Hello all. I hope you all can help me.. Here is the short of it I was given a 1977 E150 with a brand new eng it just wont crank when i turn the key all i get is a noise out of the voltage regulator anyone know what that means?? aslo i have replaced the starter solonoide. I have power to + side of coil but iam just not geting the solonide to switch over and start the eng.. I have a dura spark I system any ideas...

 

If you have a test light, put it on the starter cable side of the solenoid, have someone else try to start the motor and see if there's power getting to that side of the solenoid. If so, it's your starter cable or the starter itself. If not, it's something with the solenoid or some other part of the ignition system.

EDIT: Thanks Ford390Gashog, of course I had to think of the hardest possible way to test the solenoid...
Hey, it's been a long day under the hood for me... My brains not quite up to par at the moment

 

how about trying to leave the ignition on and jump the starter solenoid with a screw driver? if that starts it the solenoid is bad.

 

Is the battery hot? Connections clean and tight?


Pete

 

you also might want to check the cable coming from the starter to the solenoid, sometimes if it's to long it may ground out on something and you won't even know it, and it'll just click like what yer describing. just some input on an issue i had a while back with my brothers f150 custom.

 

What color is the plastic square on the ignition module where the wires plug in RED or BLUE? If RED, that's the first place to look because the RED NeverSpark modules have been defective since 1976..the absolute worst ignition module Ford ever made. There's also the pickup coil in the dizzy. One other thing to look at is the resistor wire from the ignition switch to the coil, coded red with green stripes. I assume your battery is OK.

 

Put a volt meter on the battery and check the voltage under load. It should be well about 12 when you try to crank the engine.

Hope it helps

 

thanks guys i tryed both ideas and i dont have power to the starter side of the solenoid when i tried to start it... did i mention its a brand new soleniod.. and when i try to jump across the solenoid all i get is a spark ... my volt reg is still making a weird noise... I plan on pullling the starter and testing it just to make sure its ok .. thaks for your help but if you have any ideas on why the volt reg would make a noise let me know

 

I checked the dura spark controller and where there wires plug in where black... 1977 ford e-150 with a 351 w and i think its a c3 trans vin# E14HHZ36354 did i mention this i my fist ford .. I dont know much about them ck

 

I may be way off, but maybe you have a defective nuetral safety start switch? I think that the screwdriver trick would have bypassed that however.

 

 

I think you need to start from scratch and do everything in order to troubleshoot the problem.
start with mechanical

Does engine turn over with a breaker bar and socket ?

Battery fully charged ?

Check all cable grounds and component grounding.

Procedure:
Disconnect wire connector to S terminal on starter relay.
Attach test light to disconnected wire connector
Turn key to Start ...does Test light Illuminate ?
If no, Problem with power to switch in wire harness or from ignition switch to connector

If yes,Try what I posted above in Post #11.

Does engine crank now ?

If no,
problem is in relay (starter solenoid switching circuitry)
Or starter is seized.


If yes,Relay is good and Problem is in wiring from switch to solenoid.

 

Yeah but. :)

Dig the analog meter's leads into the tops of battery's posts. (not the clamps!)
~12 volts

Have someone try to start it while you watch the meter's needle.
a) started fine... the meter's needle dropped to no lower than 10 volts.
b) didn't start... voltage went to zero or close to it
c) didn't start... meter stayed steady at ~12 volts

a = better if it only dropped to 11 volts :) should be reading like 13 volts while running and when the engine is reved over 13 volts. if so, everything is fine.
(if you have a meter and hadn't done that before... do it while you're vehicle is working fine so you can see it for yourself... write down the numbers in your shop manual if you want to. :)
b = dead battery
c = open circuit somewhere

Cheer up, "opens" are easy to find with a meter, be glad it ain't a short circuit ok? :)

IME most of the time starter-circuit "opens" are the wire-connection-part of a cheap replacement bolt-on type clamp. :/

Put the meter leads farther on into the circuit, you choose where, just so long as you get 12 volts... say one pressed into each clamp this time... have someone try starting it again.
d) voltage dropped to zero
e) voltage stayed steady at ~12 volts

d = clamps aren't conducting the high current load needed to operate the starter only enough to operate the meter and maybe the lights. One or both of the clamps is causing your "open" circuit. To figure out which one, move one meter lead back to its spot on the battery's post and try starting it again. Clean them both anyway. :)

e = the "open" is still "ahead of you" somewhere "into" the circuit... keep going! :) You choose where to put the meter leads... say this time jump over to the large (5/16") positive (forward) terminal on the starter relay with the positive lead and the negative lead clipped to the negative battery clamp. You should have the ~12 volts. Have your helper try to start it. You know the drill if it drops to zero, the "open" is "behind" where you had the leads. In the positive battery cable in this case. Might as well try it again with the negative lead on the engine block to eliminate the negative battery cable and its connection to the block.

f) voltage stays steady at 12 volts

This time check the relay, you won't get 12 volts until the helper tries starting it again. Clip the positive lead to the large (5/16") rear-starter terminal of the relay and the negative lead still on the engine block and try starting it.

g) no voltage could mean a bad relay contact inside or the relay is not "picking up" due to electrical/mechanical problems or the ignition switch isn't sending "electricity" to the relay's operating coil.

h) 12 volts and no start. The open is still ahead of you either the starter cable, the starter terminal connection or inside the starter. Keep going. :) Clip the positive meter lead to the starter's terminal and the negative meter lead to the engine block.

i) 12 volts and no start. You're starter's "open" inside.

It takes longer to round up the help;) and dig out the meter and get started than the testing takes. For sure the testing is faster than it took me to type this out using my two index fingers. :)

I tried using a test light a couple times and couldn't make sense of it. :/
Sometimes the light seemed to light dimly etc. :/
I gave it away. :)

Is there something like this in a FAQ somewhere?

If so where?
If not, this needs polishing up and put in a FAQ. Somewhere. ;)

Alvin in AZ

 

I want to thank all that have replied. after learning quickly about fords I got this 1977 van up and running and the problem was they guy that gave me the van first of all. second he installed the solenoide upside down second the new batt i had purchased went bad very bad.. so after fixing the problems it started .... thanks again.. now all i have to do is tune this brand new motor 0 miles 0 hrs it runs but no power. 351 w 2bb carb (It look like the old carb) I have all the tool needed any ideas??

 

Am I the only one that didn't pick up on that fact that this was an E series intil post #4? Iam impressed with all the answers and illustrations that were posted. this forum puts most manuals and guide books to shame. Even though this guy wasn't in our F series format ,you were able to get him back on the road before the forum police caught wind of it. High five!