I just recently picked up my first piece of American iron. It's a 1972 F100 2wd with a 360 and it's an auto. I had it running for a couple of days but now I am running into a problem I can't solve. I am getting no power to the starter side of my starter solenoid. First I thought the solenoid was bad so I replaced that to no avail. Then I read on here a good trick is to run a wire from the neg side of the battery to the mounting bolt of the solenoid to insure your getting good ground. Did that and still nothing. Last thing I did was replace the battery and the ignition switch and still not firing. It doesn't make any noise when I turn the key just dead silent. So I figured after searching around here for 2 weeks and not figuring it out I'd just bite the bullet and ask the professionals. I'm normally the type to just throw money at a problem until its fixed but with this truck I don't wanna pour any more money in than I have to. So here I am asking, anybody got any ideas?

 

Hmm I'd say the ign switch wire coming to the solenoid is at fault. You can test it by running a jumper wire from the Batt +hot term. to the small little (S)terminal, This should be a Red & Green stripped wire. It's the first little terminal Next to the Hot cable Batt. terminal on the solenoid coming from the batt. When contact is made your starter should spin the motor over. Most the time it's the ign switch plug that pushes onto the back of the switch. The switch with the round type contact pins that have the problem with the the black plug that slips over the round pins. A replacement pigtail plug can be ordered for it at some of the classic parts suppliers... my 2cents
Welcome to the site hope this helps.
orich

 

Sounds like neutral safety switch. Jumper from + batt to "S" term of solenoid as suggested. Double check ground to engine block.

 

I think napa and autozone sell the pigtail, search under ignition switch connector. I just had to replace mine but got it from the junkyard. Are your cables in good shape, clean.

 

Alright so I put the key in the on position and jumped the s post on the solenoid and she fire right up....

 

Neutral safety switch would still be my guess.

 

(gfw) "Neutral safety switch would still be my guess"
Good call as, I forget about them having only stick shift trucks..
Orich

 

You may have lost the little metal tab that fits on the top of your steering column and moves the neutral safety switch **** back and forth when you shift gears. The NSS is on top of the steering column up under the dash...it bolts to the top of the column. You can bypass it by moving the ****/slider all the way left and then zip tie it in place. But it will start in any gear this way, so it is best as only a temporary fix until you can replace the metal shift tab or the switch itself if it is bad...it has an electrical connection on the back.