Here's a new one on my truck ('76 f250, 2wd with a 390).

Truck starts great cold in the morning and in the lot after work. Only times I have had trouble getting it started have come after the truck is warmed up. The starter cranks the engine over a couple times and then just spins out. Once in a while it will make a fairly harsh noise like it's partially engaged.

Is this just the starter going bad or something else? Only occurs when making multiple stops on a trip, never cold.

How tough a job is the starter on a 390?

Rick

 

Unless you have long tube headers on it, changing out the starter is no big deal. With headers, the pass side may have to come off, just depends. It does sound like the starter to me.

 

I assumed it was the starter, but I've found it cheaper to ask first before blindly swapping parts.

This truck sat for a while before I bought it and is now being worked back into regular service. These are all problems I figured might show themselves in the process. Guess I'll call around and price out replacement starters tomorrow.

Thanks!

Rick

 

A hint just in case you have never done this before.
An FE starter is fastened with 3 bolts. You can't see the top one, you'll need to use an 8" extension and socket slid in from the front just above the starter.

 

Had that same problem-with a new battery! I replaced the battery cables with some old 0 guage T33 aircraft stuff, and starter cable, make sure the grounds are clean. I also overkilled and ran a cable from the back of the starter to the frame(ground of course). Old factory cables get internal corrosion which causes resistance also.

It helped alot, since then I also changed the starter-it was weak. Beware of rebuilds, I have had them fail too-they are just old starters cleaned up and tested. Make sure your starter is good-load test preferred.
I absolutely got tired of a warm vehicle that would not start. The ZING of not proper engagement is bad-changing a flywheel or flexplate is not easy. Usually caused by a worn starter not working fully, and probable bad connections.
Now it turns over like a hot damn, hot or cold-and ready for an engine rebuild with some compression! Between 10 or 12:1 cr.

Note! If I redo my battery cables ever again, it will be with some flexible cheap welding cable(prolly not 0 gauge-that is overkill mostly)-and I will learn to tin some home made ends on. Cheap and works great!

 

I agree; rebuilt starters are a crapshoot. I have a shop nearby that repairs starters and alternators, I always have mine fixed, never buy a rebuilt. Might be a good idea to see if there is a reputable shop near you that does this.

 

Never I believe if you have manifolds or headers, but as was mentioned earlier if it does indeed have headers you will have to remove the passenger header, just let it kinda hang in there and then unbolt the starter and pull it forward and then let it fall to the ground.

The new starter can then be fed thru the wheelwell between the frame and inner fender. Feed it around the header then bolt it up. Use a new header gasket too.

I just went ahead and wrote that up regardless if your particular truck has headers or not.

Josh

 

when you put the new starter in make sure you wrap it in a header wrap or abestos wrap! lol don't use abestos! but get some kind of heat wrap to protect the starter, or build a heat shield out of tin and bolt it on to shield it from heat, i think it will make the starter last longer, but that's just my two cents,

 

Heat is an electrical components worst enemy. Heat protection, upgraded wires, a good High CCA battery, some NO-OX on the connectors, and properly set timing are all friends of long starter life.

 

This makes me wonder if I shouldn't just try devising some sort of heat shield before replacing the starter. Starter operates just fine when the engine isn't warm, so maybe I can solve the problem for $5 rather than $50.

That said, I called around and found a Bosch starter with a lifetime warranty for $45, so maybe I'd be stepping over a simple fix.

Rick

 

or pony up the bucks for a gear reduction starter (175+) and be done with it forever.

Josh

 

Gotta throw my 2 cents in here. Reman/rebuilt starters are crap. I've become a starter replacing expert. (under 15 minutes) Ive had nothing but trouble with them and never the same trouble. Different starter = different problem. I finally spent the $100 on a brand new factory(China) starter and my electrical and whats that weird sound? problems have gone away. Heat is a killer with rebuilts. I was having same problem as you are having. Fires rite up, go couple miles, & take my chances shutting it off. 2 cents buy a NEW one.

 

If you can, find someone with a hoist. I changed the starters on both my 73 f100 with a 390 and 77 f150 with a 400 in the air and let me tell ya, its way easier than laying on the ground.

 

Gotta call total BS on that one...

Undoing motormounts, tranny mounts or unbolting the convertor and bellhousing bolts, undoing the exhaust either at the collector or the head, possibly draining the coolant as well to unhook the heater and radiator hoses, blah blah blah...

Factory manifolds is simply unbolting the starter...

Headers just requires unbolting the header and collector, letting it hang then undo 3 bolts and let the old starter fall to the ground.

Hmmm... 30 minutes of laying on your back to get the old one out or 2 days of work that still requires laying on your back...

No wonder this country is failing so quickly...

Josh

 

Now that's funny.

Now that's funnier.