So my 301 has been getting hard to start when the motor was hot. Not unusual for Pontiacs when the exhaust pipe is so close to the motor case. I had a couple of spare starters so I figured why not clean one up and swap it in- easy peasy. NOT! Aside from the serious lack of room to wiggle the starter out- when I tried to unscrew the cable nut- it shattered the plastic solenoid cover. OK, so I get a spare and I open the solenoid to sand the terminals and disc for good clean contact. I put it in and as soon as I hook up the positive battery cable I get smoke from the starter solenoid. That ain't good. Out it comes and it smells really burnt. I open it up and I think the solenoid disc had hit the "S" terminal wiring, probably my own stupid fault. I go get my last starter and begin testing it out. Works great on the bench. Hook it to the car wiring and it is dead. Hmmm. Now what? I begin testing and it looks like there is a short to ground in the starter wiring now. I check everything, the ignition switch, clutch switch, wiring, and the short appears to be in the main harness, perhaps even at the bulkhead connector.Rats! But I been there, done that. I will just run a new wire from the clutch switch all the way to the starter and cut out the offending wires. Nice filthy greasy PITA job getting a new 10 gauge wire into the existing harness and conduit. Install starter and new wire, test and the starter spins great. As I replace the items back to the ignition switch all check out and work fine. All back together and the starter is working fine with the key again. So how do I go from hard to start when hot to a direct short to ground?!? Did I skewer the solenoid- or not? Did that short the starter wire too? I don't know, or care. New wire- and all is well.