Toggle Switch Start

[MadFord]

I have a 79 Chevy short bed with a mild 350 in it. It has an H.E.I. distributor in it. When I bought it the ignition would not work, so I was just wondering how you guys would set up a toggle switch start while bypassing the wiring harness?

Also what would cause it not to have any spark at the plugs?

[RIP_K52007]

sounds like you might have a bad fuseable link between the power block on the firewall and the battery...    that would cause both problems..

[MadFord]

The whole wiring harness was hacked up when I got the truck. So I thought it may be easier to start from scratch and put in a toggle switch setup.

[RIP_K52007]

Oh .. yeah probably, well run a hot wire from a 12v power source to a toggle switch if thats what you want, and from there to the BAT terminal on your HEI cap, that should give you spark.

For starting, run the big battery cable from the battery to the starter, then hook a 12v power source to either a push button or a toggle switch, and run a wire from that to the "S" terminal on the starter silinoid ... that should make the starter go.

... thats how my k5 was rigged..      Just make sure you dont leave the togle for the Coil on when the engine isnt running, and if you use a toggle for the starter instead of a push button, make sure u flip it back off after the engine starts... thats a fast way to eat up a starter drive.

[MadFord]

Hey Thanks for the help! You just cured the headache I've had for the past couple days. Again thanks.

[RIP_K52007]

well give it a couple hours.. make sure nobody looks at this and calls me a moron... or something along that line. LOL.. worked on my truck.
Seeing how nobody's argued yet.. it should work fine.

[ROCK]

Derik your wrong!!   jk sounds like it should work. 

[rebelryder]

yah he is wrong  JK thats how my TJ is set up. flip the switch push the button and..........

[TBigLug]

WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG!!!  You gotta admit you left yourself wide open for that one!

That setup sounds like it should work just fine.

[TOMAC]

love my push button start! all my fuses are right by my switches too! i will get pics  for ya tonight.

[Eroq]

love my push button start! all my fuses are right by my switches too! i will get pics  for ya tonight.

thats how i run it, relays and everything

[Hammerlane]

Holy crap.. don't do it like that!!!  you'll fry the whole system..

first you need to run the hot lead from the battery to the starter
from there you need to run a smaller lead from the big post on the starter
to the right rear tail light.. make sure you wire it to the tail light and not the
turn signal.. this should ensure you get adequate spark near the fuel tank..
from there............ 

hehe.. yea.. just bein a smart a**.. do it the way they said.. all will be good. 

[RIP_K52007]

funny


forgot to mention fuses ... always a good idea, puttem as close to the power source as possible.

[TOMAC]

i even have lights to indicate power! can see a little bit of the fuses and

[MadFord]

Hey thanks! Just one more thing are the fuses necessary?

[MadFord]

Yea I tried it and the plugs still are not getting any spark.....

[TopFist]

Where did you run the 12v to the coil from?

[MadFord]

From the battery

[RIP_K52007]

its posible that the coil, cap, rotor, or any of that could be bad... cause if your putting 12v to the battery terminal on the cap then it should have spark evens if the ignition module is bad.  Most likely its the coil,     can you take a HEI cap and coil off of a running engine and put it on yours just to see if thats the problem?   thats the easyest way to tell whats wrong...

[MadFord]

I do have an extra cap and coil along with a few modules. I'll tear into it tomorrow replacing one thing at a time until I run out of easy options.