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How to Wire Up a Starter on LS Swap???

Old 05-23-2013, 02:57 PM
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Default How to Wire Up a Starter on LS Swap???

Okay, maybe I've been asking the wrong question up till now. So let's try this. How do YOU wire in the starter in an LS swap (into a 86 K5 Blazer)?

A.) Do you use the existing wiring only?

B.) Do you mix both the existing wiring and the PCM to start the engine?

I'd prefer to use the existing wiring, but wouldn't the PCM need to know that it just started the engine before it would make it run?
Old 05-23-2013, 03:56 PM
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Use your existing wiring as if you were hooking up the sbc starter.
Old 05-23-2013, 04:47 PM
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The PCM will have a hot on start/run signal and a crank signal to know the engine is turning. Neither of these come from the starter. You just need your original wiring for the starter (large hot from the battery to the main terminal and small crank-only hot from the ignition to the starter solenoid)/
Old 06-27-2013, 05:21 AM
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Can you guys help me figure out how to wire this starter?? It is going in my '72 Chevelle. I removed a TPI system that someone else had installed. I labeled all of the wires and tried to remove only the TPI harness but I do not have (what I believe is) the signal wire (small) that goes to the starter. I am installing a stand alone EFI system on a LQ9 if it matters.

This signal wire should still be coming out of the engine bay side of the fuse box correct...or is it a wire directly from the column??

What color is the wire??

The 2nd terminal (my labeling) should be in from the battery and out to the back of the alternator correct??

Should I leave the 3rd terminal (my labeling) alone...no wires added to that??
Attached Thumbnails How to Wire Up a Starter on LS Swap???-starter-wiring-001.jpg  

Last edited by Paul57; 06-27-2013 at 05:31 AM.
Old 06-27-2013, 05:36 AM
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Isn't the thick Purple wire for the starter solonid ?
Old 06-27-2013, 06:36 AM
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I was "thinking" it was purple also but I have to find it. Is it coming out of the the fuse box on the engine bay side or does it come directly from the steering column??
Old 06-27-2013, 08:15 AM
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It is the purple wire. It comes directly off the ignition switch on the column. From there it goes through the neutral safety switch and then back into the wiring harness and behind the fuse box. On the other side of the fuse box it comes out of the firewall plug. It should be the only large purple wiring in those two plugs so should be easy to find.
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Old 06-27-2013, 09:45 AM
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Just to expand on this. I am converting a column shift Cutlass to floor shift. Because this vehicle has a mechanical Neutral safety interlock. I had to add a relay in to the Factory wiring in order to retain that function. No big deal you just cut the purple wire and run it through the normally open contacts on the relay. Then ground the relay to whatever neutral safety switch you are using.
Old 06-27-2013, 11:19 AM
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Haven't got a chance to put in my starter yet. I have 2010 starter from ls3 camaro. It has post for the battery wire. Then for the purple starter wire there is no post, there is a connector in place of the usual post with a few inches of wire and a heat shrink butt connector.

I have (2) purple wires, one from the original bulkhead for interior harness/fuse block. Then another from the stand alone fuse block for the engine harness.

Also have (2) red power wires, again one from the original bulkhead and another from the stand alone fuse block.

For the purple wire I figures I would need to splice both purple wires with the one pigtail wire connector to the starter. Or use one of those heat shrink multi wire crimp connectors, where 2 wires can go into one side then step down to one wire.

Red power wire from stand alone fuse box is 8ga, I will have to crimp on a ring terminal for that one.
Old 06-27-2013, 12:36 PM
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Originally Posted by BOXCHEV
Haven't got a chance to put in my starter yet. I have 2010 starter from ls3 camaro. It has post for the battery wire. Then for the purple starter wire there is no post, there is a connector in place of the usual post with a few inches of wire and a heat shrink butt connector.

I have (2) purple wires, one from the original bulkhead for interior harness/fuse block. Then another from the stand alone fuse block for the engine harness.

Also have (2) red power wires, again one from the original bulkhead and another from the stand alone fuse block.

For the purple wire I figures I would need to splice both purple wires with the one pigtail wire connector to the starter. Or use one of those heat shrink multi wire crimp connectors, where 2 wires can go into one side then step down to one wire.

Red power wire from stand alone fuse box is 8ga, I will have to crimp on a ring terminal for that one.

Assuming the 'stand alone' fuse panel is from the 2010 Camaro and not aftermarket, and that you are putting this engine in an older GM product (Pre 04).

