Such a weird issue that I've been slowly trying to diagnose. I've been noticing that the truck was getting harder to start but connecting a voltmeter to my new battery showed me that it was not the issue. I also have a brand new alternator installed. When trying to start the car if I move the e-brake handle it would start much easier and instantaneously. Tonight going to start the car and had the symptoms of a dead battery but when I pulled the e-brake up it started cranking the engine over but then the cable from the ebrake handle got red hot and caught on fire and snapped. After the cable broke the car starts up and is charging and running fine. It's pouring down rain so I'll go underneath the car tomorrow to further investigate but what hot starter cables even run closely to the e-brake cable that I should be looking for. As this ever happened anybody else?

 

I've read about this one. The e brake cable and shield act as the ground for the starter if the engine block is not grounded well. So, the current runs through the e brake cable and burns up the cable. Maybe check engine block grounds back to battery negative are clean, tight, with conductors that are thick copper that is not cut or damaged.

 

That is almost for sure the issue. The main engine ground strap isn’t connected properly, or it’s corroded to the point where the starter needs to find a new ground.

 

is the main engine ground the flat wire on the back of the cylinder head that connects to the firewall on the drivers side?

 

Yes that’s it

 

I also connected a ground from the alternator bracket to the ground point behind the battery, heavy gauge black wire with crimped terminals from box store, 2 or 3 feet as I recall. On my '94 there is also a flat braided ground from the block to the coil mount location.

 

Thanks for all the help I was able to find the loose ground wire and tied it back up again. Unfortunately now my parking brake cable is split in half and we'll have to be replaced

 

Good news. Hopefully the only damage is to the brake cable.

 

Where was the loose ground?