magic smoke

[noreallyicanfixit]

last year engine started and died a coulple times opened hood found hot brake line thought bad ground took out old batteries have not touched till today put in 2 #31 yellow optimas neg to frame positive to main off on battery switch on battery box did not follow this cable for where it goes turned on switch got smoke from starter switch on floor which should be momentary contact only and should not matter can't remember this isn't positive ground system is it

[chicklin]

last year engine started and died a coulple times opened hood found hot brake line thought bad ground took out old batteries have not touched till today put in 2 #31 yellow optimas neg to frame positive to main off on battery switch on battery box did not follow this cable for where it goes turned on switch got smoke from starter switch on floor which should be momentary contact only and should not matter can't remember this isn't positive ground system is it

Not positive ground.

Mind breaking up your sentences with some punctuation? I don't mean to be a d*ck, it's just hard to read.

[Beltfed Only]

Sounds like your starter switch has shorted out.

[rboltz]

positive to main off on battery switch

Most, but not all, trucks with a battery disconnect switch switch the negative side. From the switch, the lead went to the frame. This may be your problem.

[amphi]

Not sure why the starter switch would smoke without trying to crank the engine, unless it is corroded or partially depressed or maybe it is shorted to ground like Beltfed said. If the battery switch (not the starter switch) smoked it could be what rboltz described.

If the batteries are wired backwards, with the positive going to ground, one would get heavy current draw (a short) thru the alternator rectifiers, probably destroying them.

Interesting enough the starter will NOT run backwards as it is series wound motor which will always turn the same direction regardless of polarity. This is why series motors will run on AC -- like hand held drill motor. The can be reversed but they must have four wires exiting the motor to a reversing switch or circuit. Just an FYI.

Can you trace the wires and tell us exactly where they are connected.

[brute4c]

I have seen where the starter switch will go bad or be partially depressed or even get cocked to one side a bit and so will have connectivity in the switch and cause the fault you have.

Changing the switch is an option...or...

At the switch one side should have 2 large wires and the other side should have 1. The side with 1 wire is the starters wire. The other side has one from the alternator and 1 from the battery positive. Find the battery positive and touch the starter wire from the other post and the starter should turn...

Doing that would bypass the foot switch...and if the starter does turn then you know the foot switch is bad and has to go!

[noreallyicanfixit]

sorry about the mixed thoughts format .
all connections are right tried it again
turned on main power everything works as it should
it just kind of didn't make sense
it must have just burned off some moisture/corrosion
ill put in new foot switch (thanks for part numbers) and a ford type solenoid for key or foot operation i like the choice