Fixing a jimmy rigged electrical system

[WP29P4A]

If you can crimp with your tool and you can't pull the wire out of the connector easily you are good. I can't find the fusible link gauge size on the starter wiring diagram. 14 gauge will be fine to start with. There are at least 3 on most of the trucks I have seen so far. one or 2 at the firewall junction and a couple at the starter terminal. Not sure how your year is configured.

 

[SirRobyn0]

i think the design of the qjet can resist the pressure of fuel shoving at it better possibly because of the filter inlet maybe, but ive still heard of pressure overpowering

I agree.

This is going to sound ghetto as hell but would a SBC with whats going on here work OK for diagnostics under gravity feed?Like to have it conitnuuous so he can check things, or is it gonna need to see a fuel pump of some kind?

Does not matter how fuel gets in the float bowl and long as it's there and there isn't to much pressure. I know this is a little different but lots of lawn equipment and even some of the mid-sized farm tractors have gravity fed fuel systems.

 

[jfrancom101]

Did you check the Ign fuse?

I did find the 20 amp fuse ad it is still good. I got aother ocutre though. In the top of this there is another spot for the igntition but I don't think it's a fuse. looks more like a relay or something like that? I hope the picture is good enough

 

[jfrancom101]

If you can crimp with your tool and you can't pull the wire out of the connector easily you are good. I can't find the fusible link gauge size on the starter wiring diagram. 14 gauge will be fine to start with. There are at least 3 on most of the trucks I have seen so far. one or 2 at the firewall junction and a couple at the starter terminal. Not sure how your year is configured.

I'll look and see if I can find more fusible links. The one on the fireeall is the only one I've seen so far but I' look down by the starter as well. Still wondering about the solenoid thing because power isn't getting past it to the starter motor.

 

[WP29P4A]

This is going to sound ghetto as hell but would a SBC with whats going on here work OK for diagnostics under gravity feed?Like to have it conitnuuous so he can check things, or is it gonna need to see a fuel pump of some kind.

That would totally work if the problem was lack of fuel. He worked on carb, then had no spin and no spark. The pump keeps getting attention because it has an exposed splice and it's wired to the Dist, and it should be corrected as funding becomes available, after he gets it to turn over and start. Trying to get the patients heart beating before we replace band aids.

 

[WP29P4A]

I'll look and see if I can find more fusible links. The one on the fireeall is the only one I've seen so far but I' look down by the starter as well. Still wondering about the solenoid thing because power isn't getting past it to the starter motor.

Do you have 12+ volts on the big red wire connected to the starter? If you want to test the starter you can jump 12 volts to the smaller terminal with the wire connected to it. A visual inspection of the starter to check to verify wire connections are tight and fusible links are not burnt while you are down under would be good. The pics below are what my son's starter wires looked like. Both wires connected to the hoop terminal are fusible links, and power most of the vehicle. The other single wire activates the starter. And of course the big red wire should come straight from the battery. (not shown in the pictures) The second and third pictures show what a burnt fusible like look like.

 

[WP29P4A]

I did find the 20 amp fuse ad it is still good. I got aother ocutre though. In the top of this there is another spot for the igntition but I don't think it's a fuse. looks more like a relay or something like that? I hope the picture is good enough

It looks like that is the wires that power the Ignition. Is there something spliced to the brown wire with white stripe on the connector plugged into the IGN slot. Would like to know if you have 12 volts on the brown wire with the white stripe. What color wires are in that connector with the brown wire. Looks like orange and pink with a stripe?

 

[gotyourgoat]

Still no power to the distributor. No power to the starter motor yet either. Still thinking about the fuel pump. I did a bit of sidework clearing snow and might have a paycheck coming sooner than I thought so I may want to do an OK pump sooner then later. Getting wiring figured out for the electric pump might be a waste of time if it's only used for a month

Well, if this was my truck I'd be thinking about moving that electric pump out from under the hood at least. It is already making problems with however it is wired and how it's plumbed. Distributor wires running a fuel pump in the engine bay with open wires on an engine designed for a mechanical pump, sure what could go wrong?!?

