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Weak starter

Cadden

Cadden

1/2 ton status
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Oregon
Hey guys. Me again. I finally have enough together to attempt to start the jimmy! Woohoo.
But as the title states, my starter is super weak, turns over sometimes then slows down then clicks then will turn over another time or two, then nothing.

I have a good yellowtop optima battery fully charged. And now a new starter

I was thinking maybe its a ground issue, I have a ground (big nature size wire) going from around the fuel pump area to the frame, another big ground from the frame to the battery. A ground strap from the battery to the fender (just added this, it didn't seem to make any difference), and a ground strap from back of engine block to the firewall.

Where else should I check? And where else should I check or add ground connections? I'm losing voltage somewhere right?
 
Cadden said:
Hey guys. Me again. I finally have enough together to attempt to start the jimmy! Woohoo.
But as the title states, my starter is super weak, turns over sometimes then slows down then clicks then will turn over another time or two, then nothing.

I have a good yellowtop optima battery fully charged. And now a new starter

I was thinking maybe its a ground issue, I have a ground (big nature size wire) going from around the fuel pump area to the frame, another big ground from the frame to the battery. A ground strap from the battery to the fender (just added this, it didn't seem to make any difference), and a ground strap from back of engine block to the firewall.

Where else should I check? And where else should I check or add ground connections? I'm losing voltage somewhere right?
Click to expand...

Do you have another battery to try or a way to test amps? I've had batteries show charged but have low cranking amps. Also how are your terminal ends at the battery and the starter?
 
eclipse85k10 said:
Do you have another battery to try or a way to test amps? I've had batteries show charged but have low cranking amps. Also how are your terminal ends at the battery and the starter?
Click to expand...

Just got done cleaning all terminal ends up with a wire brush so nice and shiny.
I have a battery load tester as well, its showing strong readings when I load test it
 
Try jumping the "S" terminal on the solenoid to the battery cable next to it at the solenoid,see if it cranks over briskly then--if so,your not getting sufficient voltage to activate the solenoid thru the factory wiring,ignition switch and neutral safety switch..or the solenoid could be faulty..

If it still cranks slow and clicks---

Try hooking the load tester to the positive cable at the starter and to ground...then do the load test...if it shows "bad" then,it may be the cable is all corroded inside somewhere and is creating a big resistance..
I've had cables that look fine externally be nothing but green dust with a few strands left in one spot ..

Could be the starter itself,a solenoid with its contact disc inside might be arced and causing high resistance or the windings may be faulty..
 
Put your main ground on the engine nice clean cast iron, not a bracket. I use the front intake bolt. check your base timing is not overly advanced.
 
Well, I think I've found the culprit. Ignition switch started smoking, so im gonna go out on a limb and say that's causing the issues lol
 
Jumping the solenoid would confirm the switch is bad,as it by-passes it completely and delivers full 12V to the solenoid with no voltage drop.
 
After you fix your ignition, and if its still giving you problems, I had a new starter do that on me especially when warm. Had a Ford relay kit too.

Ended up taking back the new starter and got on of the 96 and newer Chevy truck gear reduction starters made by DB. No problems now except I did have to remove the Ford relay kit.

https://ck5.com/forums/threads/best-sbc-bbc-mini-starter.340945/

One I got:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0081SB77I/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
Shawn said:
After you fix your ignition, and if its still giving you problems, I had a new starter do that on me especially when warm. Had a Ford relay kit too.

Ended up taking back the new starter and got on of the 96 and newer Chevy truck gear reduction starters made by DB. No problems now except I did have to remove the Ford relay kit.

https://ck5.com/forums/threads/best-sbc-bbc-mini-starter.340945/

One I got:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0081SB77I/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Click to expand...

Wouldn't i need some kind of adapter for a newer starter since mine bolts up to the bell housing?
 
Edit-
You are right, you might have a starter that mounts to the bellhousing. My bad.

I thought they all bolted to the engine bock that year.

What year did that change?
 
Last edited:
hmm interesting. I never thought about changing a bell housing mount starter for a engine mount starter. I figured the fly wheel would dictate which is needed.
 
It might be possible to change over to the better style starter as long as the engine has the bolt holes for the starter and the flywheel teeth match. Just not sure on the details but I'm sure someone here has done it.
 
I used a starter I had that bolted to the block,on another car's engine, on my '72 K5 ,that had the bell housing mounted starter (SM465 trans), by swapping the nose off the original starter ,it swaps pretty easily..two long thru bolts and the solenoid need to come off to get the nose off..

I cant recall if you could just bolt a block mounted starter on,I think the old cast iron bell housings might not allow the block mount starter to fit ..you may be stuck using the bell housing mount type..not sure if those later starters would accept the old bell housing style nose cone,they might..all the starters I've had were 1987 or older..
 
I use a Powermaster 9200 starter ... looked on Amazon and pretty cheap alternative is this one $65
Rareelectrical 3 HP HIGH TORQUE MINI STARTER COMPATIBLE WITH SBC BBC CHEVY 9200 12560019 12563829 12570230 12564108 12570823 COMPATIBLE WITH 168 TOOTH FLYWHEEL
 
Post this on other thread needs to be here too.

So the big cast iron bell housing originally came on 60's and early 70's trucks with manual trans, has 14.13" flywheel.
The Aluminum bell housing they came on cars and later trucks uses 12.008" fly wheel.
Iirc you cannot put the aluminum bell housing on the 14.13" flywheel, but the cast iron bell housing will fit either fly wheel.
So the fly wheel does dictate the starter style needed.
 
Ok, update. After replacing ignition switch, and its connector. It looked real bad and wires were not in good shape. It cranked once then went back to clicking.

I triple checked wires.

Then it dawned on me, I checked the flywheel area where the starter engages and it was still extended out. If I turn the motor just a smidge by hand it pops back or if I just bump it with a screwdriver.

So, do I just need to shim it? That's not something I've ever done before
 
Yeah the drive is to close to the flywheel, but I don't recall how to do that style starter.

Ideally a 1/16" drill bit between the root of tooth on flywheel and starter drive tooth.
edit: drill size
 
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