New truck wont crank

[boggerted]

Im buying a 1989 F-superduty with a 7.3 IDI that right now wont crank. I know the engine isnt siezed, but when you turn the key to start, the fender mounted solenoid clicks and the coolant temp gaauge rises, but no crank. What should I look for? Also, where is the GP solenoid? thanks

[Dave Sponaugle]

Glow plug solenoid on an 89 is usually on the rear of the intake manifold.

Do you here a second click from low on the passenger side of the motor?

There is a second solenoid mounted on the starter.

No crank issues are usually a dead battery, bad connections or a dead starter.

You need two good batteries, at least 850 CCA each.
All electrical connections need to be clean and tight.

Excessive cranking (more than 20 seconds without a cool down period of two minutes) is what usually kills the starter.

Also inspect the battery cables going in and out of the passenger side battery terminal on the positive post.
If the insulation is brittle and discolored, you may have internal corrosion and a bad connection in that clamp.

[boggerted]

I only hear one click, but why are ther two solenoids for the starter? The connections all seem tight and clean. Ill check the batteries tomorrow.

[FORD MEGA CAB!!!]

Also, The solonoid on the fender can click but not make contact. I change bad ones all the time at work that click but don't make connection. I would turn the key on and make sure the truck is in netural or park with park brake set and jump the 2 larger bolts on the solonoid with a pair of plyiers, screw driver or something else and see what happens. Also, tapping on the starter some helps in some situations.
And like posted above by dave, definatly check all the electrical connections from the battery to the starter and that your batteries are fully charged.

And the reason for 2 solonoids is because the starter solonid uses more current than the ignition switch and wires in the dash to handle. So to bypass that problem, they put a frame mounted relay (or solonoid if you want to call it) on the fender that can handle the extra current without make the wiring a coupple guages bigger.. Also, since it does require alot of current just to kick in the solonoid on the starter, you would have a large voltage drop across all the wiring through the dash so by putting in the relay cuts down on the distance from the battery to the starter solonoid. And a relay is much easier to replace than an ignition switch.

And for terms, I think ford and international call the solonoid on the fender a relay (since thats is all it is) and the starter has a solonoid. Good luck

[Dodge/Cummins]

Tapping the starter sometimes works and it's worth a try to get it going, but if it does your brushes are shot, REPLACE IT NOW!
My truck did the same thing about 3-weeks ago. It had bad brushes as well as excess cranking that fried the brush holder done by the former owner repedely "cranking" the air out the fuel system to get it started.

[boggerted]

Well, I did some more work on i today, and it seems that the relay is functioning, as when you turn the key to start, 12v is present on both sides of the relay. However, the starter mounted solenoid doesnt click or do anything. I tried to jump that solenoid, but couldnt fit a screwdriver in there to make a good enough contact, only sparks. Can I inspect the solenoid to see if its bad?

[Dodge/Cummins]

If you "jump" the studs and all you get is sparks the solenoid on the starter is either shot or the drive (some times called a bendix although that's a brand name of a drive) is stuck in the ring gear teeth.
It's not that hard to pull the starter and check it with jumper cables.
Put it in a vice, put power to it, put a load on the drive with a wood hammer handle or something (if it spins) to see if it has any torque left to it. You should not be able to stop the drive. BE CAREFULL doing this! Don't grind your fingers off in the nose housing.
If the starter spins but doesn't kick out the drive it's your solenoid. If the drive kicks out but doesn't spin it's your starter motor, probably just the brushes.

[boggerted]

Okay, ill pull the starter. How many bolts hold it to the bell housing? I dont want to miss one and damage the bell housing. Also, if the solenoid on the starter is faulty, can you replace just the solenoid?

[mejonz]

should be three two are pretty easy one kinda tough universal and extention and patients it'll come out

[PLC7.3]

Disconnect batteries before doing any starter removal....... live wires.

Do and inspection of the pax fender wiring...... there is a large plug with orange and black wires it can melt.

[Dodge/Cummins]

You definitely can replace just the solenoid. If you have a good/honest rebuilder around there you might pull the tail cap off and look at the brushes and if they are worn down and replace them or have them replaced.
When you pull the tail cap off the brushes are springloaded against the armature (shaft dealy inside of motor).
To reinstall the cap put the brushes back into the holder and let the srpings hold them in place.
They will not touch the armature until you get the tail cap and brush holder started back into the motor.
Once the brushes are partly into position over the contact patch on the armature, push the brushes through so they are bearing on the armature by the srings.
Then push the tailcap all the way on and bolt it back together.
Some brushe's wires are soldered in and others are srewed in. The scewed in ones anyone could replace, the soldered ones are tougher.

[David85]

There should be 3 wires to the starter solenoid (the one right on the starter). Two large ones that provide the cranking amps and a third one that is much smaller that actually activates the solenoid. If that smaller wire is damaged, or disconnected all you will get is a click when you try and crank the engine. With a test light you should have 12V in that smaller wire with the ingition in the "start" position.

[AndysFords]

Is it a manual? If so, roll it down a hill and pop the clutch to see if it will start.

[boggerted]

yes its a manual. Another guy got the truck to run that way a week ago, so I was just going to try and fix the electrical problem since I know it runs. David, Ill check with a test light that third small wire on the solenoid like you said, and will post back.

[Dave Sponaugle]

If the starter/battery wiring is stock, you have one large wire 3/0 going down from the passenger side battery positive post.

Then you have a smaller 10 AWG wire that comes down from the relay mounted on the fender, this is the solenoid trigger wire, battery power on that wire activates the solenoid.

The other large wire on the solenoid is battery power out to the starter motor.
Some starters have a copper bus bar on the out terminal to the starter instead of a wire.