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Hell, it would probably be safer for the under hood wiring to wire the pump off the radio fuse or something.

I did find the 20 amp fuse ad it is still good. I got aother ocutre though. In the top of this there is another spot for the igntition but I don't think it's a fuse. looks more like a relay or something like that? I hope the picture is good enough

Let's get a few more pics of this fuse panel and related wires.

 

[Grit dog]

OP, there's ALOT of squarebodys in Idaho. Any chance you know someone who knows someone who has an 80s truck that you could do some side by side comparisons on the wiring?

 

[AuroraGirl]

That would totally work if the problem was lack of fuel. He worked on carb, then had no spin and no spark. The pump keeps getting attention because it has an exposed splice and it's wired to the Dist, and it should be corrected as funding becomes available, after he gets it to turn over and start. Trying to get the patients heart beating before we replace band aids.

the little dinosaur bandaids in my experience are far more help than life saving measures.

(lol)

 

[SirRobyn0]

I just thought about this overnight.

I'm in the camp that the fuel pump situation should be fixed right away. Whatever that pump draws, and if it's not in good shape it's likely to be much more than it should, regardless it's hooked to a circuit with no fuse that was never meant to have that additional load on it.

To that end at this point we do not know, but it's possible the pump being hooked up like that maybe the cause of this entire electrical issue.

I think if it were me, I'd cut the pump off of the ignition wire. Then I'd put alligator clips on the wires so I could connect it directly to the battery for testing purpose. Once I got the ignition and starting system sorted out and the truck running, I would get some kind of proper pump on it (whether he goes back to mechanical or properly plumbed electric) I'd get that sorted before driving it, because while gotyourgoat is being dramatic, he is right it is a safety hazard.

 

[WP29P4A]

That is the direction we have been moving since the first page of posts. Get it to spin, get spark, get it to start, Then he can deal with the pump and go through the electrical connections. Hopefully before he starts driving it. I asked him to cut the pump wire at the Dist a few pages back and was going to advise like you mentioned, put temp leads on the pump to get the truck started. (still working in that direction). After the trouble shooting stage, when it starts then he can do the clean up work before he drives it.

At no point in this adventure was I suggesting he get his spark back and drive it as shown in the pictures. LOL By the look of his sentences and logic I do believe he has enough common sense to know this also.

 

[WP29P4A]

I just thought about this overnight.

I'm in the camp that the fuel pump situation should be fixed right away. Whatever that pump draws, and if it's not in good shape it's likely to be much more than it should, regardless it's hooked to a circuit with no fuse that was never meant to have that additional load on it.

To that end at this point we do not know, but it's possible the pump being hooked up like that maybe the cause of this entire electrical issue.

I think if it were me, I'd cut the pump off of the ignition wire. Then I'd put alligator clips on the wires so I could connect it directly to the battery for testing purpose. Once I got the ignition and starting system sorted out and the truck running, I would get some kind of proper pump on it (whether he goes back to mechanical or properly plumbed electric) I'd get that sorted before driving it, because while gotyourgoat is being dramatic, he is right it is a safety hazard.

Was not my intention to come off as scolding,(sorry) you made a very important point and are 100% correct. I was trying not to distract him with step 5 before we complete steps one through three.

 

[WP29P4A]

(It did start up but was running horribly) After doing the work all the sudden the key doesn't do anything.

This sentence is the reason I have been focusing on getting the starter to turn and then spark, before focusing on the very obvious non safe fuel pump issue. I just hope WE are not overwhelming him with multiple people asking questions, and pulling him in different directions. I intended to walk him through the electrical part of the problem and then have SirRobyn0 and or gotyourgoat advise him on best options on the fuel pump. I'm open to suggestions if you guys have a better idea?

 

[jfrancom101]

Sorry for the late reply. I feel bad having everyine here ready to help but i was waiting on a part and working all day. I got the pump wires off of the dist. I just got the fusible link and fuses so tomorrow I'll install those and then go thorguh and look into what everyoine else is saying. I my paycheck dos go through tommrow I might pick up a pump as well,