Does a starter on a 72 350 have two larger wires both going to the large diameter center stud and one wire going to the small stud facing toward the block, or should all three studs be used?

If it worked before you installed the new starter then the problem must be in the new starter. There should be a large gage wire going to the large stud on the solenoid and a small wire going to one of maybe two small studs on the solenoid. The small wire energizes the solenoid which shifts the starter pinion (gear) to the flywheel and energizes the starter motor. Check for proper wiring and make sure no wire is grounding out on the frame somewhere.

There are three posts on the starter solenoid. Two large ones, and one small one. One of the large ones has a braided wire going into the starter. leave this one alone. On the other large ones, you will connect the positive battery cable as well as the large red wire coming from the alternator. The small purple wire connects to the small post on the solenoid. Lastly, on the engine block pointing the opposite way (towards the drivers side) is another stud and you will connect the negative battery cable to it.
Make sure that none of the wires can touch the other posts coming out of the solenoid.


4: Negative Battery Cable
6: Purple Starter actuator wire - 12V when key turned to start.
9: Positive Battery Cable
10: Positive Cable from Alternator

battery and large wire eyelet w/fusible links on it, both go to large stud on solenoid. purple wire w/small eyelet goes on small stud, should have a S near proper small stud. do this with battery dissconnected

This starter is gonna have a main cable and possibly up to three fusible link wires that will go on the large stup on the back of the solenoid. The small swithch wire will go on the stud to the left of the large one. If the starter has a small stud on each side of the solenoid the switch wire normally goes on the side that bolts closest to the engine block. There may also be a ground wire from the back of the starter motor to the block on this model. It's easier to tighten the nuts for these wires before bolting up the starter.

LOOKING AT STARTER WIRES.BATTERY CABLE POSITIVE CABLE GOES TO STARTER SOLENOID POSITIVE POST TERMINAL THAT IS THE LARGE STUD IN THE STARTER SOLENOID.. THE OTHER TWO RED WIRES WITH LARGE RING TERMINALS ALSO GOES TO THE STARTER SOLENOID POSITIVE POST TERMINAL.THE PURPLE WIRE WITH SMALL RING TERMINAL GOES TO S OR SWITCH POST TERMINAL.ON STARTER SOLENOID LOOK AT THE STARTER SOLENOID YOU WILL SEE LETTERS R AND S ON SOLENOID THE PURPLE WIRES WITH SMALL RING TERMINAL GOES TO S STUD TERMINAL ON STARTER SOLENOID.

purple wire goes to starter switch terminal. that is the small terminal on the starter. everything else goes to the big terminal on the starter.

The small diameter black/ground wire goes to the bolt on the selinoid holding it to starter.one of the red goes to the small stud on the end of starter,and the rest go to the fat stud on the end of starter

The wire from the battery goes on one of the large posts, the wire to the starter goes on the other large post, as well as any accessory wires. Usually there is only one or two that go on that side. The small wire goes on the very small stud. If there are two very small studs, use one, and if it doesn't crank, use the other. One is used for another purpose.

There should be one large stud that the batter positive cable goes to. There should be a small stud marked with the letter, it gets the wire from the ignition switch which is usally green. If there is a small stud marked R it is usally left vacant but is sometimes used as a coil feed. There may be sevaral red wires or other colors which are fusible links and go on the battery term of the starter. Place the battery cable on the stud first and these on the top of it.
Good luck
Lee

You have the Battery cable and others wire(s) with the same size hole going to the large stud. The left over small eyelet wire should go to the small stud marked "S" This is the wire coming from your key switch to activate the starter.