i have a 1971 f-250. i put a 460 in it and it was running for about 6 months. one day i tried to start it and nothing. i began to remove and replace parts. first one to go was the solenoid then the starter and still nothing. then i cleaned off every connection then charged the battery and still nothing. i took all the wires off the solenoid but the battery to eliminate any wires going to the cabin. then jumped it and you guessed it, nothing. i have ground wires in several places and cleaned them too. come on now really. these old trucks are pretty basic.even in the old days high school kids worked on them. i figure i might not be as smart as a high school kid any more. can anybody think up anything i forgot. is there a fuse for the starter system? i am 73 years old and my memory isn't what it used to be. thanks

 

Time to use a volt meter instead of parts guessing.A good battery should measure atleast 12.6v no load. Do the headlights dim when you try to start? Does the solenoid click?That would tell a lot.
Place the leads of your voltmeter across the battery while someone tries to start the engine.You should have atleast 11v present UNDER LOAD. Has the battery been tested?? You would then need to measure all connections at the solenoid while trying to start the engine. Depending on your findings, you have to systematically measure heading towards the starter or upstream of the solenoid if nothing is measured at the small stud on the solenoid. Keep in mind, measuring statically means little. You have to make measurements under load.It may also be a good idea to run a heavy ground cable down to one of the starter's mounting bolt.

 

thanks for the reply. i got to thinking maybe it's the solenoid or the battery. the solenoid is a unknown as it was a used one. i am going to take the one off a car i know works and another battery and see. i have the solenoid on the fender wheel. i have large cables on all of this.

 

Like I said, if you have a volt meter, you can determine if the solenoid is bad much quicker than swapping parts.However, if you do swap, make sure the solenoid's mounting surface is clean. That is the ground connection for it.
I have to admit, I have yet to encounter a bad solenoid.They are very reliable and replaced often for no reason.

 

The contacts inside the relay do become pitted and deteriorate with use over time.
Have had relays where voltage drop was sufficient to prevent full operation of starter motor.
When you see enough of this problem you learn to take nothing for granted and verify good performance and voltage drop of no more than .02 volts. checking under load , that is when attempting to start the engine..
The better way to do the check is at the starter , and if there is any question, do voltage drop tests to verify condition of battery cables and all connections involved.

 

well i changed the solenoid and battery and i know they are good. still nothing. i checked both sides of the solenoid and there is power and it clicks real strong though. the only thing i haven't replaced is the cable going down to the starter. i'll try that and see what happens. i haven't spent any money so far except a new starter.

 

well i went ahead and bought a new solenoid and cables and still nothing. i got to thinking and realized that the ground from the battery goes to the block. i put a ground wire from the starter to the frame and one from the block to the frame and what do you know it started. now my problem is that after i hit the key start it sounds like a box of rocks in a cement mixer. is there a shim that is used on these?.

 

When you replaced the starter , did you compare the replacement to the old starter assy?

There is a difference between starter motor housings for a vehicle with a std trans as compared to one with an automatic trans.

 

no i didn't check it. i told the guy at napa it was an auto trans but who knows. i am going by napa tomorrow and i am going to ask.

thanks for the reply