Its a 5.0 motor out of a 1987 f150. I went to start it the first time since Ive completed my swap. The starter turned over fine once and then nothing. I took the starter out tested it at the post with 12v and nothing returned it and got a new one. The new starter wont turn over at all. i bypassed the solenoid and nothing. I thought bad ground so i took a jumper cable and grounded the battery to the frame and still nothing. any ideas would be very help full because im at a loss. Everything is brand new from the starter to the wires.

 

Mmmm yeah.

If you have a strong Hot and solid ground the. It has to be a defective starter IF it is doing nothing at all.

Take it out and test it. (Should be an old pro at that by now)

You have a ground from the case to the solenoid right?

 

What case do you mean? Sorry for my ignorance. I'm not use to have a external solenoid

 

Yeah the Solinoid is 'Piggy Back' mounted on the starter correct?

Well this Solinoid must have a hot and cold wire, usually the ground is connected to the main motor ground.

Most of the starters I deal with have a jumper lead from the ground cables feeding the motor. Not sure If your application has ground cables or is grounded through the bell housing?

 

the solenoid is on the fender. There is only one wire that runs too the starter. The solenoid is grounded to the fender through the mounting screws i believe. My battery is grounded to the frame and the fire wall.

 

Oh ok. Old school.

So the starter has a full time hot and grounds through the engine?

 

Im not sure about that part, where the starter grounds too It would have to go through the motor. I have the motor grounded through the heads. Which are aluminum, should i ground through the block instead?

 

I would take your booster cable and hook it on to the front of the starter, or any place it will hook solidly on the starter as a ground, and hook the other end of the booster cable on the outside of the negative battery cable.

 

Heading out to try that now. Ill post my results in a few.

well i tried at several different spots on the starter and still nothing. Im wondering if i got another bad starter i cant think of what else it could be

 

Not exactly a full time hot. The solenoid, you may refer to it as a relay, sits about a foot from the battery. There is a short cable that runs from the positive battery post to the solenoid or relay, then a full size battery cable runs from the other side of the solenoid or relay to the starter.

When you hit the starter switch to activate the starter, the solenoid or relay connects both cables together sending power to the starter.

There is no solenoid mounted on top of the starter, just a bolt to hook the battery cable to that runs from the solenoid or relay.

 

^^^ Yeah Old school for sure ^^^

Not like the newer design where the main hot is closed once the bendix is thrown in.

 

Yes, Ford changed that starting in 1992. The design of the 1987 was used by Ford since the 1950s. I thought it was a good setup, but the full load going to the starter was going through the solenoid or relay.

For some reason the solenoids started sticking to where they would keep cranking the engine even after the power from the ignition switch to connect the two sides of the solenoid was released. I never did hear for sure why Ford changed the setup, but I'm guessing that's why.

 

id love if the starter kept cranking it would be allot easier to figure out.

 

Are the battery cables where they hook on the battery clean and tight? Are your headlights bright?

 

Pull the starter and go get it tested.