I've go the new 350 in with the rebuilt tranny. now i'm hooking it all up. We put in the starter today and got confused when we saw all the wires. We know there is a large post and a small post on the starter. We know which wire goes to the small post, but there are about four other wires that can fit on the large post. Do all of these go on the starter? I know only one wire actually starts the car, but what are all the other wires for, and should I put them on?

 

If the colors haven't changed then the purple wire goes to the small post (as you already know). The purple wire goes directly to the ignition switch, though there is a safety switch inline.

A chiltons manual should have the correct wireing diagrams for you. I don't remember off the top of my head. Its a worth while book, about $15 or something like that. Mines in my car right now, but its raining like crazy, so I'm not gonna go out and get it.

 

All the wires with the big terminal lugs go on the big post on the starter solenoid. They are the battery (large wire) positive cable and several fusible links. The purple wire with the small terminal lug goes to the small post marked "S" on the solenoid. If you have an automatic, that wire connects to the Park/Neutral switch on the gear shifter and then a yellow (non-VATS system) wire goes to the ignition switch. It will be a dark green/white wire going to the starter enable relay if it is a VATS system. If it is a manual, the purple wire goes to the clutch start switch and then to the ignition switch in the same manner as the automatic.

 

Don't outsmart yourself.

Wires with a little lug (should be one of them, purple) go on the little terminal.

Wires with big lugs on them (could be anywhere from 2 to 4, depending on year and various other things) go on the big terminal.

They belong only where they fit.

 

what about the thing that looks like you can plug a wire onto it, not a bolt....

 

Are you referring to the copper terminal that comes out of the starter case. This called a shunt coil connection on some starters. It connects to the starter solenoid by a copper spacer tube with a bolt screwed into the bottom hole on the starter solenoid

 

Here is a different view of it and the starter. Note number 12 in the bottom picture and number 6 in the top picture.