When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
OK, it wasn't just the battery. The bigger battery I installed started the truck fine the first couple of times, but when the truck got warm, no dice. I stalled at a stoplight, and couldn't get it started. I pushed it off the highway, and tried to get a jump from another truck. The starter turned over VERY SLOOOWLY. Insulation on the positive wire from battery to starter solenoid melted. Lots of amps, where are they going? Now, it won't turn at all. When turning the key, there is a loud click (solenoid?) and nothing else. What's broke?:-(
Can you get someone to turn the key while you listen under the hood to see where the click is? (Not as hard as it sounds, the click is pretty easy to isolate). Just be sure to watch any turning parts if the engine were to happen to turn. I'm betting it's the starter.
okay, sorry about the "posturing", I'm new to all this, following threads and all. I'll try to keep my etiquette straight.
Anyway, the starter was toast. I replaced it with a rebuilt one (cheaper than a battery! I should have tried that first.) with a lifetime warranty. While the starter was off, I noticed that the exhaust pipe was not very firmly attached to the right exhaust manifold...the gap was right next to the starter. Tightened it up real good.
Could this be the cause of my several problems? Seems the starter used to work fine until the truck was warm...maybe the exhaust leak was cooking the starter? Maybe it was warming the engine compartment too much, too?
I hope I've solved some problems, and the truck runs for a while. Thanks for all the help and advice!
I'm currently having the "slow-or-no starting once warm" problem as well on my '86 302 EFI. I'm pretty sure the hot exhaust pipe running right next to the starter is causing my problem as well. To top it off, it appears that there's an exhaust leak at that same spot. I'll be doing a little homemade fabrication of a heat shield and let you guys know if this is the problem. After reading a bunch of other posts like this, this appears to be a common problem on these trucks. Maybe a little preventive maintenance would do everybody some good -- even if you're not having these problems right now. It'll definitely extend the life of your starter and could keep you from being stranded later on.