I have a 2001 F150 4x2 w/AT that will not crank, I checked all the wires and i get the "CLICK" when i turn the key to the start position, I have replaced the starter and got it to crank over and start with the help of a jumper cable, but when i unhooked the jumper cables the truck died and now will not crank, i have tried to jump it again, I replaced the bad battery, can any one give me any ideas on what to do. it recentely had the timing chains replaced and the head on the pass side reworked due to a bent valve. i had it running a couple of times before the no crank issue so i am not sure what to do now. it will roll over so the starter is not stuck.

 

Something is not making sense.
Starting after the starter was replaced. Anything before that is not useful information.
What is this cranking and starting with a jumper battery then stalling when the jumper battery is disconnected?
That tells you the battery in the truck is dead and the alternator may not be charging..
Clear this up.
All there is is the battery, it's cables, the start relay on the firewall and the starter and it's cables.
Are there any connection errors?
Good luck.

 

I replaced the battery, and did replace the started again, it started right up but after running for a bit their was an noise that almost sounded like the started was engaged while running, so i shut it off and it did the no crank click thing again, I left it for a bit and went back it started up again and ran fine for about 5 minutes i shut it off and now it just does the no crank click. I am thinking that either the wire to engage the starter has a short or a loose ground.

 

The click is the solenoid closing. Once closed, you should now have enough current (at 12v) at the starter winding to turn the starter. Check, with a volt meter (or, you could probably use a test light) at the bolt on the side of the starter.
That particular ring connector fails. You may have a bad connection there, or at the starter solenoid.
I believe your old starter was probably ok.

 

You may have a starter solenoid with damaged contacts. I had a Mustang GT with that problem once, the starter pulled so much current, it fused the contacts closed. The starter was still engaged as the motor was running. The contacts broke free when I turned the switch to start and back several times. Took the old solenoid apart to be sure, and the contacts had fused several times, the surface was ruined.
They arc when the solenoid closes.

 

i tested all the contacts with a test light and i am getting the test light to light up on the small wire on the starter when i turn the key to start and not when its not, the power wire to the started it hot all the time like its supposed to be, the contacts to the start solenoid lights up in the small wire when its in start as well, i can not find a loose connection anyplace. I really miss the one wire starter on fords like my 64.5 mustang they were bullet proof for the most part.

 

i will try another solenoid to see if that fixes it

 

Yeah, agreed on the old style, they outlasted some cars. Still have a few old Fords with original solenoids.
I appreciate new technology, when it is an improvement. When I threaten to buy a Toyota truck, friends comment "I thought you liked Fords". I reply, "I do, the old ones". Made before all of this wonderful globalization.

 

It seems to me from your replies that if the starter will turn over with a jumper battery, that a ground is poor or missing or intermittent
Intermittently, a poor ground can weld it'self closed but open again from vibration.
There is a ground lead running to one bolt of the starter mount.
Is that tight at both ends? Is the cable good?
This ground won't affect the operation of the start solenoid because they are separate circuits.
I just did the starter on my 211,000 mile truck from just a 'perceived slow cranking' a few days before it let me set while I was out.
Changed the starter and all is back to normal for cranking. The brushes wear and hang up in their holders putting no or light pressure on the armature such that you never know when an old starter will fail.
Use some logic on what you see.

If the battery voltage goes way down there is a good load being put on the battery from the starter even if it is not engaging. It would be a starter issue.
If not then the circuit is open.
Heavy current attempting the flow through a poor connection will drop the voltage so far (across the resistance) the starter will not even attempt to operate. This goes for a poor ground as well because all the current/electrons flows through both sides of the circuit, just in opposite directions making the trip from one side of the battery to the other side..
Good luck.

 

I have owned over 50 fords in my life and up until i quit working as a mechanic I never let anyone else work on them, one of my kids went to auto tech school so i let them take the 2001 F150 in to have the timing belts replaced and they never completed the job, it sat there for 2 years and now I am having to fix the schools mistakes, but that is what has me so baffeled on why i keep getting the Click problem it ran when they got the vehicle and since i have got it back i have had to replace the Fuel pump, tighten down the valve cover bolts and check over what else they screwed up, I replaced the fuel pump and got it to start and run, i noticed the oil leak from the loose valve cover so i shut it off and tightened them then all i got was the Click, so i tested the wires and all was good, replaced the starter it started by jumping it and died when i took the jumper cables off, so i replaced the battery then got the click problem again, so i replaced the started again, it started up, i shut it off but to a strange noise, tried to start it again and got the click thing again left it for a bit and it started, shut it off and again got the click problem, have not got it to start since. the only thing left to change is the solenoid and every thing in the starting system will be new if that doesn't fix it i guess i will have to tear it back down part by part will if find out what wire they didn't didn't hook up right. I hope that it didn't burn out another starter.

 

I agree that some of the imports are easier to work on and they seem to be good for running along time, even under harsh treatment like a lot of hard off road driving, I have modded a lot of them for people over the years and have driven a few myself they can be a lot of fun, but i am still a BIG Blue Oval fan all the way and if i had my way i would build another 4x4 with a 77-79 F250 frame and a later model body like the 2001 i have and make it a real off road beast.

 

well i replaced the solenoid and still have just the click problem, I have tested the wires with a volt meter and I am getting 12.65 volts to the starter even when i am in the start position, what would cause the truck to keep burning out the solenoids on the starter.

 

I think I have figured it out I let a Vo-Tech school work on the truck and from what i can tell they hooked up the Alt. wire to the side of the firewall solenoid and after starting the truck it would feed power to the solenoid on the starter and burn it out, i have to wait till monday to get a new starter to make sure that is what it is.