i have a 67 malibu with a 350 it has a mallory hei distributor and it won't turn over. I had the starter checked and it tested fine and all I can think of that is left is is the ignition switch. I was wondering where the neutral saftey switch is and how would i replace the ignition switch?

Thanks
Mike

Does the motor crank and will not start?

no it won't crank at all.

How is the wiring in the engine harness? What condition are your battery cables in? Do you have power in other places in the car with the ignition switch both in the off and run position?

it's in pretty good condition. the battery cables are brand new. I do have headlights and all my gauge lights work and all accessories. It's just when I try to start the car it's doesn't do anything.

If all of your accessories work, I do not think your problem is in the ignition switch. I would install a starter that I know works and try it. In the past, I had starters that tested good at the rebuilders, but did not work on the car. I am thinking that maybe you have a solenoid that needs to be replaced. Try jumping the solenoid and see if the car cranks and starts.
Tory

The OL' Keep it simple saying, Trace your way back from the starter. Check for voltage at the bat cable, check for voltage at the wire on the "S" terminal while turning the key to start, and if you have voltage at the cable, and not at the terminal using a jumper wire from the terminal to the bat pos. If it turns over then the starter is good, and then you need to go back and start tracking the start circuit. At that point check for continuity between the terminal andthe bulk head, and then the outside of the bulk head to the inside bulk head, and then from the inside bulkhead to the neutral safety switch. The neutral safety switch (if it is a column shift) is located on the column near the break pedal. There shuold be two purple wires going into it. With the car in park/netutral disconnect the wires and check for continuity. Then reconnect the wires and check for continuity from the neutral safety switch to the ignition switch. If continuity is good, then check for voltage at the switch and then at the wire coming out of the switch, if you have voltage at the switch and not coming out to the starter circuit you then have a bad switch. There is more than one power "out" on your switch as you have your accessories, and the start circuit to be powered so if your blinkers work (assuming they dont work with the key off) and you dont have power coming out right at the switch it is the switch, and again another assumption is that all your wires have continuity between the switch and the "s" teminal.

lets take all the other things out of the possible problem you say the battery is charged the wires both of them are good & clean & tight ....
if you are sure the car is in park !! repeat the car is in PARK ... on the starter there are possibly three wires .... the ones your interested it are the Large RED one from the battery .... & a medium size purple one .. if you jump these two together while they are hooked to the starter like with a remote starter switch or even a screw driver jumpin them will crank the motor .... if you have power & the starter is good ... lets start here & then look for anther reason after we decide this part works :D

i am getting 12.8 volts at the battery and 12.6 at the starter when cranking ob the battery cable but nothing on the purple wire. when i tried to jump it with a screw driver it just sparked but the engine wouldn't turn over.

Is your purple wire on the "s" terminal? If you are lookin at the connection end of the solenoid, it will be the post closest to the block. Instead of a screw driver try wrapping somewire around the s terminal or connect an aligator clip to it with a lenght of wire that will reach the positive terminal of the battery and jump it that way, so that you dont risk shorting something out. If this wos you need to work your way back toward your switch till you find voltage as I explained in my first post.

Yes the purple wire is the closest to the engine. What gauge wire would you use to jump it? If it doesn't turn over the engine does that mean the starter is bad?
thanks
Mike

When you shorted the starter, did the gear pop out and try to engage the fly wheel, or did nothing happen? If the gear popped and tried to engage, you might be stuck on a bad spot on the flywheel, or the starter could be missaligned.

If nothing is happening when you short the starter, then there has got to be something up with that starter.


Oh also, make sure the terminals on the battery and the cables are extra extra clean by scrubbing with a wire brush. A thin film of invisible corrosion can be enough to mess it up.

You should use a #12 wire. to jump with.

You should use a #12 wire. to jump with.

Ahhhhh come on Ron .... :D
he's really supposed to buy a remote starter button ... hook them up an then SAFELY push the button once he's out from under the car ;) :thumbsup:

ok, I jumped the starter and it turned the motor over like it was trying to start but couldn't. Then I went to double check that the car was in park and it was. I have a B&M megashifter and I took off the faceplate and started playing with this little black thing under the face plate and pushed these 2 little arms up and down and wiggled the shifter a little bit and not it seems like it turns over fine. First what is the little black thing he wiggled and second, now it doesn't have spark? Would the next thing to look at the module. Would a new module go bad after 8 months? I just put the new distributor in back in January

Mike .... the little black box /switch in the shifter box sounds like the neutral /park safety switch .... if you can crank motor now but you have no spark ... you need to check the power at the HEI ... Remember I said there are possibly three wires on the starter ?? well the last one is white or yellow & it supply's the power to the Ing system on most chevy's even non original wired ones.... as most mechanic's like to wire to what would be normal for that car .... makes chasing problems much easier for everyone involved :D

The black thing is a micro switch that acts as the neutral saftey switch. Was this car originally a column shift? Do you know if the mega shifter safety switches are in line with the safety switch on the column. To check look for the purple wires down on the column near the break pedal. If the wires are connected there, you should disconnnect them and hook them directly together. The no spark problem: do you have voltage at the distributor when the key is in the start position, in the run position? If so do you have it connected to the correct spot. If it is an HEI at so point in time chevrolet decided to swap the tach wire and pos. wire post. Aske me how I know.:sad:

thanks for all of the help everyone. I got it started today. I must of overlooked the fact that the connector in the distributor wasn't in all the way. Anyway I noticed that the purple wire to the distributor has some cracks in it. What gauge wire do I use to replace it and is there any type of heat shield i can use to keep the wires from hitting the header?

Thanks a whole bunch
mike

t Anyway I noticed that the purple wire to the distributor has some cracks in it. You mean starter?

What gauge wire do I use to replace it and is there any type of heat shield i can use to keep the wires from hitting the header?

Thanks a whole bunch
mike

Use at least a 12g, a 10g would be better. Be sure to crimp and solder any connection you make as its a important circuit. Summit and Jegs sells heat sleeves for wires, I would put one on the purple wire and on the BAT cable.

yeah I meant the starter. I have some of that thermal tape would that work or is it better to get the sleeve?

thanks
mike

Either one will work, just make sure its rated high enough as it will be close to the headers.

Update: The car started and ran for about 15 minutes then when I tried to move it it seemed fine and when I tried to turn the car around and back it in to the garage it died. It tried to turn over a few times then just stopped. So I checked the fuses and the ignition fuse had blown it was a 4a fuse so I put the correct 10a fuse in and still nothing. When I tried to jump the starter nothing happened. I just got a popping sound from where the the jump wire was making contact with the battery post.

Tomorrow I will take the starter in and get a new one. Also my shifter has 2 little boxes one on top of the other with little arms. I am assuming those is the neutral safety switch. They are not in line with the stock switch. And does any one know how the switch is supposed to be wired I want to double check what the tranny shop did. The car was once a column shift and converted before I got it. Anyone know where I can get some 10 or 12 gauge purple primary wire?

Thanks
Mike

electrical supply store, maybe a parts house, or radio shack.