Two terminals on JD 650 starter (Can you look at yours)

[prs]

mitch becton; in your statement above: "if the post coming out the bottom is from the battery if not grounded will start frying stuff", instead of "grounded", did you mean insulated. The starter circuitry and almost everything else is negatively grounded by the mounting hardware to the frame and then the electron flow from the negative terminal of battery to the frame. Thus the requirement to avoid grounding (shorting) any positive connection to the frame directly.

I did look at my OE JD 650 wiring to the smaller post and the wire is red. Its boot (an original part also) is rubber. That pole is the positive feed to the starter solenoid switch.

prs

 

[mitch becton]

yes insulated is correct i over the years call things different also your starter would have come with a rubber boot if it has some age on it they now come with the bakealite cover to stop the jumping with screwdriver but still be done with heavy duty jumper wire one thing i was trying to say was the post coming out bottom is not original but in the starter alternator repair business you have to improvise to what will work.
now just to be funny the battery is not hooked up backwards is it we do work for a local tractor company one of their customers deep fried 2 alternators before i ask them to bring tractor to their shop went to see what was going on the owner bought new battery and hooked it up backwards and this will also reverse the polarity of battery moved cables installed new battery it has now 3 years all seems to be well