starter problems

[crazy15]

then-july 2006. pretty much every first time i turn the key it made a... noise, kinda a mix between a beep and a bzzz, the previous owner said it was because the starter gear wasn't lined up properly.
now-dec 2007. a little while ago i left school fine, it started same as always, no complaints. i drove for about 10 minutes then stopped again, for roughly 5 mins. got back in, and it did its usual beezzzzpp thing for the first turn, and the second... and continued then, nothing but a thunk when i turn the key, the blower fan also turns off ('73 no off for the blower) at the same time as the thunk happens.

so, i bought the LMC starter repair kit and repaired the starter and just spent 2 very wet and muddy hours putting it back in and... thunk.

could this be a short? or a low battery? or is the solenoid gone.

any info would be great, its too wet and dark for me to pull the batt out right now, but tomorrow i will and charge it.

any thing you guys know would be appriciated

Thanks

[crazy15]

hey guys, i really need help on this...

[beaterC10]

It sounds like you have a power problem. Check to see if the battery is good, check the battery cable connections, and check the alternator output.

[crazy15]

bump

[piecesparts]

You know, the starter issues for these models of trucks have been BIG for years. I finally went with a POWERMASTER magnetic starter on mine and when I installed it, I ensured that it was adjusted right to the flexplate by using a large paperclip as the "Feeler Gauge" to measure the proper .022 gap needed in the gear mesh. I have headers and the heat soak issue was big on mine. Yours sounds as if there is either a bad solenoid or a bad battery cable connection. You would do good to replace the solenoid and the cable at the same time. Is the battery in good shape, does it give off a good voltage? I had a battery once get to the point that the sidemount positive post was not make a good connection INSIDE the battery and had to replace it.


I have a 168 tooth flexplate, so I had to get the offset bolt pattern starter POWER MASTER #9526. The hookup was a two wire connection on the outside of the starter and not up in the dark corner of where the solenoid sets.

[67Cowboy]

I've had the same problem in the past; and because I usually keep an extra starter waiting I did the whole swap thing wasting half a Saturday. Come to find out although the surface of my battery cable was still clean and still had the vasoline on it the inside and bottom was all corroded up powdery-and-green. so after mixing some baking soda and water in a Wendy's plastic cup I dunked the end of the cable in and boy did she bubble ! After a good soak I went to work on it with my steel-wire cable cleaning brush and cleaned the post on the battery as well. All was shiney and clean so I put a good coating of Dialectric grease all over the posts and cables and PRESTO all my troubles was solved and she cranks as soon as I bump the key !!!

[sick69]

Along with what was stated above you may want to check your ground aswell. If your not getting a good ground at the engine it will cause the some of the same problems you've described

Frank

[old Rusty C10]

first thing i would do is to check the cable ends and the grounds and other connections.. brush em off and make sure all are nice and snug... if for some reason you have side terminals on your truck, really have at em with a wire brush.. check the batteryvoltage and the fluid in it and then see how it goes

[crazy15]

thanks you guys.

i was looking through the manual (as i have replaced the solenoid and i got the kit from LMC for the starter and it still isn't working) and there "is a switch" that supposedly stop the starter from engaging when the truck is in gear. could this be broken and not doing its job right? if this could be it, does anyone have any idea where it might be? i really need to know today, before it gets dark, so in like an hour at most.

if anyone knows where it could be LET ME KNOW! I need this truck running by tomorrow as i need it to go pick up an engine!

thanks

tor

[piecesparts]

Originally Posted by crazy15

thanks you guys.

i was looking through the manual (as i have replaced the solenoid and i got the kit from LMC for the starter and it still isn't working) and there "is a switch" that supposedly stop the starter from engaging when the truck is in gear. could this be broken and not doing its job right? if this could be it, does anyone have any idea where it might be? i really need to know today, before it gets dark, so in like an hour at most.

if anyone knows where it could be LET ME KNOW! I need this truck running by tomorrow as i need it to go pick up an engine!

thanks

tor

Lets go through this from the start. The truck makes a buzzing/beeping noise when you try to start it. You were told the starter is misaligned by the PO and you have been dealing with this since July. In most cases if the starter is misaligned there will be a couple sounds that you might hear. The first sond MIGHT be a HARD clanginig sound when the starter tries to hit the flexplate, this would possibly mean that it is to close to the flexplate. The second sound would be a HIGH PITCHED squealling sound if the starter is to far from the flexplate. (These noises will be really loud) Did you EVER have the starter adjustment checked for proper spacing. The gap is usually .022 at the top of the starter drive gear tooth to the bottom of the flexplate gear tooth. this can be checked by using a big paperclip as a wire gauge feeler and inserting it between the teeth as they are messed in the start position. This takes a little time, but is worth the effort when done right. I usually take th esolenoind off of the starter and then mount it to the engine. once there, I pull the solenoid part forward to get the starter drive gear into the flexplat teeth. Next I insert the wire gauge into the grooves betweent the teeth (Make sure the teeth are rotated where they are aligned with each other). Go to this website and see what I am talking about: http://www.popularmechanics.com/how_...31.html?page=2



You stated that you purchased a starter kit from LMC and repaired the starter---did you just consider going to an autoparts store and purchase a rebuilt starter? Surely Manny, Moe and Jack has starters available. You did replace the starter solenoid, when you rebuilt the starter, it still could be your whole problem, if you don't have good voltage going through it. Is the arm inside the starter wore out? That is the one that the solenoid actuates to move the starter drive into place for the cranking sequence. The starter internal electrical windings could be bad and that is another source of problems.

As for the switch that blocks cranking the starter when the truck is not in park or neutral. If you have a truck with an automatic transmission, hat switch is on top of the steering column (inside the cab, under the dash) close to the firewall. It is half moon shaped and ususally white in color. It has two heavy wires going to it (some also have two smaller wires going to it for your backup lights) and they are your ignition circuit interruption to the starter. If that switch is not making up the starter would NOT make any noise, because no voltage would get to the solenoid to actuate it.

Did you ever check the battery voltage and see if you are getting good volts to the truck? Did you replace the battery cables to ensure that you have a good connection? Both the ground and the positive need to be in solid condition. The connections to the starter and the connections to the ground bolts need to be clean and good. If I were you I would put on new battery cables, no matter what and look into a complete new starter.