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You want the battery cable and starter cable the same size. It's like sucking a milk shake through a straw, when its nice, cold, and thick the straw collapses. In your case the smaller sized starter cable has higher resistance, and that higher resistance also adds heat to the starter and relay terminals if you have to crank it long. Since the starter is the highest amp draw circuit in your truck you will want to get yourself a 2/0 (or 00 it's the same size) cable between your starter and your starter relay, and your battery cables should also be 2/0.
Check your battery ground too. It should go right to your engine block or a starter mount bolt. Then a good jumper to the frame and another jumper to ground your firewall. If you just ground it to the frame since your motor mounts have rubber in them your ground or battery return is trying to get to your starter and your engine through your frame, then spring pins, then springs, your axle, differential, drive shaft, transmission, then bell housing. Lots of detours that the the current doesn't need to take.
Oooops!
Sorry! I shouldn't of replied to this. Many gave him great answers before I posted it. I did not see them I should of scrolled down completely before replying! Sorry again to all those who replied before me!
Thank you. My positive ground does go straight to the engine block. I appreciate everyones comments. Very helpful. New wires are in and truck cranks right up. Tomorrow I will test driving it and getting it hot then shut it off and see if it starts back.
Bushings, brushes, and Springs. Is there a certain kit I should buy for the 215?
Section 110 of the Ford Parts Listing covers all the bearings, bushings, springs, terminals etc that you could want for the starter. I would suggest buying the parts individually rather than as a kit as the kit probably will have the bearing sizes for the more common starters and not the 215. Last time I did a light rebuild of a starter (albeit a more common one for a V8), NAPA of all places had all the parts.
Well both battery cables and the starter relay are all now the same wire size. I drove it around a little bit tonight before I changed the wires, then changed the wires, it cranked right up. But it had been sitting for about 30 minutes.
Tomorrow I will drive it again, and test the starter when it's hot hot.
I am not sure that negative battery clamp is the most dependable thing. If after a few hot starts and it seems like you have it fixed I would take it some place and have a real battery terminal crimped on it. Not one of those clamp on one's with a strap. They work at first but are a temporary fix. They will usually get corroded in short order.
Are those 2/0's? Just me probably but they look smaller in the pictures.
They look small to me too. That's why I asked the size above.
Thank You Abe! I am hoping he didn't use just #2 size cable instead. I suppose it could be confusing for those who aren't familiar with American Wire Gauge cable sizes.
Yes you all are correct. It is #2. I couldn't find any 2/0 fittings, only #2 so I figured I would go ahead and increase the size the best I could at the moment and take my length measurements so I can have some made or order the correct fittings to do it myself. Lowes/Harbor Freight/Auto zone, the largest fittings were #2.
Furthermore, where do I find section 110 of the Ford Parts Listing for the starter parts. I did a Google search for that and all kinds of crap came up.
Many of us have either picked up original copies of the Ford Parts Manual applicable to our trucks, or purchased the PDF version available now. Section 110 is the portion of the manual that includes starters. You can't get better than the Ford manual, except more Ford manuals. Ford would slowly consolidate similar part numbers that would work but were not originally used in some instances with the earlier part number superseded by later part numbers. I really like manuals and parts books and tend to end up with two or three parts books per vehicle (less when overlap already has some of these). I end up with one printed in the year the vehicle was made, one printed about two or three years later, and the last big consolidated parts manual that includes the vehicle. I collect a lot of Ford parts books, you probably don't need that many.
Original Ford shop manuals and parts manuals are commonly available on that big auction site, I like to do a basic search first to find the specific name of the manual, then search that specific name before finding that sweet spot of lower price but not trashed manual.
One last thing regarding parts books, if you purchase the pdf tell the seller you run Linux on your home computer and that their special locked-down software doesn't work for you. They will send you an unlocked pdf that you back up on a thumb drive or something. That way if your computer crashes you still have your parts book on backup. I actually do run Linux on my home computer and learned the regular pdfs are available if you ask right.
Yes you all are correct. It is #2. I couldn't find any 2/0 fittings, only #2 so I figured I would go ahead and increase the size the best I could at the moment and take my length measurements so I can have some made or order the correct fittings to do it myself. Lowes/Harbor Freight/Auto zone, the largest fittings were #2.
Furthermore, where do I find section 110 of the Ford Parts Listing for the starter parts. I did a Google search for that and all kinds of crap came up.
Oh Yeah, gotcha!
Like bmoran indicates, the larger size should at least help. I don't know if you have a NAPA around but me and a buddy of mine walked into our local NAPA with the old,rotted, battery cables off of his 50 F-3 and they made him new 2/0 cables to length right on the spot. He put them on and that engine starts and runs with just a touch of the starter button. He was so impressed he replaced cables on his 6 volt tractor. And he took back the 8 volt battery he was planning on installing in his truck.
Speaking of tractors, if you live in a rural area and have a "Fleet " type of agriculture store or maybe a Tractor Supply, many times they have 2/0 battery cables in stock hanging from peg hooks in their tractor electrical parts section.
If you have any other issues then try opening up the starter solenoid and cleaning it out or replacing it.
It should be held together with 4 rivets at the bottom that you replace with bolts and nuts.
Heads up if you do try this be very careful as it could short if you aren't careful.
I have done this before but i will leave it to the others to guide you.
when i did it, it was a parking lot repair after The O had closed so i could get it home.
So remember this is a farmer fix but it should work to test if the solenoid is your weak link here or not.
Now that i have typed this far, it makes more sense to just replace it because you will ruin the thing testing it anyway.
I dont know why i think like this, but just replace it.
this might help you visualize the difference in #2 cable and two-ought (2/0) and another good source like truck shops is welding supply houses... most handle welding cable (which is very flexible) up to 4/0 but take your
wallet if you are buying more than a few feet of 4/0
Thank You Abe! I am hoping he didn't use just #2 size cable instead. I suppose it could be confusing for those who aren't familiar with American Wire Gauge cable sizes.
wire gauges are very confusing #2, #1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0 250 MCM, 500 MCM at least they did not throw in the year the gauge was introduced like firearms gauges.
I went to my local napa and had them make some 1/0 battery cables, of course when I got them they were #1 but it was 12 volt so it worked.
