I am trying to get a 1965 Chevy 6cyl. farm truck started. Then to move it so I can get to things I have stored in a barn. The battery is dead, frozen,junk. I hooked jumpers to it, but nothing happered. The battery cable ends and ends of the cable were white and green. I cleaned, sanded ends of cable and sand blasted cable ends. Went back a week later,put everything back together, with a good battery. But when I went ro put the cable on the post I got sparks, then heard some sizziling and seen smoke comming from the regulator. I pulled cable off (total of maybe 10seconds). I was told that maybe the solenoid is stuck. Today I pulled the starter and checked it on the ground, solenoid and starter work fine. I will put the starter back on tomorrow. The person who own the truck and barn and gets storage rent isn't very conserned about it. Where do I go next?
Sounds like a short somewhere. Check all exposed wires. Maybe some critters chewed some wires? Oh and bench test your starter assembly. Make sure it's sound before you go looking for shorts.
"sizzling......smoke coming from regulator".....If that is a 1965 truck, it should have an alternator and therefore it would not have a voltage regulator which would only be used with a generator. Is there possibly some aftermarket electrical equipment of some sort on the truck.
Starter worked on the ground with good battery then you don't have a starter problem, if its letting the smoke out you have a wiring problem. With everything in the truck off, you shouldn't have gotten any type of major sparks when connecting the cables. Based on your description here, I'm more than reasonably certain there is a short in the system direct to ground on the battery side of the ignition switch. It may be a component or the wires themselves. I'd bet good money that there are more issues - just like turning the water on in an old house, the biggest leak will show up first.
Alternators had external electro-mechanical regulators for years; the self-contained ones are late comers. Yes, you could have a faulty regulator; try unplugging it and see if your 'short' goes away.
If you just want to get it running to get it home, hook up only the heavy cables( bat to ground & bat to starter solenoid) , hook a remote starter button to the small solenoid terminal witch energizes the magnet. Run a jumper wire with alligator clips to the coil and hit the button! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
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