Re: Chrysler 35, wiring help!
The two BLACK* wires that go up under the flywheel tell me that this is a magneto ignition engine. The two BLACK* wires are the stop circuit. The cable blue and white connect to these terminals and to the "M" terminals on the ignition switch. When the switch is off, both "M" terminals are in continuity and short the points together. Thus: even if you were to crank the engine by hand you would get no spark with the switch off.
The ORANGE wire is always an overheat indicator circuit. On the head somwhere there will be a sensor. Most times on these older engines it is a 5/8 inch head bolt with a switch glued on top and a terminal sticking out. An orange wire connects from the sender to the engine terminal and the orange wire in the cable connects to the same terminal. Under the dash, a power wire connects to one side of the overheat indicator and the orange wire connects to the other. If the engine overheats, the sensor closes and power will now flow through the indicator to ground through the sensor.
The very top and bottom screws on the terminal board are mounting screws and are not used for anything else. You will see that they screw the bakelite engine terminal board to the engine block on the exhaust cover plate, or an aluminum mounting plate.
TOP wire is YELLOW and is the stop circuit. One side of the microswitch (neutral interlock) is connected to it while the other side goes to the start solenoid. The yellow in the cable goes to the "S" terminal on the ignition switch.
The empty below the yellow would be purple and as I said before it is not used.
Now: Your wiring is not the standard Chrysler wiring order since the next wire should be WHITE with one of the black wires from under the flywheel going to that terminal. The white in the cable will go to one "M" terminal on the ignition switch.
Next should be GREEN with the green choke wire and the green wire from the cable attached to this terminal. The green cable wire connects to the "C" terminal on the push-to-choke ignition switch.
Next should be the ORANGE terminal.
Next should be RED with one red wire coming from the battery side of the starter solenoid and the red wire in the cable attached. This wire connects to the "B" terminal on the ignition switch and supplies power for the choke, starter solenoid, and the "I" terminal. The "I" terminal is used to power accessories that must be on when the engine is running--like gauges and overheat indicator-- but off when the engine is stopped.
Next would be BLUE with the other black wire from under the flywheel attached and the blue wire in the cable attached also. The blue cable wire goes to the other "M" terminal.
Finally, there will be the black terminal, This terminal is grounded to the block with a jumper to the mounting screw and the black in the cable connects to this last terminal. It is only used under the dashboard if you need a ground (like for gauges). If this is the large black wire you mentioned, it will be about the size of #10 wire, or twice as large as the other wires in the cable. It doesn't really matter where you connect it (terminal board or block) since ultimately everything is grounded through the block to the battery negative.The battery black is massive, like jumper cables and bolts directly to the block or the lower engine pan which should also be connected to the engine block with a massive jumper wire.
There is no brown wire on the terminal board but perhaps what you are seeing is a faded purple--with age, they frequently appear brown. Or, since you appear to have too many terminals, it could be another ground that the previous owner installed.
NOW: after having gone through all this, actual order of the wires on the terminal board is not critical since all are independent. What is important is that the correct cable wire is attached to the proper colored terminal wire.
Have fun and good luck.
By the way: If you want to check for spark, disconnect the two black wires (coming from under the flywheel) and insulate them. If you crank the engine now and get no spark, then either the points are dirty, worn, or improperly gapped (.020) or the condensers or magneto coils are bad. Points would be the first thing to check. With the two wires disconnected, the engine will start and run but you will not be able to stop it unless you short them together. If the engine has spark with them disconnected but no spark with them connected, then the ignition switch is bad.
