Best starter for BBB with shorty headers?

1. Starter solenoids are 4-terminal and 3-terminal, not 3-terminal and 2-terminal, because everybody forgets the bolted connection to the starter motor for the brushes and field coils.

2. The difference between a 4-terminal and a 3-terminal starter solenoid is that the 3-terminal doesn't have an "R" terminal.

3. The "R" terminal is the Resistance bypass for the ignition system. It provides a way around the ballast resistor used on points-style ignition systems, so that the coil gets full system voltage during cranking. Because the larger amperage draw of the starter motor loads down the battery, the battery only has 9--11 volts during cranking instead of 13--15 with the engine running. If you swap to an HEI or other ignition that doesn't use a ballast resistor, you can do away with the "R" terminal and it's wire, except for:

4. SOME vehicles are wired so that no power is supplied to the ignition coil through the ignition switch during cranking. For these vehicles, you absolutely need to get power from the starter solenoid, or the car has no spark if the starter motor is engaged.

5. That power would normally be supplied by the "R" terminal, but if your starter solenoid doesn't have one, you can pull power from the "S" terminal as long as there's a diode in the wire to prevent the "S" terminal from getting back-fed by the ignition system.

 

As you all can probably tell I am "new" to car restoration, so thanks for the help and patience. After reading the above reply I believe I do not need the R wire on the solenoid as I have switched to MSD distributor. How ever I do need a switched power source for the MSD distributor, can I use the R wire to provide the power to the distributor? Or is there a preffered location where I install/pick up the power for the distributor?

Thanks Jim

 

Yes, the MSD 8552 Ready to Run. Mike Phillips, AMP, built my engine and installed the distributor. My challenge is to get it wired up and ready to run.

Thanks Jim

 

Larry,
My car is a 1970 GSX, I really do not want to cut up the wiring harness. I would rather wire around the harness leaving it in its correct factory state. If necessary I can purchase a spare harness to alter. Your thoughts please?