I have this truck that used to run reasonably well. Occasionally the starter would stick and it would be necessary to turn the key back a bit to get it to stop cranking after the engine began running.

For the last 15 months the truck has sat while i did some work on it. Recently that work was finished. I went to start the truck and just got a click from the starter, no turning. Battery tested at 12 volts, had been unhooked and charged. So I put jumper cables on it and the starter rattled but did not turn the engine.

After replacing the starter, the solenoid and substituting in a good battery with more cranking amperage, the starter engaged...and didn't stop turning! I had to disconnect the battery to get it to stop. I dug into the steering column, took out the key cylinder and worked on the ignition switch actuating rod, as it had been a bit sticky. Pulled up on it. Reconnected the battery and tried to start the truck with the actuating rod. Starter motor cranked...and didn't stop, even after i pulled up on the rod .

Today I replaced the ignition switch on top of the steering column.

Apparently the starter is STILL getting current, even with the actuating rod in the "key off" position, because the battery sparks when the solenoid-to-started cable and both battery cables are connected in their right places. When the ignition switch was unplugged, though, it would NOT spark when all 3 cables were connected. Unplugging the "s" wire on the solenoid does not stop the sparking.

Solenoid IS wired correctly, I checked it against a known good bullnose Ford.

New starter is tightly and securely bolted in place, does not need shims.

Finally, the starter did not sound right when it was cranking. There seemed to be no spark (never any sound of firing), and the sound of the starter cranking was consistent and monotone, no fluctuation in the pitch like a starter normally has.

Anyone ever seen this before?? Any ideas?

 

There's your answer. The aftermarket solenoids are garbage. I went through two or three and kept having the same issue. I finally found my original Motorcraft/Ford solenoid and re-installed it. Never had an issue after that.

 

Agreed. My father and I have stocked up on a bunch of them. Fun fact: AMC and Jeep solenoids are the same part and interchange. I've got a whole box full of them and genuine Ford ones in the garage.

 

Back in the day AMC used Ford starters, pre-'88 before Mopar bought the Jeep brand. Matter of fact they also used DS-II ignition systems, my '89 Jeep does anyway.

 

Yup, seems like not a lot of people know or knew that these days. I believe some of the PI cars used a hotter DS-II ignition curve as well. My dad said that was an old hot rod trick.

 

That was 8 years before I was even born too. I've been an enthusiast of our beloved trucks as well as full size Jeeps (and AMC by association), for as long as I can remember. Learned a lot in my early age and somehow managed to retain it all. Especially those neat oddities.

 

I was born in '95 when my dad was going hog wild with the truck in my avatar which he still has. Every old school hot rodding trick you could do to a Ford was done to it on top of a massively built engine. I'm still learning a lot about it all the time (I hear stuff I never heard before and I thought I new most of it) and its cool to hear all the little things he did. For example running MSD ignition mixed with Duraspark parts with certain higher spec parts from specific cars, long rod engines, heat shields, high spec factory heads etc. I love all the back in the day stories. Hate how it just rots away these days.

 

Looks like we're about on the same chapter lol, you're only 4 days younger than I am.

 

Ain't that something lol

 

Thanks for your help so far. I changed the solenoid with a known good one just an hour ago. Now it doesn't spark when everything is wired properly. But, there's no click from the solenoid engaging, starter doesn't turn at all.

 

Try using a jumper between the positive cable and the signal terminal (if there are two small terminals, it's the one on the left), if that doesn't work, try jumping the positive directly to the starter cable. If the latter works, bad solenoid, if the former works, bad wiring.

 

Thanks Ranger80, that worked. The replacement solenoid apparently welded itself shut (no surprise after reading people's replies). Replaced it with a good solenoid and now it does what it's supposed to.


I did stop by a Ford dealership to see if they had a genuine Motorcraft solenoid. They said those aren't production anymore and only 23 were shown nationwide in their system. So it looks like a lot of people will be forced into aftermarket solenoids, for better or worse.

 

I can't remember the last year they used that style solenoid, but I grab them at the pull-a-parts anytime I see them. The newer style round solenoids mount the same, they may work too.