I have a 1977 F-250 with a 460 engine. Recently my truck began starting hard. It would barely turn over as if the battery was dying. I finally checked the battery and it has good power at 12.6 volts. Even put in another new battery and it turned over just as slowly. I checked to see if it was getting juice past the solenoid and it was only registering 7.5 volts at the starter. Figured the solenoid was bad, so I replaced it and now it is getting 12.6 volts at the starter. Now the starter some times turns over slowly again or just makes a click or does nothing at all. I have cleaned all the wires from battery to solenoid to starter and everything is getting 12.6 volts. Is my starter dead or dying? It may be the original starter. Is there something else I should be checking or is there a way to check if the starter is dead? Thanks for any help. I want to go camping this weekend and I need it to start.
Thanks, Dett

 

take the starter off and have it tested at your local parts store, it wont take very long at all, the starters on these 460s of ours are relativly easy to swap out, and they are cheap too.........if your getting good voltage at the starter then thats the only thing left is to change that starter.........

 

He's right... If you are getting good voltage at the starter and very little, or nothing happens, that's the tell-tell sign the windings in the starter is shot. Most parts stores will test it for free, and it only takes 1/2 hour tops, to get it out.

 

I have noticed that almost everyone goes to components ie starter/coil/ignition switch etc... when there is an electrical problem with their Truck/ car always remember that on any truck/car the control/ power ie battery/ starter cables positive and negative are generally as old as the Truck/cars themselves and are often never given a second thought. As power cables and control wirering get older they become brittle and can have very high resistance causing very high ampereage under load there by making for a low voltage condition thus preventing the truck/car from starting making it appear as if the battery is low or dead or that you have a bad starter. Always check the wirering.

kn.

 

I also think the chassis and frame/engine grounds be high on the "look at" list.

Glenn

 

Red Ford Truck Has a great point. Corrosion can build up in the battery and starter cables causing high resistance. This is difficult to test even with a clamp on ampmeter. Therefore, the best method I have found is to remove the starter, since it has only two bolts and is easy to access in these vehicles, they come off quickly, and have it tested. If the starter tests good, then replace the wires.

Please write back and let us know what you find.
John24255

 

First off, thanks again to everyone who responded. This site helps me more than anything when it comes to learning and working on my truck. Since it is one of my main vehicles, I keep everything in the best shaped possible. The problem was both the selonoid between the battery and starter along with the starter itself. I replaced all the wires and cleaned all the connections as well since it only cost $12 dollars to replace the wires. Total cost was $17 dollars for the selonoid, $71 for the starter which was the exact motorcraft replacement for a total of $100 dollars. Wife complained a little at first but I always remind her that it is the fraction of the cost of one monthly payment on a new truck. Besides, we look cool driving it and it has never let us down even when it was blowing oil every where when the original motor started going and we were two hundred miles from home towing a 20 foot boat up and down mountains in 100+ degrees. Sounds like a good commercial. Sorry to get off the subject, but I love these trucks and they are built Ford tough.
Thanks again for all the help, and it fires up extremely quick and easy now.
Dett.