So I have a 1981 ford f250 custom camper that I'm trying to get started. Starter is good, starter solinoid new when I turn key to run to start it cranks no problem but when I turn key off starter still turns. I need to get a spark tester to see if I'm getting spark at the coil or do backyard way with screwdriver. I know a little mechanic but not strong when it comes to diagnosis and electrical. The truck was sitting for 8 years. It appears that lights work and idiot lights inside come on from what I can see. Basically I'm trying to get it fired up and get the starter to stop turning when key turned off.

 

Starter won't disengage? If you get it started, that will not help anything! May be the ignition switch iirc. Keep the battery on a charger and let the starter rest between attempts or the starter will get roasted quickly.

 

The starter solenoid is sticking. Try tapping on it with a ratchet/wrench and see if it disengages. Best to get a replacement Motorcraft part if you can find it, otherwise buy the one with the lifetime warranty from the parts house. Good time to check the cables while you're at it, positive and negative.

If it's been sitting for eight years the carb and fuel filter are probably varnished up. Try drizzling some gas from a squeeze bottle into the carb and see if it fires. Unless the tank was completely drained and the engine run until the carb ran dry before it was parked you'll be dropping the tank to drain/clean or replace, then replacing the sending unit, possibly the fuel lines, fuel filter, fuel pump, and rebuilding the carb.

The Bronco sat for about the same period of time before I bought it, been there and done that.

 

Thought of that, he said the solenoid is new though?

 

I've gotten at least two junk solenoids "new" over the years. If you grind on the starter (especially with not so good cables) they can go north in a hurry.

 

No argument there. I troll eBay for good ole OEM parts for stuff like that. Rotors, caps, solenoids, etc. Even the standard replacement parts from back in the day are much better than modern knockoffs.

 

How can I test the solinoid cuz it is new n I really haven't done anything I cranked it over couple times but that's about it

 

Well the easiest way would be to replace it with another and see if it does the same thing.

 

Thanks for the input guys. I was doing some research to test the solinoid but it seems that the turning of the starter with the key off is either the solinoid or ignition switch, from what I have been reading. One thing I was wondering though is that should there or could there be other things hooked up to the solinoid cuz on my ford besides the cable going to the starter from solinoid and the cable going to battery there are other wires (cables) also hooked up through the solinoid. Being that it is a camper not sure if that would be why. I believe that one thing that is hooked up to the solinoid but I'm not quite sure is the isolator which I believe has to do with secondary batteries. Should I go to basics an unhook all wires and just hook up the cables for the battery and starter? I just need to solve the starter issue first so it will work properly with ignition then I can go from there.

 

The small-gauge red/blue-stripe wire at the solenoid... get your volt meter and measure the voltage on that wire... should be battery voltage with the key in START and 0 volts all other times. <-- This is how to test if your ignition switch is sending power to the solenoid

If the solenoid is sticking, then it sucks and you should either deal with it or replace it.

Yes, there are other wires on the battery side of the solenoid - one powers the entire interior of the truck, and there are other wires performing various functions depending on configuration. Leave them, they're not related to your problem.

 

So I replaced the ignition switch and now just a click from solenoid and now getting gurgling from battery... Now what

 

Replace the solenoid and check all the cables.