Hey guys. I am in need of some help.
I recently purchased a 56 f100 project and am working on alot over winter break, Im 19 and in college.

I pulled the motor and am in the process of checking everything over. It turns over and i had the starter rebuilt so it is solid.
I cleaned the plugs, and cleaned up the carb with some carb stray so everything moves freely. I also have fresh gas in the primer bulb and a plastic line with attached to the inlet line for extra fuel
I have a botch coil off a volvo which i am using for the test run.
Of ya it does have oil. on the dip stick. (needs changing which will do once i get it firing.

Here is what i am wondering.

How do i need to wire the motor to get spark and power to the starter to start the crank? (wiring diagram or explination would be great.

The coil has the center plug and then two side connections, one with a 1 stamped next to it and one with a 15. which one goes where? can i hurt anything hooking up backwards?

Is there anything i should check that could cause me problems down the road?

Stephen OFOB

college student

Charlotte NC, Wilmington DE

The coil should have a + and a - sign on the two terminals. If its a 56 it should be negative ground which means the wire that goes to the side of the distributor goes on the - terminal. The + should have 2 wires. One goes to the starter solenoid and the other to the ballast resister. Thats the metal thing that stands up and has a coil like a heating element. There isn't really anything that you can hook up backwards and ruin anything unless you hook something up to a dead short and a wire gets hot. When I am messing with wires I always have one of the battery terminals a little loose so I can pull it off in case I smell a hot wire. And if you have a metal watch band, take it off. If you touch a hot wire, you can weld the links together and leave a nasty burn. I have service manuals for a 56 passenger car which works just like a pickup. I can scan an email you schematics if that will help.

Kenneth

Fredricksburg, Texas

not wishing to hijack the thread but if its a 57 how does the coil wiring go ?

I dont have the resistor you mentioned. Do i really need it? what does it do? what does it look like?

Here is what i have so far. I hook the + side of the starter to the battery and then to start it i connect the ground for the starter to the "-" terminal. 

The coil is hooked up so the + side of the coil is directly hooked the the + terminal of the battery. Then the negative side is hooked to the distributor.  I just wondering it i need to ground the distributor. I thought it might ground through the starter. there is a rubber gasket with the starter but i figure the bolts could carry the current. Right? do i have to ground the distributor/block seperately and how do i do this? Is there anything i can test to make sure things are getting power and grounded well.

Thanks Steve

Stephen OFOB

college student

Charlotte NC, Wilmington DE

The distributor is grounded. Running a wire from the positive side of the batteryto the + on the coil is ok to start it, but you need to run it through a ballast resister if you are going to run it any length of time or the coil will get hot. A 57 is wired like a 56.

Kenneth

Fredricksburg, Texas

You need to have a negative wire from the battery to the engine block.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"