Sorry, long post...i want to get the whole story out...

Here we go again. At least now I have more info.

I got an 85 F250, V8, 460 engine. Got it a little over a month ago and had some problems starting it. After starting a thread and talking to some other people, thought it was the clutch pedal safety switch replaced the switch, truck started fine. For kicks , I even pulled the plug on the switch and put a nail in the two connections on the plug, and the truck still started. Then I put in the old switch in, and it started fine.

I realized that twice when it didn't start it was put in reverse before the truck was turned off. So I checked the back up light switch and the wire, and sure enough, the wire was resting on the exhaust pipe....fried. I fixed the wire, and haven't had a problem since.

Until yesterday. Tried to start the truck in the morning, wouldn't go. Pulled the plug on the safety switch, jumped the connections with a nail, started it, but there was a, like, 3 second delay between when i turned the key and when it started cranking. Once it starts craking, it goes fine. I decided to take it out (against my better judgement).

Went to start it later on (to get home), and wouldn't go. Tried a bunch of stuff, nothing, called AAA, and when the driver got there (2 hours later), he asked if i tried whacking the starter. I didn't , since I was alone so we tried it. VRROOOOOM! Started right up.

So know I wonder if it was the safety switch in the first place. I have noticed that every time this problem has occured, it has been right after it was in reverse. Is there any connection between the putting it in reverse and the starter?

If the truck starts when the starter is getting hit, is it definately the starter?

I plan to replace the starter next, but i'm wondering if I should get a new one, or just pull one from a junkyard (i'm leaning towards the yard).

Any info would be helpful. Thanx all.

 

im not sure about the reverse and the starter but if you go get one i would lean towards the auto store, yes i know it costs more, but i know from experience, even a rebuilt part will not last as long as a new one(usually) i had a MC that was rebuilt and i am having to put a new one on tomorrow, so i guess its just your preference, save money now and gamble or spend a little more and if it breaks have the warranty that they give. hope this helps


Plums

 

Your problem is intermittent, so it's going to be hard to find. When it does it again, you can eliminate all the switches and stuff around the dash by takinga jumper wire and jumping #3 to #5 inthe diagram below. If it still won't start, I would suspect the starter. MAKE SURE THE TRUCK IS IN NEUTRAL BEFORE DOING THIS

 

the new ones have a lifetime warranty that go with them, and the remanufactured ones have 1 year, atleast in ARK they do

 

So...according to the diagram, i am bypassing the solenoid, and providing power directly to the starter? this is bypassing the ignition switch, which is why it MUST BE IN NEUTRAL (lol).

my solenoid has four connections: One big one for the pos battery cable, one big one for the starter, one small one for a small wire w/ a fusable link, and a smaller one with nothing on it. if im not connecting the other end to the **** that the starter wire is connected to, which one does it go on?

 

No, you are not bypassing the solenoid. You will be bypassing everything in the circuit that activates the solenoid, such as the ignition switch and the neutral safety. When the current gets through all that stuff, it comes in on the solenoid on the red/blue wire. What you will be doing is using a small piece of wire and putting battery + voltage directly on the red/blue, which should make the solenoid click, and the starter should start turning. If the key is in run, the engine should start.

I had an intermittent starting problem on a buick I had. I actually wired a horn switch from the battery + to the solenoid, and mounted it under the hood. The next time it felt like not starting(it was very intermittent too), I lifted the hood and pushed the button. It would not start until I hit the button several times. That was a big clue that the problem was the starter. I replaced the starter, and the problem was fixed.

 

Is this the wire with the fusable link?

 

Point 6 to Point 7 in the diagram above has a fusible link.

For my 460 I used the Genuine Ford Racing gear reduction starter kit which comes with the high torque low profile starter and wiring to the solenoid.

 

In my 460 I have no fusable link from 6 to 7. 6 to 7 is a huge (6 maybe) guage wire going to the starter. My fusable link wire is small- 14 or 16 guage i think- that supplies power to the headlights, etc.

When I get home I will take a pic and illustrate.....

 

Yes there is a fusible link on that wire as well. Mine came with a large link on the start wire from Ford.

 

OK I was wrong...the fusable link wire comes off the pos terminal on the starter relay. There is another wire coming off the #5 terminal on the relay, which is red/blue. So i would connect the jumper to the pos terminal on the battery and #5 on the relay?

What would happen if put a jumper between the pos terminal on the battery and the starter wire terminal on the relay (#6) ?

 

Your wire in your hand will get so hot it will probably burn you pretty good.

 

Yes, you will have to use a large jumper cable if you want to jump #1 or #3 to #6. If you jump #3 to #5, all you are doing is powering the coil in the solenoid, so you can use a small wire. The solenoid is doing the heavy work after you do that(it connects #3 to #6 internally).

 

That makes sense franklin...is #5- the connection for the red/blue wire -go to the ignition switch?

 

The red blue goes to the neutral safety or clutch switch, and then goes to the ignition switch.