Technical Starter Motor Hookup

Helping the neighbor kid get his '64 El Camino running but don't know where to hook up a couple wires on the starter. There's two terminals one marked S and the other R. The wires are wrapped in a loom so tracing would be difficult. If they were to be hooked up wrong, what's the consequence? Maybe nothing? Then switch the wires?

 

do you have a volt meter or a test light?S should have power with the key in the crank position,

 

Yes, have both. Would the energized wire go to S then? This is on a 327 btw.

 

S goes to the starter switch, R goes to the ballast resistor to bypass it when cranking.
(Coil side of the resistor).

 

Gm, the R goes straight to the + side the coil. A full 12 volts during cranking to help fire the engine.

 

On many GM cars the fatter purple wire is the one for the S terminal...

 

S wire is purple, R wire is yellow, if they are original wires.

 

It's been spliced in but that's good info to have.