Burnt Wire

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shittyslant6 said:
ok, so there is something grounding in the column somewhere. i did the test and neither wire lit up the test light.
Click to expand...
At the moment I can't think of how it can be
completeing a circuit to ground in Start when the battery is connected to the start switch,
but not completing a circuit to ground when the battery is connected to either the S2 or J3

shittyslant6 said:
After i reconnected the ballast and the starter ground wire, j3 lit up the test light. s2 is still dead though.
Click to expand...
J3 to ballast I understand
Starter ground wire I don't understand.
 
I found something else out, the plug that connects the column wires to the bulkhead wires also starts the car. but when the plug is together, the key does not work.
 
Really don't know what you've got connected or disconnected.

I was going to suggest a multimeter or continuity tester would make it much easier to find the short. Also would avoid the danger of melting wires.

However if you want to post photos or illustration; or explain more fully what was connected/disconnected and then what the test, we can try to explain and say if its normal or not.
 
shittyslant6 said:
I found something else out, the plug that connects the column wires to the bulkhead wires also starts the car. but when the plug is together, the key does not work.
Click to expand...
I dont know if this applies to your problem but... there was a recent thread about aftermarket replacement ignition switches with wires in wrong places. They were right at the harness connectors but placed wrong at the electrical switch end.
 
I finally had a friend come over and he thought that since I can start the car using everything but the key switch, the switch was bad. So, i took it out yesterday and there was half a key broken off in it. so i am going to replace the key and see if that fixes it.
 
shittyslant6 said:
I finally had a friend come over and he thought that since I can start the car using everything but the key switch, the switch was bad. So, i took it out yesterday and there was half a key broken off in it. so i am going to replace the key and see if that fixes it.
Click to expand...
 
Is your fusible link still there. I wonder if this should have happened at all. That wire really burnt up but good. On these older cars people will replace a burnt-out fusible link with just a solid piece of wire.

fusible link -4.jpg
 
Green arrow fuse link, should have blown first, if link
greem link.jpg
replaced by solid wire that might explain this
 
come to think of it, yeah I think that is what happened because there is no link there in the picture. i'll have to check on that.
 
The fusible link will save the main circuits from abnormally high current flows. High as in 100 amps or more.

It will not not protect the small branch circuits with 16 or 18 ga wire.

It may or may not protect main circuits from extended periods of high current.

Here's the type of damage that will occur when 40 something amps runs through the main circuits for more than a few minutes.
upload_2021-2-22_12-13-10-png.png


And this (black wire) damage was at least in part due to loads varying between 30 to 40 amps for 20 minutes.
upload_2021-2-22_11-28-16-png.png
 
Ok, it did not do that.
I had a friend bring me his bucket of at least 100 Chrysler keys and I found one that i liked and I was able to re arrange the pins in the lock cylinder so I am going to install that today and I will see what happens.
 
I think you're missing the point.
That's what will happen if you don't address the 40+ amp discharge when the key is turned to start.

Putting a lamp in the battery line is a way to test for shorts with the system connected to the battery, and not melt one or more parts of the circuit.
Using a meter to check with the battery disconnected would be more effective in finding this particular problem you are facing.
 
Mattax said:
I think you're missing the point.
That's what will happen if you don't address the 40+ amp discharge when the key is turned to start.

Putting a lamp in the battery line is a way to test for shorts with the system connected to the battery, and not melt one or more parts of the circuit.
Using a meter to check with the battery disconnected would be more effective in finding this particular problem you are facing.
Click to expand...
Yes, I did put the lamp in the circuit, and I ordered one of those short testers last week. (should be coming in any day now.) My buddy who came and helped me thought that the broken key could have been one of the many problems and it would be best to eliminate that as a possibility. So when I fix the lock cylinder; then the last possible thing that could be shorting out is the ignition switch in the column.
 
UPDATE:

Today I finally got the short fixed.
It was what I and many of you guys suspected from the start. The ignition switch inside the column was bad and it was shorting out.
Ordering a new one today.
Also, the broken turn signal/hazard switch was broken and also shorting out. That is where the -40 discharge came from.
Once the Ignition switch was out and it was just where the wires connected, it only discharged about -5 maybe -3.
So, I can now move on to getting the carb rebuilt and new spark plug wires made. I will post a video of it running when all of that is finished. Then I can finally get a title for it.

Thank you all so much for helping me figure this out.
 
Very VERY happy for you. Believe it or not "it troubles me" sometimes as I sit here---many many miles away---and cannot see what you can see, etc.

My life's philosophy?

You cannot break it if it's broken
But you can fix it so it cannot be fixed.

I've "fixed" a few things............
 
What about the fusible link , original still there or had it been replaced with just a wire
 
well, there was nothing connected to the one going to the start solenoid so i replaced that wire.
The other ones were fine.
 
fusible link not connected. So your main feed circuit was not protected by a fusible link a circuit breaker a fuse or anything. Okay so now it's fixed. Can you describe your current circuit protection. Fusible link, circuit breaker or fuse. Or hopefully not just a plain wire
 
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