Hot Rods 56 Chevy wiring problem

Hey Guys, I have a buddy who has a 56 Chevy. It has the butchered wiring as usual. The car has an electronic dist of some sort and an alt. with regulator. The problem is, when you crank the engine it looses the 12 volts to the pos. side of the coil. When the switch ( stock) is returned to on, the power comes back on. The car will crank but loses voltage when the key goes to start. If I jump from battery + side and go to pos. side of coil, it starts right up and runs fine. This with key on ( or off I would say). I would suggest he cut at each end and pull in the middle then get a new wiring harness.... and a one wire alt.! Has anyone seen what I have here with the start problem? Oh... and it is a new switch also. Thanks!

 

Sounds like the ignition power is connected to the 'accessory' terminal on the switch instead of the 'ignition' terminal.

 

I agree


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The 12 volt resistor bypass for starting was built into the ignition switch on those, came off starter solenoid on later models. Connect a jumper between Ign 1 and Ign 2 on the backside of the switch (should be a double wire dark green and a double wire brown) and see if that cures it.
This is assuming you're still using a stock switch which is the way I read it.

 

Ok Thanks guys I will check it out and let ya know!

 

Don't use a one wire alternator. Use a three wire, connect the small white wire to the acc side of the ign switch, that wire turns on the regulator when the key is turned on. Hook the small red wire to the fuse panel, this wire senses how much current the alternator should put out to power the car, both these wires are found on the plug on the side of a 10 SI alternator, which is what you should have. Then hook an 8 gauge wire to the main post of the alternator down to the battery terminal of the starter, bingo bango, done cheap.
If you decide you're smarter than me and hook up the white wire to anywhere else, the car won't shut off with the key, although you can take the sensor wire over to the main current 8 gauge, but that only tells the alternator how much charge the battery needs, it will work, but its not the right way.

 

Thanks!