Well, you DO need the regulator to run the car. It won't charge without it. If your batt is good, you don't need it to start the car though. Your S wire is shorted to something and I'm trying to think of a way to figure out what it is.

Questions I have...

1- what have you done to the car before this started?
2- what do you have wired to the coil? or what wires are going to it?
3-not a question but, I saw both you guys' issues with the alt too....maybe unplug that and see if it makes a difference.

 

Stepman, this began when we got the car out of the garage after a year or so, then sprayed engine degreaser on it (made sure to cover alternater, coil, starter solenoid, and distributor). Immediately after that we would start the car and smell smoke and thought it was an exhaust leak. We then tried to replace the manifold, which led to broken bolts, which led to a head rebuild.

While the head was rebuilt, I painted the engine compartment so I disconnected the starter solenoid wires (taped and labeled them), the coil wire that comes from the firewall wiring harness (has a boot on it), and that's about it. I also removed the straps that held the harness to the wall to make it easier to paint behind them. I was extra careful to make sure not to paint over any wire/cable connections.

Assembled everything back together and the first start I get "click" and that's when this thread started.

But to clarify, I only have the wire that goes to the distributor and the wire that comes from the firewall connected to the coil. I am pretty dang sure I have not swapped them. (the engine fires and runs when you cross the pos cable and S term).

Hope that helps, had to type fast since I got to go run an errand and be right back.

 

O.K. That's what I thought. I would remove the alt at the plug and unplug the reg and see if that makes a difference. You may have gotten something in the alt anyways and somehow caused a short. Also, check the S wire for resistance to ground. I'm off to work. I'll look for any progress tomorrow.

Don't feel bad about not understanding electricity. I know people that have worked with it for years and still get lost...usually when they start to over think it.

 

Thanks Stepman.

If you can tell me quickly, checking S wire resistance to ground means just touching the end of the S wire and the negative battery terminal, correct? (I know to use a ohmmeter)

Edit: (using the method above) The resistance from S wire to ground with the key off is ~0 ohms.

 

Bad news there if you are saying zero ohms. That means that the S wire is indeed shorted to ground. Now you just need to figure out where. I would unplug the other end of that wire from the ignition switch next and try it again. It should be the same color at the switch. Also, see if there is anything else connected to the same term of the switch(ign). If it is still showing a short, unplug the reg and the alt and see if that does it.

 

Alright thanks, does it say anything if the actual S post on the starter solenoid reads 0 ohms also with the S wire disconnected?

 

I do not believe so. The electricity comes from the wire to the S terminal and not vice versa. When I unplugged mine and put the voltmeter on the wire terminal I got around 5 volts. However I also have not yet reinstalled all the parts that I just bought yesterday. Busy trying to figure out this voltage regulator and alternator connections

 

That is normal. Remember "electromagnets" in school? The S term goes through a coil in the relay to a ground (the case). This pulls on the washer to connect the 2 big cables. The S wire, however, is supposed to supply power and not be grounded.

 

I'll run out and look at mine in a few minutes and put somthting in your other thread. I need to look at my brakes anyways, they went out on the way home this morning

 

I've always wondered, does anyone know how the wiring harness connectors disconnect from the firewall? Is there a retaining clip?