1980 wiring nightmare

[dean s]

 Got my truck back from my daughter after 4 years and seems that it has serious elec.issues to say the least !!!!!   its a gmc shortbox 4x4 I put together about 15 years ago .hei ignition,350,edelbrock carb and intake not that it maters...cause its a beast when it comes to mpg ...any how the dang thing wouldn't start ,no cranking and draining the battery ,thought i had it figured back to the solenoid or ignition switch but after changing them out NOTHIN !!!! so i started going at it with the amp meter to check continuity.well heck every hot wire from the fuse block was reading continuity to the ground   and yeah i had the battery cable off......seems that the fuse block was not keeping the circuits separated as well as the leads off the starter soliniod ,pink wire into the hei and one of the wires from the alternator...i'v spent 3 days beating my head against the wall trying to figure it out. >:(took the starter out 4 times to test it and it bench tests ok any one wit any ideas i'm at my wits end
thanks in advance:]

[Lt.Del]

do a search on this site for fusible link

[Dragon]

do a search on this site for fusible link

+1 Sounds like the problem my Pop went through on his '76 C20, back when we got when I was 17.....  Turned out to be a Fusible Link down by the starter had melted(We wound up replacing two others, before we found that one), and the previous owner tried doing a crappy route around, but it only caused problems later....

[dean s]

would that cause the whole +to be grounded??? as no resistance think thats the right term

[VileZambonie]

I think you mean ohm meter not ammeter?

And of course everything that isn't switched will have continuity to ground otherwise the circuit would be open. You are going about it wrong so let's try to clarify here.

1)Are you saying you have a parasitic drain that causes the truck not to start unless you jump it?

2)Are you saying you have full battery power and it just won't crank the starter motor?

[dean s]

wont 'start with a boost at least not with a battery and cables

[dean s]

and would the  hei be grounded as well re;the heavy pink lead

[VileZambonie]

Try to elaborate a little more on what it's doing.

It sounds like a no crank condition but you have full battery voltage?

Make sure the battery is fully charged. Are any other circuits dead?

Take a test light to the S terminal of the starter solenoid and see if it lights up when someone is cranking it. Make sure there is B+ at the starter solenoid B+ terminal from the battery cable also. If other circuits are dead you probably blew a fusible link.

[VileZambonie]

If you are trying to measure continuity through a circuit that is powered down as long as the circuit is closed it will have continuity to ground otherwise the circuit would be open. Your testing method that you are trying to use will not help you determine anything.

[dean s]

dang I got it..I think lol 
good thing I'm not a sparky!!! thanx 4 your help  just trying to figure out why there is a short,here by my so can't check the solinoid.pulled the fused links and they looked ok but..think I got myself all confused through frustration