I have a 74 f-350 super camper special with a 390 and a c-6, it just recently started giving me problems with starting, every few starts or so when i turn the key instead of the starter engaging i just get a click from the solenoid like my battery is dead, even when hooked up to a jump box, the only way to get it to start is to take it out of park and try starting it in some other gear, i know it isn't a neural safety switch problem because it still doesn't work even when jumping the solenoid, i just replaced the starter and solenoid and still having the same problems, if anyone can help me figure this out it would be greatly appreciated!

 

bad ignition switch maybe

 

i don't think it's the ignition switch because even when i jump the solenoid it still doesn't start

 

Jumping the solenoid narrows it down to starter cable, starter itself or ground wire to block. It should turn over. Not actually starting is another matter.

 

i have to good 0 gauge grounds, one to the exhaust manifold, and one to the frame, and the starter cable seems to be in good shape, when it just clicks i can get it to crank and start by shifting through the gears and starting it in reverse, but i don't know what would cause that to help

 

It sounds like the contact disc inside the solenoid it becoming corroded, They do get old.

 

These are two contradicting pieces of information. So, there are two possibilities:

1) there is more to the story that you've left out, OR
2) your description of the problem and the steps you've taken is unclear.

Please, very clearly, describe what you're doing to jump the solenoid. I should be able to repeat your instructions to a tee on my own truck without having to ask for clarification.

 

the problem is it is just clicking instead of starting but only every once in a while, in order to get it to crank i have to shift through the gears and it will usually start in revers, i have switched the solenoid and starter with no results, by jumping the solenoid i mean using a length of wire to run from the positive battery termial to the solenoids s terminal to cause it to crank, but i still just get a click unless i shift through all the gears

 

If the starter solenoid clicks at all, then the neutral safety switch is not at fault; this is corroborated by the fact that jumping the solenoid produces the same results. What lead you to try shifting through the gears in the first place? You're saying this action alone makes it go from simply clicking, to full-on cranking?

 

With the new information, forget what I posted. fmc400 will guide you thru it.

 

i originally just tried shifting through the gears because i was completely out of ideas after being stuck up on a mountain trail with no phone reception for 2 hours, and yes after shifting a few times it will crank and start with no problems

 

If you're saying it clicks (as in the solenoid engages) properly in PARK like it should, but won't go forward with CRANKING until moving through the gears, then there literally is no explanation for that. Something else is going on that is making it appear that shifting through the gears is what is solving the problem (red herring). That, or we're not in sync communication-wise.

 

sadly that is literally all the information, it does engage, you can hear the solenoid make a contact, yet the starter wont crank unless i shift through the gears, i know it doesn't make sense, i've been working on old fords for years and most of my friends are mechanics yet we have no explanation for this...

 

Have you cleaned and tightened the battery terminals? If you haven't, then remove them and clean the terminals and the posts and tighten them back in place. If you still have the problem, do a voltage drop test on the starter high current circuit.

Using a digital voltmeter that you can get cheap these days, start by putting one lead on the starter post and the other on the battery positive post and have someone hit the key. If you see less than about 9 or 10 volts, then put the meter leads across each link in the chain individually and have someone hit the key. You should see less than a volt max across each link. The links would be; positive post to terminal, terminal to input solenoid post, across solenoid posts, output solenoid post to starter. If you see one of these showing much voltage, it means that there is resistance to current flow at that link.

If you saw more than 9 or 10 volts from the battery positive post to the starter, then the starter itself is suspect. The voltage is SUPPOSED to be dropped across the starter rather than anywhere else.

Hope this helps.