Does it matter which side of the solenoid powers the starter and which side accepts the power feed? Application is a 62 Ford F100 with 4 post solenoid. Isn't the power feed usually on the left side?
The 12Vs don't care but on the 6V type there is an in and out. The 6 V supply to energize the solenoid is hidden inside so it won't energize the solenoid if hooked up back wards. You should be fine with a 12V solenoid.
I have run 6V solenoids on 12V with no problem. My '55 Ford still has its original solenoid (parents bought the car new), didn't change it when I changed to 12V.
No..it doesn't care....but.. The I terminal will be HOT 12 volts all the time if the battery feed is on the I side (large) terminal. Battery feed should be hooked to the S side large terminal. Then when you supply power to the S terminal thru your switch the I terminal and large terminal become hot 12 volts. Dave
Oh they will work just fine but if they are hooked up backwards the solenoid will not energize when you ground the small terminal. On a 6V Ford solenoid the small terminal gets grounded to energize it. On a 12V solenoid the small terminal gets 12Vs to supplied to it to energize the solenoid. The original question was will the direction of the flow make a difference. Not on a 12V solenoid.
Now it bugs me. I bought the truck 20 years ago with it connected this way and never paid any attention to it. All I need to do is swap the starter and batt cables, tho leave everything else as connected? Using a Pertronix and Flamethrower coil, bypassed the ballast wire long ago. The way it's hooked up now, the voltage regulator wiring (armature) and such is HOT all the time?
IF you were using the ballast resistor bypass circuit (the right small terminal), your coil would be hot all of the time, and quickly burned out. As shown, it will wok fine. Personally, I would switch it so that it matches convention.
I like to wire mine so the wires aren't crossed over each other. The inner one feeds the car and starter, the outer one goes to the battery.
As gimpyshotrods pointed out, it does matter IF you are running a breaker point type distributor and a ballast resistor. If you connect the cables backwards the ballast resistor will be bypassed and the coil will be fed 12 volts continuously, which may cause it to over heat and fail.
So I went to change it the other day. Danged if it didn't appear like it came this way in 64. Anyone know for sure? The cowl wire harness is old of course and has taken a "set", but it just wouldn't swap over nicely, because the length is just not right. It's worked fine this way for at least 20 years.
The "s" terminal will always energize the solenoid. The "i" terminal will always be hot when the solenoid is engaged thereby sending 12 v. to the coil as long as the solenoid is engaged. Regardless of which way the battery and starter cable are oriented they will both have the same voltage when the solenoid is activated. Makes no difference.
The Jalopy Journal
