I have a 1983 f150 with a 300 engine. It is really difficult to start some times. It will turn really slow and during this some of the wires on the starter solenoid start to smoke. But once it get to a decent speed it starts right up. The battery is producing around 12.7v and i have a new starter in there.

What could be causing this?

 

Try taking the solenoid out of the circuit. That is to say, apply current directly to the starter terminal. If it still turns slowly, the starter itself is the problem. Good luck

 

Check your timing too. If the timing is too far advanced the engine will not want to crank over or will crank real slow (especially when hot).

 

There are two conditions that will make the wire(s) smoke. The first is a starter that is dragging internally and pulling way too much current, which is the situation OR described. In that case you should pull the starter and take it in to your parts store for testing and possible replacement.

The other is bad wires or connections. In this scenario the starter may be ok but the wires have a problem, which could simply be bad connections where they attach to the battery or solenoid. Or, the connection between the wire itself and the terminal on the end of the cable may be bad. So a good inspection of the connections, wires, and terminals is in order.

 

Very true on both parts. But, I'd be leaning more towards the 2nd scenario.Cold engine, slow cranking, with smoking cables, that then speeds up is usually an indication of a weak connection somewhere along the way. A dragging starter will do this too, but tends to be more prone to happen on a warm engine.

Don't overlook the ground cable. It runs from the battery to the engine, with a stop at the frame rail along the way.

 

If you are using cables with the bolt-on battery connectors, most likely they are your issue. "Temporary use only"! Go to a parts store or battery supplier and get a cable with the terminal end welded to the cable for a permanent fix. ~Bill

 

New starter you say?

There seems to be a lot of questionable rebuilds and poor quality offshore parts out there. Out of the box failures are common. If it says China on the box, beware!

My money is on the starter.

 

I had the store test the starter yesterday and it is fine. The wires are in great shape and the grounds are good. Could this be a starter solenoid issue?

 

It could, but I don't think so as they usually work well or not at all. But, tell me how you know the wires are in great shape and the grounds are good? I ask because it is not possible to visually test all the possible problems on them. As an example, I had a similar condition and couldn't find the problem - until one day I hit the starter with the hood up and saw a curl of smoke from the positive cable where it went into the battery connector. Turns out the connector-to-cable connection was poor, but it looked perfect from the outside. Sometimes it worked well and sometimes not.

So, I suggest you do a test. Take a DVM and put it across each connection with the meter on the 2 volt scale. So, go from the battery's positive post, not the connector on the wire, to the connector. And have someone crank the engine with the coil wire off so it won't start. If you get an appreciable voltage you have a bad battery connection. Next go from that connector to the connector on the solenoid and crank again - if you get a significant voltage something in the positive cable is bad. Do every single connection to determine the true status.

Also, you may have a bad battery. Sometimes cells die or connections w/in the battery go bad. But you can have that tested.

 

Would a bad battery lead to some of the wires that attach to the starter solenoid to smoke?

 

Maybe. If it was just bad enough to provide a lot of current but not enough to really start the engine, then it might. But, I think that isn't likely as good wires should withstand that extra current. I still think it is wires or the starter. But, you could have several problems, and if the battery isn't good then it must be replaced.

 

What voltage do i need to be reading at the starter to get the engine to crank?

 

Probably close to 12 volts, but I've never measured it. However, I say that because there should be almost no voltage drop across any of the connections, cables, or solenoid. Which brings me to the question - have you tested each connection and cable as I suggested? You either have to do that to find the problem or start throwing parts at it until the problem is cured. Personally, I'd rather find the problem and fix just it instead of replacing parts that may not be bad.

 

yes i did check the connections and there is no significant voltage drop. possibly 0.1 volt lose. how should i check the ground wire?

 

The same way. Put your meter from the battery post to a really good ground that is not part of the cable, and have someone crank the engine. That shouldn't have much drop. Then test each connection.