ok I had cranking issues and made a thread about a week or so ago. I figured out its not my batteries. I had the alternator bench tested and it was hitting right on the "minimum" mark. assuming this was the problem, I bought a new alternator and installed it. cleaned the battery clamp/posts and made sure they were snug fit tight. and whoosh it fired up. Assuming I fixed it. I drive it about 10min down the road, cut it off. come back out, it doesn't do anything when I turn the key, "wait to start" light isn't visible, radio works lights and stuff work. When i turned the key all the way over.. sometimes the starter would click very fast, sometimes it wouldn't. it's a 5spd so I got someone to pull me off. I drive it home, cut it off, fires right back up no problems. cut it off again, fires right back up no problems. The sound when I turn the key all the way over was sometimes dead silent which I think could be a starter solenoid going bad? or is my starter maybe going bad? i didn't try tapping the back of it with a hammer, which I should have at the time. or maybe I have bad battery terminals/wiring? if anyones ever had a similar issue any advice would be appreciated. afterall I think I need to take this new alternator and get my money back if I can? the new one benchtested better than the old one though? and the new one has lifetime warranty. keep the new one in or take it back? thank you all.

 

Clean all your connections! At the battery and the starter. Same thing happened to mine cleaned the battery post and the starter solenoid wire and it started right up.

 

sounds like mine, i had the cable on the starter from the body to the solenoid rot out and it had the off and on starts. It could also be the neutral safety switch equivalent on your clutch pedal. If it starts sometimes and not others, it isnt the alternator. Check the starter itself, the fender solenoid, and if it has an external voltage regulator, check there too!

 

Had same problem cleaned wires realy good and was solnoid on starter.

 

yep they can get all gummed up and start to lose connectivity. When this happens it will be erratic starts at best and sometimes strand you.

 

did you say it died or you shut it off and restarted it

 

no it never died. I mean't cut it off myself, then started it back up. guess ill check my connections to my solenoids and what not but im not for sure of their location

 

well somebody wanted me to post after i got done I think. i dont know ifanyone will even look at this but got my bad boy back up and running after replacing the alternator, the starter, the fender solenoid on the framewall, and fuel filter. the factory starter was on the truck so that made it about 20 years old. ole bucky is back on the road so watch out.

 

I don't know if you fixed your problem or not but 91 was acting up to. It was a bad ignition switch.