Alright guys I thank everyone who helped me with my alternator problem but now i have a new problem.......so the 1981 F150 with a 302 V8 carb and K transmission seems to be giving me more problems i hooked everything up and got it to crank once now i dont have a click, crank nor ANY POWER when i turn the ignition....i tried to youtube and see but no one has any videos on my truck and if they do its with the Bigger V8 or the straight 6...when i tried to crank it a second time the lights did work and the brake light flashed with no clicks from the solenoid or crank from the started the third time not no power at all i checked my battery it was fully charged i even changed out the starter solenoid with a new one i had for a spare ( i collect random items i find for dirt cheap to have spares), as well as the voltage regulator and ignition module...so now im at a loss of why i would have no power what so ever this is my second ford truck and im still kinda new at fixing things on my own but this would be a great help if anyone can lead me to a thread or youtube video of what to do. I have also attached high def pictures of what im working with at least i hope they are high def when uploaded. Thank everyone again for who reads and responds much appreciated.

 

 

Right off the hop the power feed from the Alt to the bat loose and needs a nut. And the battery to starter relay cable needs replaced. Do those and come back to us if it is not fixed.

 

Good eye!

What about the small red wire on the starter relay? Is that wire just floating there? It looks like a ring terminal just sitting loose near the wire bundle below. Am I seeing that correctly?

 

I can't see it either, but I do know there should be more on that terminal than the one large melted wire. There should be a smaller on there somewhere.

 

Maybe I'm just having another flashback to the sixties, I don't know. Here's what I noticed, circled in white:




Also, if you have these "emergency" battery terminals, do yourself a YUGE favor and get rid of them. Either replace the entire cable assembly or have some quality terminals crimped on:

 

That red wire a few have circled is connected to the factory wire harness so I can scratch that and I have put a new battery lead so idk what to do still no power and have put a nut on the wire from the alternator

 

What you are seeing is just joint for the fusible link. And he needs a whole new cable, not just the terminal end.


The other body feeds are on the starter relay it's just weird angle that makes it look like they are not. And the relay feed cable is not melted but it has been overheated and is end of life.

 

In the picture below, if you took one side of a large jumper cable, put one clamp on the large nut on the solenoid on the left, and touched the other end of the large jumper cable to the large nut on the right side of the solenoid what happens? MAKE SURE THE TRUCK IS IN PARK OR NEUTRAL BEFORE DOING THIS Don't let the sparks scare you, it should try to crank over when you short those two large terminals together.

 

So if the battery cable melted why?
Because it has a bad connection.

Now he said he changed out the starter relay and battery cable lets have another picture of it more of a straight on so we can see what other wires are connected on the stud with the battery cable you just replaced.

We are only looking at 1 side of the battery system. What is the ground side like?
Battery to block, block to frame, block to body.
Dave ----

 

Alright so i have replaced everything and have had everything tested....positive and negative battery cable....cable to starter.....have had the alternator and starter tested both passed....starter solenoid....i have power again but now just clicks form the starter solenoid which i have used 3 different ones...one was used and two were brand new i had as a spare for my 87 f150.....i have power again in the dash but when i turn the key to start the truck i hear the starter solenoid click and the brake light flashes on until i stop trying to turn the truck on....no crank so i dont know where to go from here i have read about the neutral safety switch on the side of the transmission but i can not find a two wired one i only find a 4 wired one like the one i have on my 87 f150 so idk if its that and if it is can i bypass it i have even tried shifting through the gears and trying to start while in neutral but the same thing happens and the brake light comes on and i hear the solenoid click. i feel like its something really simple but i just dont know what it is. I have also tried jumping from the battery to the starter end of the solenoid and i still only get clicks.

 

If the soloinoid is clicking the engine should crank. Double-check you have a charged up battery.

Put the truck in P and jump the solenoid. Use a short peice of wire and jump between the bat side of the solenoid to the relay control stud. See below. The engine should crank. If not keep the solenoid jumped and check for 12V at the output stud of the relay. If no power then the relay is faulty. If yes check the cable terminal at the relay for power. If no then faulty connection at relay output. If yes, then check for power at the cable terminal at the starter if no the cable is faulty. If yes check for power on the started stud, if none, faulty connection at starter if yes starter is faulty.

 

Check that battery is charged up as Matt says.

Try banging on the starter housing pretty good with a hammer or small sledge, and try it again. They get wonky when they start to go.

 

I have tried 2 batteries that have been fully charged ones to my 87 f150 and the other is from a ford tractor. I have put the truck in park and in neutral and tried to jump the solenoid using a small piece of wire and just hear clicking i have 12v from the output stud and going in from the output stud i have cleaned off the starter stud and will be putting it in later tonight or tomorrow morning. the wire from the starter to the solenoid is brand new and purchased yesterday i have had the starter tested again today to make sure they did 3 tests and all passed 2 were at orileys and one was at autzone.

 

Well OK....

I'd still try smacking the starter a few times. "Percussive Maintenance" ya know.