The red needs to go to bat + (back of starter will do)

The purple from the vehicle harness wires to the connector on the starter. You scrap the purple from the fuse panel.

You could also wire the purple from the vehicle harness to the input side of the Starter relay in the fuse panel (The purple wire from the fuse panel is the output side) but that is unnecessary in an older vehicle unless you need to be able to interrupt the starter like I do with my after market shifter.
Old 06-27-2013, 03:26 PM
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Its a aftermarket fuse panel, from sponsor BP Automotive. I will have to dig into my notes for his fuse panel installation instructions. I believe he said that starter wire should be wired to starter as well.
Old 06-27-2013, 04:25 PM
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There is 2 wires that go to the starter.. Signal wire, and the power wire. The larger post on the starter is the wire that goes straight to the battery, sometimes to the back of the alternator. Either way needs to be a large gauge wire.

Then the signal wire is what tells the starter to start working. This signal wire in a round about way comes from ignition switch. Has to be the hot in run&start, like said usually is purple. If you don't run a NSS then that wire can go to a relay, and straight to the small post on the starter.
Old 06-27-2013, 07:33 PM
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Originally Posted by BOXCHEV
Its a aftermarket fuse panel, from sponsor BP Automotive. I will have to dig into my notes for his fuse panel installation instructions. I believe he said that starter wire should be wired to starter as well.
In such case you should listen to the guy that built your fuse panel.

Then the signal wire is what tells the starter to start working. This signal wire in a round about way comes from ignition switch. Has to be the hot in run&start, like said usually is purple. If you don't run a NSS then that wire can go to a relay, and straight to the small post on the starter.
I have been wrong before, this week even. But the bottom part of that doesn't sound right to me. Depending on the NSS switch a relay is required. For example aftermarket NSS switch on B&M shifter it provides a ground only. If you are using the ignition switch on an older vehicle with the starter interrupt built in I agree. However in this case the relay is optional as the ignition switch really can handle the start signal just fine. I do not agree with the hot in run. It should be hot in crank only. Otherwise the starter would not stop cranking. I will be happy to retract if I am wrong but I doubt it on that one.
Old 06-27-2013, 09:55 PM
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Originally Posted by bjamick
There is 2 wires that go to the starter.. Signal wire, and the power wire. The larger post on the starter is the wire that goes straight to the battery, sometimes to the back of the alternator. Either way needs to be a large gauge wire.

Then the signal wire is what tells the starter to start working. This signal wire in a round about way comes from ignition switch. Has to be the hot in run&start, like said usually is purple. If you don't run a NSS then that wire can go to a relay, and straight to the small post on the starter.
That purple wire will not be hot in run. If it was, the starter would crank all the time. It's only hot in start.
Old 04-30-2015, 12:01 AM
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what gauge wire for purple wire?
Old 04-30-2015, 08:43 PM
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12 awg
Old 02-19-2016, 05:16 PM
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Originally Posted by jtotheizzo
Assuming the 'stand alone' fuse panel is from the 2010 Camaro and not aftermarket, and that you are putting this engine in an older GM product (Pre 04).

The red needs to go to bat + (back of starter will do)

The purple from the vehicle harness wires to the connector on the starter. You scrap the purple from the fuse panel.

You could also wire the purple from the vehicle harness to the input side of the Starter relay in the fuse panel (The purple wire from the fuse panel is the output side) but that is unnecessary in an older vehicle unless you need to be able to interrupt the starter like I do with my after market shifter.
im using a 2010 camaro starter and i wired 12v directly to the large terminal on starter then cut the stock plug to starter a few inches back and crimped my wire from ignition to it and plugged it to starter this going to work?? (85 buick regal ls3 swap)
Old 04-05-2016, 07:39 AM
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Did it work?
Old 04-05-2016, 10:36 AM
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yes it worked mint!!!
Old 05-17-2021, 11:40 PM
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Default Thick purple wire

Originally Posted by ls1nova71
It is the purple wire. It comes directly off the ignition switch on the column. From there it goes through the neutral safety switch and then back into the wiring harness and behind the fuse box. On the other side of the fuse box it comes out of the firewall plug. It should be the only large purple wiring in those two plugs so should be easy to find.
my stand alone harness has a thick purple wire and a small wire for starter+ And i have one for the battery to the starter we’re do I hook up the thick purple wire from the harness can someone help is a 89 obs

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