Wiring issues

Ok, I am trying to get my '62 Falcon running after it sat in someone's garage for a decade. I am getting a pretty hot (to the touch) Positive battery cable a minute after I connect it and as soon as I turn the key from the Acc. position to the off position, it tries to turn over. I tried looking at the wiring diagram and so far, the van seems to be correct (after I eliminated some crappy stereo wiring someone added) but that is hard to tell. Not sure if the wiring off the ignition switch is correct.
Here is a few things I did once I got the van if that helps narrow things down:
New cap/rotor, plugs, wires, coil, starter solenoid (mounted on the doghouse), and a new battery.

Any suggestions? I am usually pretty decent with wiring and always had my old Chevys dialed in but being new to Fords has me feeling like an amateur.

Thanks!!

Hard to say without knowing what’s hooked up to where, but let’s look at what we do know for sure. If the positive cable is getting hot, the only thing that normally causes that issue is the starter circuit. You replaced the solenoid – is it wired correctly? Without any energizing current to it, see if there is continuity between the 2 big poles. If there is, the solenoid is stuck closed, but it sounds like you have the solenoid being activated from the off position on the switch, and since off is OFF, something is not right at the switch. The solenoid and switch can contribute to the problem you have, but if that were all of it, the starter would still turn over and the cable wouldn’t get hot – it would just engage the starter in the wrong key position. My guess would be that the starter is binding internally, is shorted, the pinion teeth are jammed into the ring gear, or the engine is seized. I would drop the starter down and have it bench tested. If you haven’t had the engine running (since you’ve owned it), get a breaker bar on the crankshaft nut and make sure the engine’s not stuck. Whatever you do, don’t hook the positive cable back up until you find the cause – electrical fires and battery explosions are not a pretty picture!

I double checked the wiring on the solenoid and it all seems to be connected properly. I know the motor turns by hand so that isn't an issue. I will check the starter and the relay (solenoid) this weekend to see if its binded up or stuck. The solenoid is brand new but I'll check it anyway.
I will also grab a new ignition switch this week to be safe. Plus I'll know that's new as well as the solenoid to eliminate any suspicions there. My other concern is the wiring to the ignition switch itself. I know the rubber plug of wires that connect to it seems to have a stock set up but the center "pole"/screw on the switch had a bunch of extra radio wires (old owner nonsense) before and now it only has two (that seemed necessary) connected to it. One black w/ green stripe wire (goes to back of instrument panel I believe) and another green wire (goes to wiper switch). Besides looking at the starter/solenoid, I need to investigate the wires on the ignition switch. Anyone have any pics of theirs or more specifics on that wiring?
Thanks again!! Can't wait to get this old girl running.

I'd check all the grounds. Fords like a good ground. The solenoid to the doghouse, doghouse to the engine, Battery to the engine. Double check all your cables well. Old crusy cables can cause all kinds of problems.

Duane in Tennessee

Sounds like a short to ground to me. My A van had a similar issue as the starter feed cable would short to the body when I turned the key. My solution was to replace all the wiring in the van.

You can test for this with a trouble light. ground it to the battery and tap around the body and engine with the key on. if it lights at all, you have a short somewhere...

Thanks for the input Econopoor, Dawgboy and 66e100pu!  
Here is the update on my wiring.  So after following all the advice here I found out that when I disconnected the negative cable from the battery, with the positive cable still connected, I have 12v still on the negative cable itself.  So I begin testing further and it seems like my whole engine has a 12v current going through it.  I disconnected the positive cable between the solenoid and starter, and removed the ground cable completely and I am still getting the 12v on the engine.  So to sum it up, there are 12v going through the whole block, manifold, on both terminals of the coil (even with the wire from the ignition switch disconnected) while the negative cable is removed completely so the battery (-) terminal isn't grounded to anything and the starter cable is disconnected.  Hope this isn't too confusing.
Any new input?
While I think I am going to have to rewire the whole van this winter to avoid future issues, I do want to figure out this gremlin so I can at least try to get her running this summer to tackle any mechanical issues it might have.
Thanks!!!

=exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is possible to have 12v on the disconnected earth cable, if he is connecting his voltmeter to the battery earth terminal, which is how i read it.

Yes, if something is drawing current, but it is not possible for the entire block to be "hot" if the negaitive cable is disconnected from the battery.

It doesn't matter whether anything is drawing current. If the block is somehow connected to the positive side of the battery, it would potentially be at 12v, even with the negative on the battery disconnected. No current is present, as there is no complete path, but as soon as you connect a voltmeter between the battery negative and the block, the reading will be 12v.
Its obviously not as simple as a direct short, as the cables would have melted long ago, but something would appear to be amiss somewhere.

Is it possable to have a possative wire go to ground and not spark. Maybe through a gauge or resister or something like that? I only ask cus I don't no. I no whenever I have grounded a wire there is usally smoke that fallows...lol. And if this is posable, maybe just isolate the engine from the rest of the wiring harness and hook up a temporary ignition switch and try to get the motor running first. I'm thinking if there is a short somewhere, it's feeding back through the motor somehow from the gauges or lights or maybe your original ignition is fried. I don't no just thowing this out there.

"It doesn't matter whether anything is drawing current. If the block is somehow connected to the positive side of the battery, it would potentially be at 12v, even with the negative on the battery disconnected. No current is present, as there is no complete path, but as soon as you connect a voltmeter between the battery negative and the block, the reading will be 12v.
Its obviously not as simple as a direct short, as the cables would have melted long ago, but something would appear to be amiss somewhere."


Uh, it does matter - you can't have a meter reading without current draw.  If the block is "hot" when you connect the connect the meter the path IS completed and will show a current draw.  That means that some circuit is shorted to the block itself ... without blowing a fuse or melting a wire??  Not likely.  The starter circuit is the simplest one to diagnose.  Its the cables, the solenoid, ground strap, or the starter, period.  Trace it out step by step, this isn't rocket science.

Ok,  I did a quick check tonight after work and with positive cable connected to the battery and the negative cable not connected, the test light comes on between the negative cable and the negative battery terminal.  I am not getting any current on the side of the solenoid that goes to the starter.  That appears to be a decent sign for the solenoid.  
My new question from reading your suggestions is this:
Where are the exact grounds related to this circuit?  I have the ground cable from the battery to the block.  The solenoid is grounded to the doghouse, correct?  and where I am concerned is the starter.  Is there a ground off the starter?  I only see one cable (positive cable from solenoid) going to the starter.  
Thanks again guys.  You are really helping me out and I appreciate your thoughts.

Ok, so the test light is lighting up, but that could just be because something in the system is drawing current with the ignition off. When you connect the test light, you are completing the circuit, and putting a bulb in series with the other load, so it will light. The doesn't necessarily mean that there is a problem with a short. You only need a negative cable going to the engine block, and one to a decent place on the bodywork. The starter motor is earthed through its body, to the block. I would remove everything you can, including the starter relay. Disconnect the positive terminal from the battery, and then connect the other end that usually connects to the relay, and the cable that goes to the starter together with a bolt or something. Then gently place the positive battery cable back on the positive battery terminal, and see if the starter kicks in. You will get a few sparks as the terminal makes contact, but if you do it quickly this will be ok. If the starter kicks in then you know this is ok. I have seen a starter short out before now, caused by somebody over tightening the connection causing the terminal post to turn round. 
Once the starter has been tested you need to work your way back to the starter relay, but try the starter motor first.

So as it turns out, my van has no ground cable from the engine to the frame. If its supposed to be there, it isn't. The PO really did a number with the electrical in this van. 
So if I am to add a ground from the engine block to a frame rail, can that ground cable be mounted to the engine in the same (coil mount) hole that the ground cable from the battery attaches to?  If not, any suggestions?
Thanks!!

That will be fine.