minimum wiring to start...

[TeZZaP]

I'm just about ready to check an engine (2 1/4 petrol) that's been sitting idle for a year or two - I've popped a teaspoon of oil into each piston + poured some oil over the tappets etc and hand cranked it a couple of times to get the oil moving, it also has a refurbished distributor and carby in place and the fuel pump has had a good clean - my actual question is what wiring do I need? I was thinking I need a cable that runs from the battery to the coil (and earth both the coil and battery of course), plus, if I want to use the starter motor a thicker bit of cable from that to the battery that I can just touch to the positive terminal to turn the engine over - once its started (hopeful I know!) I then disconnect the starter motor wire... is that about it?

NB there is no wiring loom at all in place at the moment, plus no alternator attached.

[dandlandyman]

You simply need an ignition wire and a pair of battery cables. Connect the ign wire direct between the battery positive and the coil positive, making sure you have a way of quickly disconnecting it when you need to turn the engine off. Bolt the positive battery-to-starter cable to the starter but leave the battery end off until you want to start it. Then, it's just a matter of pressing it onto the positive battery terminal until it fires. Don't forget to fit the earth cable in the traditional manner, I forgot once! You also need the low tension lead between the coil negative and the distributor. Unless you want to test oil pressure and coolant temperature senders as well, that's all you need.

Dan.
69 2A 88" pet4, 68 2B FC pet6.

[TeZZaP]

Excellent, all I need to do now is get a battery and I'm ready to try the engine... very exciting!

[JDNSW]

I would just point out that using a jumper lead onto a battery as a starter switch is a definite safety hazard. It is markedly safer to make the connection at the starter end or better on a length of starter lead clear of earthed metal, or even, for preference, use a starter switch such as the one out of a Series 1/2/early 2a.

There is a real risk of a battery explosion when you make sparks at the battery.

John