1978 GMC C20 starting issues

[scaryskippy]

I took out the starter and replaced it as the bendix gear was not retracting back into the starter and was intermittently ticking the flywheel when driving. Old starter was weird...had an aluminum mount for the engine block with the starter mounted to the mount and the bolts were inline...not offset or diagnal like the new one. I mounted and hooked up the wire...batt to the big terminal...2 others to the other wire on the solenoid. When I turn the key it doesn't even click. I have juice at the batt terminal on the starter. I'm not sure how to proceed at this point. The starter has a shim kit if needed but there is no reason, in my mind,that it would not even click without shimming. The ignition sequence of electrical wonderment is not reaching the starter...halp?
Thanks for reading this.
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