please help.. fried starter?

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Jul 17, 2009 | 05:21 PM

72Obsessed

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please help.. fried starter?

I just finished my LS1 swap into my 72 camaro.. well almost finished. I got the alternator relocate bracket from mymachinehead.com through Speed inc. and also bought their alternator. It did not come with wiring instructions. I asked a local friend of mine and turns out he was wrong. The car started and ran for awhile, and I noticed it wasn't charging. I drove it around a bit had it almost back to my house and everything shut down. When I went to boost it, it arced when I tried to connect the cables. My F terminal from the alternator was connected to the small upper post on the starter as I was driving it. I tried to jump the starter today and nothing happened. Would a fried starter cause my system to short? Or do I have another problem?

I dont wanna shell out a couple hundred bucks for a starter if I'm not absolutely sure. Please help!

Jul 17, 2009 | 05:47 PM

rotor vs. piston

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So you have a good battery and power to all of your accessories but when you turn the key to start it nothing happens?

No, though, A fried started would not cause that issue. You have other problems...

Jul 17, 2009 | 05:59 PM

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yeah thats what i thought. i can take the key out and when i try to boost it still arcs. i'm guessing i have a short somewhere. i ran my + off the battery to the pass side big post on the starter. the - to the block. the + from the post on the alternator to the same location as i ran the batt +. then ran a + to my main fuse block, which then runs to my fuse block inside of the car. the upper smaller post is connected through the ignition. the s terminal on the alt runs across to the + post. and the f terminal runs to the acc on the ignition.

the car started and ran for 45 mins to an hr before dying. and before that started 4 or 5 times. with no smoke or problems. but during the time i drove it, with bad advice from a friend, the s terminal on the alt was to a - ground and the L terminal was to the upper small post on the starter to run back to the ignition.

i can charge the batt and hook it back up. but nothing happens when i turn the key. no lights, nothing..

any ideas?

Jul 17, 2009 | 09:17 PM

rotor vs. piston

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'72, does your car have fusable links?

Do you see any burnt wires, smell any?

Jul 18, 2009 | 09:57 AM

72Obsessed

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i'm going to have a long look today to see if i can find any. to me that seems like the only logical thing.. it's a pretty simple set up. so it must be an exposed wire somewhere. especially if it was running with the alt wired incorrect. with the ignition wire from the alt running to the starter would that have fried the starter?

Jul 18, 2009 | 11:13 AM

rotor vs. piston

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No, or at least shouldn't. I had a swap set up that way and never had a problem w/ it. I really don't think your starter if fried or has any problem... just think you fried a main wire.

Do you know how to jump your starter, safely?

Jul 18, 2009 | 04:09 PM

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Success! turns out it was the main batt + cable touching the starter body. i just couldnt see it from any angle. i finally got it on blocks in my friends driveway, where it died, so i could crawl underneath. the boot had melted away and it was touching. i bolted all the connections back up, with good clearance. charged it and it fired. but it would die as soon as i took the cables off. alternator was toast. the guy who told me how to hook it up was obviously wrong. got a new one and it runs like a dream..

thanks for the help.. all you guys are great.

here's my obsession, hope you like

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