My truck wouldn't start yesterday, and I think my starter is going bad because so much oil is leaking on it. I need to replace my valve cover gaskets. I can't do both right now, so do I do the gaskets first and hope the starter holds out, or do I do the starter and leak oil into the new one. I think I should do the gaskets first, but I need the truck to start and get me to work each day. I've never tried the bang on it arcing trick, but I could do that in the mean time. Advice? Thanks

 

Why do you think the starter is going bad? What are the symptoms?
If the starter is going bad, I would replace it first. If the starter craps out, the leaking v/c gasket will be a non-issue and you won't be going to work or any place else.

 

Replace the valve cover gaskets.

Then pull the starter and take it apart and clean it up, that might fix it? Or take it to a auto parts store and get it checked.

Stopping the oil leak above the starter is what I would do 1st and I would not do the bang on it arcing trick, that is an emergency trick, not a DD trick.

If cleaning it does not fix it, then get a ride (car pool) to work till you can replace the starter. There has to be a person at work that help you with a ride, offer some gas $ and or once the truck is fixed, offer them a car pool ride.

 

I'm pretty sure it's the starter because I have battery power and spark, and it just won't turn over. The starter is original to the truck and oil was getting all over it and causing smoke. I will probably bite the bullet and just do both. I've never replaced a starter before, but it seems easy.

 

When you are in the parts store, bite a little harder and get a Chilton or Hanes older Ford truck basic repair manual like $ 12.00.

Disconnect the battery first, remove 2 bolts and its out. I would still get it bench tested 1st....

 

Neither is a hard job to get done. The valve cover should be just a gasket, or if you are in a bind a tube of RTV.

The starter is just disconnecting the battery, two bolts and a wire to the starter. Very simple job that should only take a half hour. I think the starter I had warrantied cost 35 dollars to the previous owner.

 

Thanks, all. I think I'm going to do both, and I appreciate the help. I am slowly learning, and I'll get the repair manual.

 

FYI, I just ordered a Chilton manual on amazon for $5.25, including shipping.

 

Even a better price, but having to wait for it is a PITA. There are some on line places that have a full Ford repair manual on CD for like 30 bucks.

 

How does one check for spark without turning the engine over? Unless you're working the points by hand, which is cheating. It's a moot point; if the engine doesn't even turn over, spark doesn't matter.

Why is it "urgent" to figure out what to do about leaky valve cover gaskets (show me an old motor that doesn't have that problem) if the starter is on the way out? What are the actual symptoms? You didn't answer Mike's question, and I have that same question.

 

My truck is my daily driver and I have to fix it tonight or tomorrow. My question was more about whether it made sense to replace or fix the starter when it's just going to get oil in it again until I change the gasket. It's throwing oil like crazy. I have decided to just do both at the same time.

The truck is starting after not starting for me yesterday, but the symptoms were/are:
-whining noise
-delay sometimes when starting; like it took a second to 'catch'
-oil leaking and smoking on the starter
-not starting at all yesterday
-battery is good
-ignition is good

 

Yes it make very good sense to stop the oil leak, then attempt to fix the starter. Then replace it, if you can't and are sure that the starter is the problem and not a elec connection or some other elec device.

They bench test them for free....

 

Fwiw, I've done both recently. Valve cover gaskets should be around $12/set and take maaaaaybe an hour to do, quicker if you had done it before. Starters are cheap, $40 or less usually for me and takes about the same.

My valve cover was spraying out it leaked so bad. Side note, after two sets of gaskets I found out it was my valve cover causing the issue.

***Do yourself a favor and power wash the engine bay before working, it's much less messy. :P

 

I've done both of these recently, and they're both very simple jobs... The valve cover gaskets are extremely simple, requiring that you just unbolt the valve covers, scrape off any remaining bits of old gasket, and put the new ones on.

The starter I also did a month or so ago... It's only connected by two bolts. Then one bolt for the wire to the starter. This is literally a 30 min to 1 hour job including a bit of cleaning and poking around.

PM if you are in need of help.

 

If there's enough oil you could be losing the ground to the mount (seeping between the starter and bell housing mounting surface) and the reason it takes awhile to catch is it has to burn away the oil before it gets it's needed ground back .. At the very least you have to pull the starter out and clean it if you want to keep it running/working as others have suggested above .. If your going to continue lubricating the starter from the valve cover then pull out one of the mounting bolts and clean all the excess oil on the bolt and starter (use brake clean) now run a ground cable from mounting bolt to a metal cleaned spot on the frame .. Spray the bolted areas to seal the contacted .. How many quarts of oil have you had to add with this leak .. Certainly enough that the cost would have payed for some stinking valve cover gaskets

Why is oil not a conductor of electricity ?

For a fluid to conduct electricity it must contain electrolytes.