum lines.

 

OK, Just came back inside...I had one of my buddies that helped me a little Tuesday Night...He had taken one of the old lines from the van and used it for the line to the starter...it had an exposed end on it, that I didn't see, and when I was hooking the exhaust back up, I must have nudged it, and it ended up touching the frame...so I cut it off, taped it...and wham...she started right up! Thanks again, guys...you guys are life savors!

 

Good job. Nice fix. Now go back and fix this cable correctly. Taped ends near hot exhaust is asking for some trouble in a few miles. Eventually this might be a problem again when the tape melts.
re-route, and repair with suitable cable connection. You should keep it trouble free.

 

One other question...what is the shift set up (if that makes sense) for a C6 Transmission? I though I had it correct, but I went to start the truck up, and thankfully I had the E-brake set...she tried to lunge forward! So am I supposed to have a Neutral Safety Switch? Cause apparently it doesn't. I pulled the shifter down to what is supposed to be Low 2??? And it sat still, but still started? Any clues, or have I already answered my own question and just need to swap the way I have it hooked up?

 

How do I tell what type of Holley Carb. I have without taking it off? It runs really High RPM's and nothing other than the throttle hookup to the gas pedal is hooked up...need to know what goes where...

 

Well, the truck should never lunge forward. The next gear is reverse. If anything the truck should haul butt backwards if it started in gear.
What I do , is remove, or loosen the adjustable section of the linkage. Then i click the trans selector all the way forward, or until I know the trans is in park. I verify by trying to roll the truck by hand. If it stops, or holds without rolling away, I know that it is in park.
Next, I have a buddy hold the shift lever in the cab in the up, or park position, and then I tighten the adjustment bolt down.
If the linkage is hooked up correctly, and not bent or backwards (it really only fits one way) then it should cycle through every gear as indicated by the pointer on the column.


As far as your carb, every holley has a model number on the choke horn. You do not have to remove anything other than the air cleaner to see it.
If the truck is having a problem with high rpms, then you might have a linkage problem, and the throttle blades are open too far, or the idle adjustment screw is simply cranked too tight. Try to loosen the screw (only one screw) and see of the idle comes down.
Also be sure that there is no high idle solenoid or something that is holding the throttle open.
You may have a vacuum leak, but you will have to try to get the idle down some to verify that it is not just poor adjustment first.