Thanks Bill, o'master of diagrams

Judging from your diagram it looks like jumping the fender mounted relay wouldn't do anything if the starter-side solenoid was inoperable, no?

 

I wasn't trying to call you a liar Chris...I was aiding in the clarification process hee hee

JR

 

When you are bypassing it by jamming a vicegrip between the posts, you are usually touching the sides of the wire connectors rather than posts only so it could very easily be a bad high resistance connection.

What I would do to test the fender relay or it's connections is to first use about an 18" piece of #12 wire (regular stuff used for house wiring) to jump between the battery positive terminal and the terminal on the fender relay where the red/blu wire attaches. If that causes the truck to crank then the problem isn't the relay or it's connections, or the starter or it's solenoid. It's probably the clutch/neutral switch or the ignition switch, or the wiring and connections between.
If it doesn't crank, but cranks when the main terminals of the fender relay are jumped, then it's the relay or it's connections. It is easy to check/clean the connections. If that doesn't work, then probably the relay is defective.

 

Good point and good torubleshooting tips...Thanks Net

JR

 

god has to love subford --he is the man!!wiring diagrams and all- I love him to death!!!

 

The old Ford starters up thru 91 were the ones that had the solenoid on the fender. In 92 they went to a gear-reduction starter with a solenoid on top. The solenoid on the fender was retained but became just a relay to kick off the solenoid on the starter. I always figured it was because the new starter design was something they outsourced and the vendor's design called for a solenoid mounted on the starter.

The way you can tell which one you have down there is if you have a large lead off the + on the battery going down directly to the starter. If so, you have the new type. If your only power lead to the starter comes off of the solenoid/relay on the fender, then you have the old type.

 

The crank type replaced the push start or jack up the wheel and turn system.


Old type 1940-1950's
Did away with the crank and use a Centrifugal Bendix Drive and Motor:


Newer type 1960-1980's
Did away Centrifugal Bendix Drive and replaced it with a yoke and over-running clutch drive :


And the newer yet type 1990's - ???
Moved the solenoid down on the starter and went to gear reduction drive:

/

 

My 1964 F100 had one of those early Bendix types with the starter gear and big spring way out on the end of the shaft. The gear actually retracts back towards the starter in order to engage the flywheel. Freaky.