[gtofreek]

Originally Posted by Bobalong

Just as thought as I read this thread.
The previous owner of my 70 GTO installed the RAlll exhaust manifolds. In addition he installed the tube that the battery cable passes thru.
It leads the + pos cable right between the hot cast iron manifold tubes on the drivers side down to the starter.
Now I pride myself on having a pretty factory stock looking car. Not 100% mind you but pretty close. In 08 during the first engine rebuild I eliminated that tube. I'm sure the Pontiac engineers had their reason for that cable route, but it just defied common sense to put an unfused, heavy cable right in harms way.
I bought a longer red cable and routed it down the front of the engine and then back to the starter. Is it factory correct ? NOPE. Out of harms way and I no longer worry about a melt down, short circuit, or catastrophic under hood fire.

This is exactly why I use a Ford starter relay to feed power down the heavy battery cable to the starter, and solenoid. I use a jumper from the battery post on the solenoid to the "s" post on the solenoid. This way, there is only power on the heavy battery cable when the engine is cranking. No worries about it shorting while driving. Also, you only have one wire to connect on the starter solenoid. A much better system than what the factory did. Also, don't think of the Ford starter relay as a Ford part on your Pontiac. Instead, simply think of it as a starter relay to improve/fix the factory starting system, which kind of sucks, really.
Ford got that one right! After all, you never hear of a Ford with a hot start/no crank situation.