Fox 88-93 solenoid has a built in diode. I use one of those.
Fender mounted. Rear batt ground to trans, and Pos lead to fender mounted Fox solenoid.
 Never understood necessity or reason fer mounting solenoid in trunk.

Tubo

HEY BULLETBOB........
tell him how to NOT even use a solenoid.(Like you coached me) Mini starter doesn't need the brown wire.........the rest I forget how.
Butt.......it looks clean and works great on my 66(battery-in-trunk-special)!!
6s6

Bullet Bob wrote:

6sally6 wrote:

HEY BULLETBOB........
tell him how to NOT even use a solenoid.(Like you coached me) Mini starter doesn't need the brown wire.........the rest I forget how.
Butt.......it looks clean and works great on my 66(battery-in-trunk-special)!!
6s6

Your are kee-rect, Mike.  Butt (TS&T) what James is talking about makes a lot of  sense.  I also do not like the idea of  having an essentially unprotected (fuse-wise) always hot heavy cable running from back to front to back.  If  that sucker ever goes to ground the results will not be purdy.

If'n I were to think about a rear batt...and I doubt I ever will...I think I'd put a brown wire-less solenoid (don't need no stinking brown wire with EFI) at the rear to energize the big cable in "start".  I'd put the front end of the cable to the mini-starter and jump from that to the S (solenoid) lug on the starter.  Then I'd run a piece of 8ga...like James is talking about...from the Alt to the bat side of the rear solenoid and I'd have an 80 or 100 amp midi fuse at each end of the 8ga. 

I've heard of guys  putting  monster fuses at the rear to protect against a grounded hot cable but I think I like the switched cable  idea better.

I think!

BB

Thanks Bob -  but it's the 'jump from the S lug' I'm trying to avoid.  Lots of people on the net speak of a run on condition when you jump the two posts of the mini starter and fire it off the one big wire.  That's where the independent daisy-chained S wire idea comes from.

With My rear battery I used three #2 gauge wires front to back,Ran the ground all the way. I am using a ford mini starter the orignal soleniod energizes the rear and the one on the starter main power to to starter is hot only when in start mode,Main pwer to car goes through a painless electric solenoid that I switch on from dash The main power line also is protected by a mega fuse.

Bob I think he is saying if you jumper the Mini starter and the rear solenoid sticks it will run on. James I think you answered all your own questions but the diode. The only place I can think a diode would go is from each 'S' terminal to ground. White line on the diode to the 'S' terminal.This could help save your ignition switch, dropping out 2 solenoid coils can be hard on a switch. Tubo stated the Fox solenoids have a built in diode, I would assume that is how they are in there, but not sure.

A 1N4004 should be fine and can probablly be gotten at your local Radio Shack. If you have to order one, a 1N5400 would be a little better.

Mach1_Ron wrote:

Check this out...

http://madelectrical.com/catalog/tm-1.shtml

I have been going to get this for a while, just haven't got a round tuit yet.....

Thanks Ron, I've had my eye on that kit too - got all the right size pieces parts.... but it doesn't resolve the issue of a live 1 Gage wire running from the trunk to the starter. I'm trying to avoid that.  

I can't see why a can't run the S post lead to the rear solenoid as well as down to the small post on the mini starter and click on both solenoids at the same time.  Anyone see a problem with that?

JamesW wrote:

Mach1_Ron wrote:

Check this out...

http://madelectrical.com/catalog/tm-1.shtml

I have been going to get this for a while, just haven't got a round tuit yet.....

Thanks Ron, I've had my eye on that kit too - got all the right size pieces parts.... but it doesn't resolve the issue of a live 1 Gage wire running from the trunk to the starter. I'm trying to avoid that.  

I can't see why a can't run the S post lead to the rear solenoid as well as down to the small post on the mini starter and click on both solenoids at the same time.  Anyone see a problem with that?

It is only HOT when cranking.....

~~With our START’M UP system, the cable between the START’M UP solenoid and the starter is electrically “dead,” except for during engine cranking.

James, I don't see any reason why your idea wouldn't work. Just run the same start signal to each solenoid. Just remember that your switch will be carrying at least double the current. It might be better to run your ignition switch to a relay and then run both off of that relay. A little more complicated but, it will limit damage to the relay and output to the solenoids in the event of a short.

Good topic, I am also doing the trunk mount. I had run the batt. to starter wire down the door channel and out above the rocker. I don't like the way it ends up behind the passenger tire. Thinking about putting an anchor post inside on passenger side kick panel up by the glove box. From there I would possibly run out through the toe board, above the inside passenger side frame rail to the starter.

Anyone ever try this? How did it work out? I thought I could just create a groove in the carpet padding around the wire and then go out through a grommet.

Also, I was at the pick-a-part yesterday gathering ideas. The 97 and 98 F150 uses two 175 amp mega fuses to protect the alternator and the power distribution. Unfortunately the mega fuse holder is thin plastic and none of them survived unbolting the cable to remove them. Early 90 GM trucks have a nice power terminal block.It is located on the passenger side firewall. It is a generic heavy duty plastic block with about six terminal lugs. I grabbed two of them I know these will come in handy somewhere down the line.
 

Last edited by KStang (11/28/2013 10:36 AM)

JamesW wrote:

Mach1_Ron wrote:

JamesW wrote:

Thanks Ron, I've had my eye on that kit too - got all the right size pieces parts.... but it doesn't resolve the issue of a live 1 Gage wire running from the trunk to the starter. I'm trying to avoid that.  

I can't see why a can't run the S post lead to the rear solenoid as well as down to the small post on the mini starter and click on both solenoids at the same time.  Anyone see a problem with that?

It is only HOT when cranking.....

~~With our START’M UP system, the cable between the START’M UP solenoid and the starter is electrically “dead,” except for during engine cranking.

You're right - it does only fire the 1 gage wire while cranking.  So, using that kit, how would you also energize the solenoid on the PMGR starter?  
 

That's why you buy their kit......

KStang wrote:

James, I don't see any reason why your idea wouldn't work. Just run the same start signal to each solenoid. Just remember that your switch will be carrying at least double the current. It might be better to run your ignition switch to a relay and then run both off of that relay. A little more complicated but, it will limit damage to the relay and output to the solenoids in the event of a short.

Good topic, I am also doing the trunk mount. I had run the batt. to starter wire down the door channel and out above the rocker. I don't like the way it ends up behind the passenger tire. Thinking about putting an anchor post inside on passenger side kick panel up by the glove box. From there I would possibly run out through the toe board, above the inside passenger side frame rail to the starter.

Anyone ever try this? How did it work out? I thought I could just create a groove in the carpet padding around the wire and then go out through a grommet.

Also, I was at the pick-a-part yesterday gathering ideas. The 97 and 98 F150 uses two 175 amp mega fuses to protect the alternator and the power distribution. Unfortunately the mega fuse holder is thin plastic and none of them survived unbolting the cable to remove them. Early 90 GM trucks have a nice power terminal block.It is located on the passenger side firewall. It is a generic heavy duty plastic block with about six terminal lugs. I grabbed two of them I know these will come in handy somewhere down the line.
 

I like the idea of a relay. I too currently have the long, alway hot wire running throught the fender well.  my plan is to run the  new wire along the outside of the toe board and above the outside of the frame rail, and cover with a small metal cover.

James, that will work. My preference would be to isolate the ign switch fron both starter relays using the one relay. How do you plan on laying this out? Do you have a panel in the trunk to package it together? Seems like the thing I spend the most time on is finding good places to attach things.