Hello Friends,
Have a question on my 1977 Ford F250 XLT Ranger 460, After driving it a while when i would go to restart it would be slow to turn over, like the battery was dead yet it had full juice. Then; it started to not turn off when turning off ignition and removing key. Finally it not does not turn over.
I have replaced with new Battery, Fender Solenoid, Starter & Solenoid. Not sure what next; reading a lot of things on the neutral safety switch.
Any Help would be appreciated,

 

Could be the ignition switch, though turning over slow isn't a symptom of that.

What happens when you jump the solenoid ?

 

If it cranks slow when it's warmed up, mimicking a dead battery, then it's probably your ignition timing being too far advanced.

You can install a momentary push-button switch for the starter, and a two position toggle switch for the ignition. The you simply press the starter button and get the engine cranking at an appropriate speed, and then turn on the ignition and hope she lights off.

Or you can disadvance the timing back to a more appropriate setting...

 

X2 ignition switch. After some more troubleshooting and if is is the ignition switch...read on. You know you can pull the original key tumblers and just replace the outer part of the switch? To remove the switch assembly use a small flat tip screwdriver and gently tap on one of the 3 slot notches on the chrome bezel around the ignition switch on the DASH side. Careful great way to scratch the dash. Once it is broke loose (couple of palm heel taps) just unthread it all the way, then push the ign sw out the back and unplug it.

Since you have the key, the tumbler removal is in here somewhere.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-cylinder.html

A good bit of advice to read up on also. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...th-no-key.html

You can see the chrome ring is threaded back on.

https://www.dennis-carpenter.com/en/...housing-assemb

 

I originally missed this point.

Verify that you have a ground cable or strap (which is flat-braided cable) running between the engine and the cab. Usually it runs from a bellhousing bolt into a bolt which threads into the firewall. If that ground is missing, it will cause all kinds of weirdness, some of which is similar to what you've described.

At this point I am not 100% convinced of any specific cause here.

The ignition switch sounds very plausible, but I agree strongly with 440 sixpack, that the key switch could not cause slow cranking, since the key switch controls only the starter motor relay. And that starter motor relay is the switch which actually controls the starter.

 

Your starter could be getting hot. Do you have headers?

 

All of the above.
For continuing to run after turning the key off, it could have been two things.
Your old fender mounted starter relay was probably fried from the extra load of the slow cranking and somehow kept the power jumpered to the "I" wire that feeds the ignition coil. Or, more likely as was said your ignition switch finally gave up the ghost.

Slow cranking is any or all of the above and then some.
1. Undersized battery cables.
2. Old tired battery cables.
3. Old tired starter motor (which you have replaced, but more on that later)
4. Hot starter from proximity to exhaust.
5. Too much initial ignition advance.
6. Poor connections, especially ground connections.
7. Least likely, but still possible is an old tired engine not wanting to crank easily.
8. Of course weak battery too, but not only have you replaced that already, but if it spins the starter quickly under other circumstances then the battery is usually fine.

Sometimes when "diagnosing" a problem by throwing new parts at it you end up fixing some other questionable things. Such as replacing old and tired battery cables with new and even larger battery cables.
Unfortunately sometimes putting in new parts does not give us the warm-and-fuzzies like it used to, because often the new parts are defective. It would not be the first time that a new starter motor, or especially a starter relay failed shortly after installing them.

So keep at it. Check and re-check all of the above and I'm sure you'll get rid of the problem.
It's usually an easy and cheap fix if you find it quickly. But even if you spend on new parts, many of the new parts that you put in during this quest are good to have replaced anyway. Even if they were not the immediate culprit.

Good luck.

Paul

 

Early 429/460 engines used Delco type starters that are notorious for heat soak problems. You can swap in later model mini starter from something like a 95 460 and wire it correctly. But keeping running after shutting off sounds like ignition switch unless someone has added a electric engine fan and not wired it correctly.