I’ve had a constant issue with my car since relocating the battery to the trunk. It’s very weak at start up and I can’t find a reason why. 4 gauge from the alternator to the battery. 0 gauge from the battery to the power distribution block up front. 2 gauge from that block to the starter, and 2 gauge to the fuse boxes. It charges fine and runs fine, just very weak at start up. Tried 3 different starters and all the same. So now I was thinking about putting in the ford starter relay. Will the one attached work? And if so, which wire would go to “I” and which wire to “S”? In my head the signal from the ignition goes to “I” and the purple wire to the starter solenoid goes to “S”

 

The battery negative needs to go directly to the block. Do you have that?

Andrew

 

Agree with Andrew, it sounds like a ground issue to me.

 

If a better ground doesn’t help what about going directly to the starter from the battery then power your pos buss off the starter poll, this is how I have my car wired and there’s no issue of dreaded slow start. I don’t think you want your main power going somewhere else before the starter….just my 2 cents.

 

Positive buss?

 

On my 73 Camaro with a trunk mounted battery I ran a short pos and neg cable to pass thru connectors. Then ran both pos and neg cables to the front along the frame rails and the sub-frame connector. Pos cable going to the main stud on the starter. The neg cable bolted to the engine block. Then ground cables from the engine to the sub frame. Ground cables from the sub-frame to the rad support.
Main pos and neg cables 01 welding cable. Never had a starting issue.

 

• LS1TJ,
• thanks for sharing. Did any of your 2nd gens LS swaps run a 4L80s? If so, where did you have to clearance the floor/tunnel? Just for the ECU/TCM?
  
• thanks,
• jimbo

 

Jimbo,
I have only run 4L60E's on my Camaro LS swaps. On my current 80 Camaro LS3/4L60E swap I had to dimple the tunnel where the cooler lines come out of the trans. I'm running -6 cooler lines. No clearance issues where the trans harness plugs in.
In regards to the ECM/TCM my LS3 is a 2012 so I needed a ECM for the engine and a TCM for the trans. I mounted them using super sticky velcro right to the stock non-ac heater box. Kind of down and to the left of the glove box.

 

yes, a place to get 12V of power, a bus bar.

 

Ok thanks

 

Had similar issue, and yes, have a F*rd solenoid in it...went with 00ga. welding cable...cranks fine.

Thing I like using the solenoid was that wire is only hot during cranking.

 

Same relay pictured? How did you wire it?

 

Ran a 0 gauge cable from the battery to the bolt on the starter/ block today and no difference. I also have a ground from the battery directly to the frame, and 3 0 gauge grounds on the block to the frame.

 

Not the same noid, but is a ford one.
Wire is on S terminal.
Also, what size shot ? 175-200 ?

 

Hard to tell what wire is what in that pic. Battery lead on the left, starter and solenoid wire on the right? Signal wire on S?

Also I haven’t ran a bottle through it in years but it’s set up for a 250 shot.

 

Battery to noid and noid to battery are 00ga, orange is from my alternator is 8ga, and black on S terminal was from old starter wire on S terminal on starter.

Also remember making a bracket the went on starter lugs...