The engine rolls over but the car doesn't 'start'? (When you bypass the solenoid).
That means the battery cables are good. You might verify you have ground to the body. I would run a wire from negative to body and see if the lights come on. Especially the brake lights.
'Mike'
73 Convertible - 351C/4V CC heads/4bolt/forged flat tops/comp 270/rhodes/mallory unilite/tri-power/hookers/glasspacks/c6/3.50 limited slip/Gear Vendors/Global West sub frames, strut rods and shelby style traction bars/ Rear sway bar/tilt steering (not original)
Okay, next thing to check is the fused link. If I remember correctly it typically comes off the starter post (hot side) and is black. There is a bulge in the wire. This may have been bad.
You can test the fuse panel with a volt meter as well. See if you have any hot circuits at all.
'Mike'
73 Convertible - 351C/4V CC heads/4bolt/forged flat tops/comp 270/rhodes/mallory unilite/tri-power/hookers/glasspacks/c6/3.50 limited slip/Gear Vendors/Global West sub frames, strut rods and shelby style traction bars/ Rear sway bar/tilt steering (not original)
08-11-2014, 06:25 PM (This post was last modified: 08-11-2014, 06:26 PM by piper62j.)
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With a voltmeter / ohmmeter,,, Begin tracing your wires back to the fuse panel and test for voltage and circuit continuity... The two small wires at the solenoid, power wires to the (+) positive side of the solenoid, blown fuses, corroded fuse holder terminals, cracked or broken wires especially in the engine compartment.
By jumping the solenoid and having the engine crank over, the problem lies in power supplied from the solenoid to the primary side of the ignition system and vehicle main bus.. Check out this pic for the solenoid wiring. You can see the fusible link on the red wire..
Yeah, my bet is on the fusible link or if it has been replaced in the past, I'd also bet on the crimped connector right there at the starter solenoid. I've also seen power lines attempted to be spliced mid-harness by simply twisting the 10 gauge wires together---let me tell you that that doesn't work terribly well.
Another easy test is to disconnect the negative battery terminal and measure the voltage between the disconnected terminal and the battery post. If no power exits the starter solenoid area, the voltage would be 0V, not the expected 12.8V.