John, thanks for the thoughts!  That is a fantastic idea; I really appreciate it.

My thought right now, because they are cheap parts and easy to get to, is to replace the ign sw & the solenoid (along with the starter, which is NOT such a cheap part.....sigh).  If it happens again, it would almost certainly have to be a wiring issue, and at this point all the wiring seems/looks to be ok.  If it is a wiring issue, using your trick but only pulling 1 of the solenoid wires at a time would help trace what circuit has the fault, methinks.

Thanks again to everyone for the help/insight.  Now im just waiting on the UPS truck!

Ron Grove

Wauconda, IL

I know you don't want this to happen again but if it does, disconnect the battery and remove the leads to the I and S terminals on the solenoid. Touch the battery lead to the battery. If it trys to crank the solenoid is at fault. If not, reconnect the I and S terminals. If it trys to crank it is probably the ignition switch.

Wiring rarely goes bad in the middle of the harness unless it has gotten pinched or hot enough to melt the insulation.

http://ford-y-block.com 

20 miles east of San Diego, 20 miles north of Mexico

I buy NOS solenoids on eBay. Either FOMOCO or Borg Warner. They usually sell rather reasonably. I just seem to keep buying them. With 4 56 Fords, I'll probably never use them all, but when one comes up for bid, I can't remember how many I already have. And as far as that goes, they work well on riding mowers, etc.

Kenneth

Fredricksburg, Texas

Alternator hooks to the + battery post of the solenoid, same as the + cable from the battery as well as the main power harness for the car & pwr top.

It is a new GM 1 wire with an internal regulator; the factory regulator is isolated/not on the grid anymore.  That setup has worked fine for the last 9-10 years that the car was on the road.

Ron Grove

Wauconda, IL

Ron! Where does the alternator hook into the  wiring on the car?The solenoid battery terminal maybe?

  

thanks guys, to everyone who has chimed in!  I really, really appreciate it.

Bottom line is that im trying to find some way to ferret out if this is a component failure or a problem with the wiring harness.  Im really hoping that its not a wiring problem, as I really dont want to have to try to dissect the wiring harness to find an intermittent fault.   But on the other hand, i cant really rationalize what would have caused a 2 week old solenoid to go out, especially since I put in the new solenoid for the same reason (starter intermittently would keep running....)

Im just really really frustrated right now, as im sure many of you can relate to.  The car has historically been really reliable, but my 3 year old son loves driving in it, and im not sure how much we will do of that if I cant trust it.....plus the car is comitted to be featured in some local car shows (like main stage/bandstand type stuff) and I really dont want to disappoint the organizers who are counting on us.

Ron

Ron Grove

Wauconda, IL

Hey regrove;;      Something that I do when putting the starter back--   I use a stud in the upper bolt hole on the starter. With the stud you can hang the starter, then put the remaining 2 bolts in,  Yeah getting the nut started on the stud is a pain, but can be done--  just have to hold your lower lip right!!!   Just easier  hope this helps   God Bless   Eddie

Eddie

Lake Forest, Ca. 92630

Hey Grove,

As Kenneth said, lots of y blocks ran around with only two

screws holding the starter, but don't do it. They are prone

to loosen over time.

55f100

West Monroe,La.

Continually trying to crank an engine with a very low battery can also contribute to welding contacts in the solenoid.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

DC current as found in a car is much more prone to welding contacts shut than AC current. Yes a defective starter could draw more current and cause the contacts in the solenoid to weld closed.

The original solenoids would last for many years but I doubt that the new one you bought was made in the US.

My 86 Ranger had the solenoid stick when it was only 2 years old. The starter was smoking by the time I got the battery disconnected.

The replacement solenoid from Ford was still working 15 years later.

While on the subject of solenoids, any guys trying an EFI set-up should replace their starter solenoid with a 1986 or later style. These have an internal diode to bleed off the spike caused by the collapsing field of the relay coil when the the key is turned from start to on. The spike was killing the car's computers. Cannondale ATV's had the same problem years later.

http://ford-y-block.com 

20 miles east of San Diego, 20 miles north of Mexico