starting issues

[John schuster]

working on a 67 firebird while putting in a hi torque starter i hook up the positive cable to the starter and did not notice the connecter part of the cable was touching on the starter motor got he purple wire hooked up then went to connect the cable to the battery and it started smoking took it off right away ,thats when i discovered the cable connector was touching the starter motor fixed that thought i would be fine . Now i have nothing when i turn the key checked everything the purple wire goes to ignition switch,neutral safety switch no burnt wires .have power to all lights and everything else could i have fried my positive battery cable? Help!!

[notallthere]

You may have over heated the cable.  I have seen them have voltage at the proper end of them but when you turn the switch the cable fails.  Does the car have power on ACC?  There could also be a fused link coming to the starter that may have died.  Check the wire it will be a black piece about the size of a AAA battery.  This will be on the trigger wire for the starter.

[JUSTA6]

Agreed on what to check 1st.   You might have fried the starter as well.  Pull the starter and have it tested at your parts store if nothing is found in the wiring.

[BearGFR]

Also double-check that all the connections at the starter were made correctly.  It sounds like you managed to have your primary battery cable dead shorted --- if that's the case then that's where all the current would have been going (and why things got hot in a hurry) instead of through your starter so I'd be a little surprised if that cooked your starter.  You can remove the starter and use jumper cables to make the connections to it, and use a jumper wire (or two) to test it.  Just be careful - it makes a lot of torque when it runs so it's going to tend to twist and move on you if you don't have it well secured.

 

Bear