Hey fellas, I should be watching the Super Bowl but got caught up working on my hot rod instead. I haven’t driven the car for a while due to work, life and weather. Last time I drove it I had no issues. Today, going to start the car I turned the switch and can only hear the ford solenoid click but no action from the starter. Tested the starter off of a jumper cable and all is good. Here’s the lowdown of the car: 31 roadster 327 SBC manual transmission, alternator Summit hi torque mini starter Rear mounted battery, battery fairly new and kept on a trickle charger during storage ****ery shutoff switch - functioning. Ford starter solenoid and switch mounted in close proximity to the battery. Battery cable runs to starter. Cable is heavy duty and appears to be in great condition. from what I can tell I don’t see any damaged wires or connectors (still need to go through it carefully) when I turn the key, the ford solenoid clicks but the actual starter does nothing. where should I look? Could this be the ignition switch? thanks in advance.
A little more info about how you jumped the starter. Like from where, did you only spin the starter motor with no flywheel ingagement ect.
If the solenoid is working , the ignition switch is likely OK. A dirty battery cable connection or ground could allow enough current to energize the solenoid, but not the high amperage draw for the starter...or the solenoid is bad.
Thanks guys. I tested the starter out of the car using jumper cables from battery to the starter. The ford solenoid is clicking but crickets at the actual starter and its solenoid. I don see anything obvious. I’ll have to get a test light or multimeter and poke around
I usually do it slightly differently because it's typically a voltage drop from the starter switch to the Chevy solenoid that's the issue. Run the + battery cable directly to the main starter terminal as normal and use the Ford solenoid to trigger the Chevy solenoid ...... mount the Ford solenoid as close as practicable to the starter. It's also very important to use adequate cable sizes between both solenoids and to the battery. Then use the original starter switch supply to signal the Ford solenoid. And as mentioned earlier, ensure that your main battery cables and their terminations are up to scratch. Good luck, please keep us posted.
You seem to understand the components, the issue and the troubleshooting required. I'll mention going back to basics, since you are about to go into this. Number one; a good, fully charged battery. Do not ***ume, do not rely on 'it worked before' or 'it was taken care of'. Everything is suspect until proven. Second, main and secondary connections. I always check the ground to ch***is/block because that is often the issue, but check all of them. Connections are the most common resistance fault. A voltage drop check after checking each physical connection is useful. Last, components. These do fail, but it's more likely the 1st and 2nd are the issue. BTW, you shouldn't be watching millionaires working for multi-millionaires in a job that has billions gambled on the outcome while wearing overpriced ugly clothing and praying for favors.
Best advice ever, even if you're not having car problems. And it doesn't require any special tools or training.
Totally agree. When I needed to make this modification a simple Bosch style relay was my choice, The Ford type solenoid was suggested because it was shown in the sketch. Ironically, I was an engineer at VICTA lawnmowers for many years, and they used a Ford style solenoid on their Ride-on range, but it was probably a cheap offshore version.
Well guys. I figured it out and it should have been the first thing I checked. The bolt that held the ground strap to the engine vibrates loose and the block was no longer grounded. Feel like a dimb*** but at least it’s easy and inexpensive to fix. Thanks for the advice everyone.
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