Ignition problem after changing gearbox

When I turned the ignition on the dash shows:-
Oil light on very dim
Ign. light not on
Fog light on
Glow plug light working normally
Fuel gauge not working

Crank to turn engine nothing happens except a faint click and lights go off.
If Ign. left on, after a short lime the oil and ignition lights come on brightly and when key is turned nothing happens so has to be switch off then on and we are back to the beginning.

Charged battery and checked earth connections. Put meter on continuity and checked negative of battery to chassis then gearbox and both show good connections.

Traced good voltages through starter relay and to starter solenoid also to Glow plug timer which if removed and the ignition switch on will show both oil and ignition lights on but if key is cranked nothing

Any Ideas????

Sounds very much like your earth is no good.

hughesy said:

Sounds very much like your earth is no good.

Click to expand...

+1 there's an earth connection on the side of the gearbox that runs directly to the negative post of the battery, I've also ran one to the chassis rails from there as well

You will get a good 12 volt reading off load with even a poor earth in some cases. Process of elimination.....make sure your battery earth to the chassis is good, run an earth strap from the chassis to the engine.

Check the terminals on the battery too. Clean the earths, though it's connected it might have surface rust below and might be loose. The mere fact that it was working before your repairs tells that it's cold connection related.

Connect a jump lead from the neg on your battery to a good earth point on the chassis. If it starts then the earth is definitely your problem.

make sure you havnt trapped a wire between bellhousing & block when you bolted the box back in

Took your advice and went back to the two earth connections and ignored the readings that I had previously got.

Stripped them down and put a wire wheel and cleaned the threads and surfaces of gearbox and transfer box then the wire terminals got more of the same leaving them nice and shinny then added in the extra earth lead to transfer box to chassis doing more of the same then re assembled.

Turned ignition and she STARTED FIRST TIME :bounce:
So it WAS a BAD EARTH when I was getting all those readings from the meter I was being led down the garden path in a very bad way!!!

Thanks for taking me back to light boys

Now back to the gearbox. Oh Joy.