New member with an old Ford

Hi there,

My name is Joe and I just bought an '86 F250.  Here's a brief run down of the truck.

* 351 Windsor
* Edelbrock Performer 1404
* 5-speed manual transmission

* Vacuum system and emissions controls removed by prior owner

* Electrical system gerry-rigged and stripped to bare bones with many clips and wires left hanging, unconnected

* Push button ignition bypass wired straight to the battery positive

Here are the issues with the truck.

* Engine stalls when brakes are applied
* I adjusted the A/F mixture, idle settings and distributor to try and get it to idle
* Over-retarded the distributor and the engine died
* The last time it started it had a very sluggish crank, not like how a low battery start sounds
* Regrounded battery cable
* Cut positive battery cables and reattached to terminal
* Battery is fully charged, no power anywhere.  No lights, no crank, no dash.
* No voltage at the starter, which is wired direct to the battery

At this point I feel like there's a wire come loose somewheres and instead of tracking it down I'm tempted to rewire the entire ignition system, which needs to happen at some point in any case.

What I need is an ignition system wiring diagram so I can start putting this thing back together properly.  Not a schematic.  A simplified diagram telling me how to connect the battery, starter, starter relay, keyed ignition, ignition switch, distributor, neutral safety, and coil.

Any help would be greatly appreciated and would go a long way toward shutting down a couple of loud-mouthed Chevy guys who just love watching me struggle with my Ford.

Thanks

Joe - Welcome!  Glad you joined.  

Several things before we get into your truck.  First, where are you located?  Maybe someone on here is close to you and could help?  And, we have a map (Bullnose Forum/Member's Map on the menu) and I'd be happy to add you if I had a town.

Second, so we remember you and your truck's details, how 'bout creating a signature.  Click on your name on the left above your avatar, click on Account Settings, and then Edit Your Signature.  Your name would be good as we like to call people by their first names.  And, then many of the details you shared on your truck.

Now, for your truck.  We can troubleshoot here, but the main section is really the better place to do that.  You can copy your post and start a new thread there if you'd like, and that will probably get more attention than in the New Members section.

If you have no power anywhere then you probably forgot one of the fuselinks when you re-attached the cables to the starter relay.  In the upper right of the illustration below you'll see the fuselinks, which are supposed to go on the battery side of the relay.  And without them there you won't have power and can't crank the engine.

Welcome!

Welcome Joe!  

Seems a lot of new members here have hacked up trucks.

Having a five speed and the battery connected to the starter makes me think there was a later truck parts donor at some point.

Can you tell me if your truck has an external, or internal, slave cylinder?

Gary is right on all counts and this may be better addressed in the main section of the forum.