Scout II Ignition issues

Not a stupid question at all. I just figured you'd trace the positive battery cable to that location. Sorry for not being more explicit.
 
Also very important kai...when you are taking readings, obviously the battery needs to be connected. But if you encounter any wires or connections that need service, remember to disconnect the battery before doing so, otherwise you'll be making scary sparks. The whole point of this exercise is to determine whether or not you have a voltage drop somewhere between the battery and the coil. And if you do, fix it.

Think of your electrical system as if it were a stream, only in this case current flows in both directions. The only direction we're concerned with at this point is from the source (battery) to the destination (coil/distributor). There are many junctions and couplings along the way between ends, any one of which has the potential to create a problem. You don't start looking for problems in the middle of the stream or even at the end. You start at the beginning and work your way downstream in a methodical fashion.

The first major junction from the battery is at the starter solenoid. So not only do I want you to take a reading as discussed previously, but I want you to be on the lookout for obvious wiring issues...damaged insulation, corrosion, exposed copper strands, loose connections, excessive grime etc. If you notice any of these things at any junction along the way...stop. Disco a battery cable and do what you can to clean or repair the issue. The wires down by the starter have been exposed to a tremendous amount of heat from the exhaust manifold plus grime and petro-based fluids for decades. This isn't good for their health. Heat damaged wire insulation gets brittle and cracks, leaving copper strands exposed to the elements. Hot wires melt together. It just goes downhill from there. Rodents have even been known to develop a taste for the wiring in long neglected, barn find scouts. You May get lucky and not find too many trouble spots, but I'd be surprised if you don't at least wind up pulling the wires at the solenoid off to clean up the contact areas. We want things clean and tight at every junction. If there's a question about condition, hit it with some light and post a pic. We'll tell you if it looks good enough to be left alone or not.
 
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The voltage so far is, battery-12.86 volts
starter solenoid-12.84 volts
and the wire doesn't go into any terminals it's just a straight wire through. I don't think much of the wiring is original it has a new harness and random wires going everywhere that I've mostly cleaned up. Should I just clip the wire, get a reading, and resplice it? Or is there somewhere inside the dash where I can probe? Thanks
 
I reread your posts and I'm still not clear as to exactly what is happening. Is it turning over at all or are you just getting clicking? What I'm getting from this so far is it is turning over fine but just not firing up. Meaning no fuel or no spark. Or is it not turning over?
 
That's a quick wire to replace to get full juice there.

When I had my starting and later battery drain issues I replaced all of the wires that connected to the starter and installed a relay switch to move them. It's night and day. The wires that are routed through loom next to the engine were all stiff and a little melted and had oil burned onto them.
 
Don't splice the wire just for testing! Your probe should be sharp and pointy enough to penetrate through insulation of any wire to get a reading. The voltage down at the solenoid being the same as at the battery is a good thing.

If I understand you correctly, what you're saying is that there is no longer a bulkhead connector on the firewall, but rather individual wires running through the vacant hole? Is this correct?
 
What kind of wire should I go for? And which wires should I replace? For the ones I replace where does the end in the dash go? Thanks
 
You May need to replace some wires at some point, but that has yet to be determined. I think discussing that now only serves to confuse an already confusing issue. Please proceed with the tracing and testing process. Tracing what was originally a blue 10 gauge wire up from the large lug on the solenoid will take you to the bulkhead connector on the firewall, but there's uncertainty about whether you even have a bhc, or if it was removed by a po.
 
I traced that wire all the way up to just under the steering column.
Just a straight continuous wire from the starter solenoid up to there. Is it missing a connection?
 
Probably, but that's not necessarily a dealbreaker. Lots of people bypass the original bulkhead connector, very few do it correctly. They were an aid during the assembly process at manufacture time, but have proven to be problematic for owners this many years removed. So now that you're on the cab side of things, the next junction for that wire is at the back of the alternator gauge in the instrument cluster. Accessing it involves removing the instrument panel cover and then removing the screws that hold the alt/fuel gauge pod in place. Definitely disco a battery cable before you do this. There's a lot of metal in the dash, and plenty of potential for making sparks fly.
 
I took off the battery cables earlier after having a good jolt the other night so no worries there. I have the wire going to the alt, so now what should I do? Thanks
 
Connections look good on the alt gauge terminals? No obvious signs of heat damage or po buggery? Ensure the hot contacts will not touch the dash and temporarily connect the battery so you can take a reading at both of the gauge posts. If they match the other readings you've taken so far, then disco the battery again and re-install the gauge pod back in the dash. Next, take a reading at the fuse block terminals up under the dash. Doesn't matter which terminal. Just keep probing until you find one that gives a reading. What is that reading?
 
When I test the voltage on the alt/fuel gauge and the fuse panel, should I ground one prong or just measure between the two terminals? Thanks
 
Not to jump in a day late and $10 short, but a couple well focused pictures might be in order. Just snap a pic of the wires going through to the cab. The one's in the beginning of the post just miss seeing the bhc
 
Hey scoutboy, sorry for the long wait. I've been busy with moving and haven't had much time to do anything much. Battery is dead but is charging and I'll post those voltages tomorrow. Thanks
 
Voltages on the back of the gauge were 12.3 volts and on the fusebox they were 12 volts. Battery is at 12.9 volts. And thanks you're right I've just been super busy. Wiring time?
 
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