Need Side Terminal Auto Battery tap

This is a bit off topic, but I have an older full size Chevy that had all the wires that power the car connected to the starter solenoid (under the engine). While I have always preferred GM vehicles, I have always thought that Ford had a better system by having the solenoid on the firewall, rather than under the engine where all the road crud and stuff could get on the wires and corrode them.

Last summer my old Chevy decided to not start. I spent several hours messing with it, and it finally started, and ran fine for another month. Then, the same thing happened, and once again I fought with it, and again it finally started. A week later this happened again, and this time there was visible smoke pouring out from under the hood when I tried to start the car. At least this time I was able to locate the problem. One of those wires had shorted to the exhaust manifold. I pulled the starter, applied electrical tape, was sure to keep the wires away from the exhaust system, and thought the problem was solved.

Wrong. The other day the same thing happened, but this time nothing was touching the exhaust. Yesterday I removed the starter again, and this time I decided that these wires would no longer go under the car. I replaced all the wires that had bad insulation, replaced all the fusible links, and ran the whole harness directly to the battery. The only wires that remained going to the starter was the main battery cable, and the "START" (IGN) wire. All the other wires now go right to the battery. The problem I now have is how to connect it to the battery side terminal connector. At the moment, I just have this #8 wire squeezed under the terminal, and it's not a very good connection. I have thought of using an electrical split bolt to the battery cable and lots of tape. But before I do this, I was wondering if anyone knows of some sort of side terminal adaptor that can be bolted right to the battery. I imagine this would be some sort of custom thing available at an auto racing/customizing store, but I am not into that sort of thing so I dont know where to look.

Can anyone help....

Mark

Reply to
maradcliff
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On my '65 GTO which presented a cranking challenge, I put a ford solenoid on the fender and simply bridged the terminals at the starter. There is a kit for that, or you can do it with a little thought.

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Reply to
Eric in North TX

I found this at a local auto parts store.

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I use it to hook up my second battery with a isolator between them.

Reply to
rsnyder

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This amazes me. What possible gain is there for using this kit? Had a 460 Ford some years ago that came from the factory with a GM style starter. It had a link jumping the large stud to the small one, and a solenoid mounted on the fender well. I removed the remote solenoid and the link on the starter, ran the small wire to the starter. Worked fine. I think with the Ford the solenoid was already designed in the wire harness for smaller engines and they just took the least complicated way out.

Al

Reply to
Big Al

Most auto parts stores have side terminal cables with an extra wire just for this purpose.

Don Young

Reply to
Don Young

The hot starts are better with the kit, at least part of the mechanism is away from the exhaust. I also have a Ford 460 (.020 over) with headers, and it also has the G.M. starter. I wouldn't think of reverting it back to the G.M. wiring scheme, the hot starts are a little weak as it is without putting small gage wires basking in 1500 degree heat into the picture.

Reply to
Eric in North TX

Reply to
Mark and Kim Smith

Reply to
Mark and Kim Smith

check out the side terminal extender on page 4 of this pdf

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you can find them at napa and carquest I'm sure.

Reply to
Steve Barker LT

Thanks for all who replied. Now I know what to use.

Mark

Reply to
maradcliff

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