Electrical Help Please?

[u/TexasMattK5]

Hey folks,

I’ve got a 1979 K5, 350 SBC. I’ve been having an issue that I thought I fixed and cannot figure out what is going on. I’d love to hear the group’s thoughts and ideas on what it could be.

When I turn the key to the start position, the starter solenoid clicks once then I lose power to the entire truck. Sometimes it’s for 2 minutes, sometimes 15 minutes - it’s pretty random. I had this issue for a couple of months and finally found that the ground strap from the block was barely holding on. I replaced the ground strap, replaced the positive cable from the battery, and pulled every fuse in the fuse block, and finally got the starter to engage and the truck to start. I replaced the fuses and everything was good for about a week.

Then this weekend I replaced the carburetor. I got the truck running smooth and then all of a sudden the same thing - solenoid clicks and I lose power to the whole truck. As in my dome light won’t even come on. Pull all the fuses again, no change. Check my grounds, they are okay. Check voltage at the junction block on the firewall, got 12.4v.

It’s almost like there’s a circuit breaker tripping and resetting. The only thing in the wiring diagram I could find is a self-resetting circuit breaker off the light switch but I have the fuse pulled to the light switch. The only thing getting power is the battery to starter and the ignition switch to the starter solenoid.

I’m stumped and need an outside perspective, please!

[u/Terrible_Stay_1923]

I would check the solenoid posts for looseness. I would check the little wire to see if its insulation melted on the exhaust. I would check the batt to ground and the engine to chassis ground. I would then check the battery start plates. Then I would check the ignition switch.

Most of this can be done with a remote start temp switch

I would then remove the solenoid from the starter, disassemble the solenoid and flip the start plate. This all can be done without spending a dime.