1957 Ignition problem

[Ward 57]

There is a potential weak spot in the original battery cable routing of a '57 that may be part of the problem.
There are 2 large cables that provide (+) power to the soleniod & starter, and two more large diameter cables that complete the Ground half of the circuit back to the battery from the starter.
All eight ends of these four cables must have clean and tight connections for the system to work well.

The often unnoticed 'weak link' in these cables is poor connections in the Ground cables for the body, engine & starter. The Negative battery cable fastens to the firewall just behind the battery, and 4 inches to the right of the master cylinder another negative/ground cable connects the firewall to the engine.
This detour of the negative battery cable to the firewall before it connects to the engine & starter adds extra spots where corrosion can develop relatively unnoticed.
Due to the high current needed to turn the starter and engine all the connections must be clean (metal to metal) and tight to work their best.

I'm assuming the engine compartment was repainted some time in the past as the black color doesn't match the exterior of the car. The extra paint may interfere with the starter solenoid being electrically grounded to the firewall. This can prevent it from working as it should.
In your 5th photo I'm seeing a clipped off red wire that could have connected to the solenoid and a White wire that would have originally been Red with a blue stripe, fastened to the S terminal.
12v power to the S terminal is what triggers the starter solenoid to supply power the starter. Diagram attached below...

Good information. I feel for the poor souls that have to deal with butchered wiring.

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[Pink T-Bird]

Hi all. Had a very strange thing happen. Was going to change my fuel pump so I was trying to get my engine to TDC, as I read this would make it easier to install a new pump. In doing so I removed the distributor cap so I could line up the rotor with the #1 cylinder. As I goosed the ignition to turn the rotor, there was arching from the coil to the block ( I believe). Anyway, I think something got fried because the engine started to crank and would not stop cranking even when I removed the the key from the ignition and shifted out of neutral. I had to actually disconnect the battery before the engine stopped cranking. Every time I connected the battery ( I have a quick disconnect), the engine would crank on its own with the car in park and the key out of the ignition switch. I disconnected the starter from the solenoid and reconnected the battery. The car did not crank, but I did notice that the oil and gen light were lit as though I put the key in the ignition switch and turned the ignition on. Could I have damaged the ignition switch? does this sound like an ignition switch problem? What else might it be. How hard is it to replace the switch. Any help would be appreciated with this crazy problem. Thanks

Absolutely agree this sounds like the points inside the starter solenoid welded themselves shut. I've had it happen a few times either when a battery is at the end of it's life and can't hold a full charge, or when letting a car sit for months without a battery maintainer. As voltage drops off amperage to run the starter goes up. However in your case it sounds more like the starter cable had a dead short to the block or exhaust manifold and that was the arcing you heard (not the coil). Either way high amps weld the points together.

IF you're lucky you can tap on the metal bottom of the relay with a tack hammer and the points will release, but the proper repair is to replace the solenoid.

 

[Pink T-Bird]

There is no clicking at all, just dead silence. I had the ignition switch replaced about four months ago thinking that might be the problem.

The advice here is exactly what I would do to troubleshoot this condition. I suggest:

• first I'd try wiggling the shifter slowly fore and aft while trying to start. If you find a spot where it cranks it's the NS switch. If that doesn't work;
• second while it is misbehaving I'd connect a test light at the ignition connection to the solenoid and turn the key. (it's the white wire without an proper terminal in the picture). If the light comes on your dash wiring and NS are fine, so;
• Third I'd take the jumper cable and at the starter solenoid connect one end to the post to the starter and touch the other end to the post from battery. It it cranks its the solenoid. If it doesn't;
• 4th- touch the end of the jumper to positive terminal of the battery. If it cranks, bad or internally corroded positive cable. if it doesn't ;
• Last - you're on to connecting one end of the jumper directly to the starter and then touch the other end to the positive battery terminal. If it still does not crank bad starter. May have intermittent open on the armature which is why it starts some times and not others. If it does crank does not rule out intermittent open of armature, but is likely to be cable to starter or one of the 2 ground cables. To sort out which cable(s), take the other jumper cable and connect to the mounting bolt of the starter or the engine block and the negative battery post, then touch the positive jumper to the positive battery post. If it cranks now it's a bad ground.

Note the above is for the 12v Neg ground cars. I have no experience with the 6v '55 T-birds.

 

[Pink T-Bird]

Note the above is for the 12v Neg ground cars. I have no experience with the 6v '55 T-birds.

One other trick if you're stuck on the side of the road and the Oil and Gen light come with the key on, but the car won't crank or 'click' a smaller gauge jumper, like 14 or 16 gauge, can be used to bypass the start position of the ignition switch. Leave the key "on", disconnect the wire from the ignition switch at the solenoid and connect the jumper from this terminal to the positive battery terminal of the solenoid and the car should crank and then start if the solenoid is good. Disconnect the jumper and go on your way.

 

[Ward 57]

One other trick if you're stuck on the side of the road and the Oil and Gen light come with the key on, but the car won't crank or 'click' a smaller gauge jumper, like 14 or 16 gauge, can be used to bypass the start position of the ignition switch. Leave the key "on", disconnect the wire from the ignition switch at the solenoid and connect the jumper from this terminal to the positive battery terminal of the solenoid and the car should crank and then start if the solenoid is good. Disconnect the jumper and go on your way.

The classic remote starter switch which should be in everyone's tool box.

 

[nowistoday]

If your battery is fully charged you either have bad connections on your battery cables ( both ends) or a bad starter.
That clicking is the solenoid.

You were right it was a bad starter. I'd replaced the solenoid so that wasn't an issue and it's turning over well. Now, onto fixing the transmission leak issue! Thank you all, again for the help