The wire you have coming off the alt is should be a +12V wire from a switched ignition source.

 

wonder if the ignition switch could be messed up. try running a direct wire from the positive terminal on the battery into the big pink wire going into the distributor and try starting it. you wont be able to leave it like that but it will at least let you know thats your only issue. had a old beater offroad truck did the same thing. i just ran a toggle switch

 

that's a sweet idea, but i dont know where the pink wire attaches

 

The red wire in your drawing above, does that have power at all times? This is the wire that should be hooked up to an ignition source. If it already is hooked up such that it has power all of the time, then you have effectively done what abig84 has suggested although I would not leave it this way as it should drain the battery.

At this point, I would just tape up the pink wire and forget about it for now.

 

okay, so If i were to run a wire to that one, from the battery. then it should get spark and start? it's the primary off of the alt though, which means electricity will flow throught it form the alternator?, if that wire was there it wouldn't burn up or cause anything to fail would it?

 

Yes. That is the gist of what we have been saying for a while now.

 

Well...It took me a while to figure it out, I don't know how I could have been so dumb.....I deserve to be beat with soap in a pillow case...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCNqKrX1sx8


Anyways, that wire was twisted together with the primary alt, and whoever fixed it before just seemed to twist it and put tape over it...kinda pissed. I didn't think they were related to each other in any way because the other wire was so short. there must have been a wire in between the two...also twisted....

Anyways, problem solved. truck runs. just need to time it now.

Thanks everyone. really really really appreciate the help.

 

Good deal! Glad to help. If the wiring is not currently tied into an ignition source, do that now and you should be golden!

 

It is right now, but It's a horrible connection. solder. crimping. need to find something more permanent that wont fail in a few years. but yeah. golden for now! sweet deal.

thanks man.

 

Uhhh...the truck WAS running...for that day, let it sit and went back out to start it the next day and it wont start....no spark again. Someone mentioned fuse-able links to me? could that be my problem? I'm so lost.