So when I turn the key I here a spinning sound but the engine won’t turn over. I did a search but not quite sure if I’m reading things or describing the problem correctly. I’m not super handy so I apologize and appreciate your help. 84 460 auto

 

Perhaps the starter motor is spinning, but not engaging the flywheel or flexplate teeth.

 

Could be the "bendix" also. This is what they call the gear on the end of the starter. It has a one-way bearing made into it that lets the starter turn the engine, but will not let the engine turn the starter. When it goes bad it just spins or makes a grinding noise also.

What you could also try is turning the engine by hand and then try to start it again. If it starts, this is not a good sign. you might have a bad place on the flywheel or flexplate.

 

Thanks. Stupid question... how to i the. The engine by hand? Didn’t find anything helpful on YouTube I’m not sure I searched correctly.

Also jot sure if this is helpful info or not but recently from a cold start the engine would turn much longer than normal before it would start. To the point was worried the battery would die. But once it ran for awhile if I turned it off it would start right back up after that if it was still warm. Hoping it’s just the starter.

 

Make sure the starter mounting bolts are tight.

Edit:

Not exactly what you have, but worth a read:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...nsmission.html

 

With a well worn in engine, or one that's got low compression perhaps, you can actually grab a fan belt and turn the engine over by hand that way.
Otherwise, if the belts just slip (even when you pinch to tighten them more on the pulleys) you can put a wrench on the crankshaft bolt inside the pulley/damper. Usually a 1/2" drive ratchet with the proper socket will do the job.
The issue is clearance and access, what with pulleys, fans, accessories, radiators and whatnot in the way. But sometimes it's actually fairly easy. Check yours out to see if it can be turned that way.

It is helpful I believe. When a tired old starter is asked to crank a long time, especially if other things are compromised too, such as battery and starter cables, it might just be enough to push it over the top and send it to the old starter graveyard.
Does the same thing to an old tired, or more often new and cheap imported, starter relay on the fender.
So while a normal good starter and relay can take an awful lot of cranking without complaint, an old tired one might not. If I'm not mistaken, the lower the battery voltage gets, the higher the actual amperage the load sees for the same amount of work. Meaning even more heat as the battery starts to wane.

Can't tell from here if that's what happened in your case, but it's good info and worth keeping in the back of everyone's mind.

The underlying issue might have been the old starter getting tired and putting more load on the electrical system, which in turn made for a weaker ignition spark, and a harder start, therefore more heat and stress on the starter. One big "loop of death!" so to speak.
Once it was warm it was easier to start naturally anyway. But things may just be getting old, and the starter is a good suspect.

What about your battery and starter cables? Are they original? Might be something else to look into, but I think you're on the right track with the starter.
Crossing fingers anyway. Turning the motor over by hand to put it in a different spot on the ring gear might help if that's the issue, but not for long if the starter is the culprit.

Paul