starter relay, next gen modification Options

[Tom]

Well, been meaning to get this done for a while. Didn't want the hot start kit from Bosche or the Ford relay, so I found one on line that I liked.
Installed the relay on a small bracket on one of the mounting screws for the relay board. Ran a new small yellow wire to pin 6 of the 12 pin connector and a brown ground wire to the bracket . Ran two 12 ga. wires fron the relay to the solenoid with the hot wire having an inline water resistant ATC fuse holder with a 30 amp fuse. Put some heat shrink around the normally used large yellow wire to protect it. On the solenoid side used tape to protect the connector that used to be hooked to the solenoid.
This relay uses 140 mili-amp so not a very large inductive spike to worry about, but I installed a supression diode across the relay coil anyway. Also put a larger one across the solenoid coil at the relay ( 87 to ground). This supresses the solenoid coil inductive spike to protect the relay contacts.
here are a few pics, and a link to more info: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&a...eg_6KDxZdKYQYGw This is the aeroelectric link
Oh, I tested it several times and it works just fine.
Tom
Edit: changed back EMF to inductive spike, sorry if this confused anyone. Inductive or transient spike is the correct term for what is happening here

[Tom]

Jim,
I'll put an updated schematic tomorrow and some instructions as to how to do this. Also I will include the part numbers for the relays and diodes. As for the push to close switches, I can only give you the electrical characteristics as the two switches I used are ones I had left over for some projects many years ago. But they are basically just a momentary close push to close switch. Doesn't need to be very heavy duty as the relay only draws about 150 mili-amps. Any push to close momentary contact switch that will handle 1 amp will be sufficient.This saves the high current from going through the key switch. Normally, the starter solenoid draws about 35 amps initially for as long as the solenoid needs to close and then the large electrical contacts in the solenoid carries the majority of the solenoid current and the current through the key switch drops to about 10 amps. With this modification or similar starter relay set ups the current through the key switch is greatly reduced. BIG difference between 10 amps and 150 mili-amps in the resulting arc across the key switch contacts.
Tom