OK so here goes....First I started to hear the car making the ol click click click sound at start up so I intially thought it was the starter. Pulled it out and had it tested. Came out good. Then I had the alternator tested also good, Finally figured out it was the stupid battery. So i replaced it. Now I try to start it and all the lights come on, radio etc... but when I turn the key nothing,,,its dead. So I trace out the cables from the starter and sure enough the fuseable link is fried. I replaced it and made sure all the starter connections were clean and solid since I was down ther again. Now I try to start it and same thing is happening....all lights, radio buzzer come on but nothing is happening when I try to start it. So now waht any Ideas? All grounds look good under battery, by the starter and latenator. Getting good volt readings at alternator and starter just wont turn over. Im dying here. HELP!!!! Calling all Shade Tree mechanics.....And oh yeah its a 74.

 

Get a test light on the purple wire on the S terminal on the starter, if it lights when you turn the key but nothing happens you have a starter issue. If it does not light up you have a start circuit issue.
The alternator will not affect starting except that if it is not charging the battery it could be bad. In order of liklihood, the battery is first, then the battery connections, then the starter. Rarely the starter or alternator first.

 

Looks like good advice here. Did you check the fusable link again? If the fuse has blown again, I would start checking the wiring in the starter circuit to see if it is grounding when you don't want it to and blowing the fuse.

 

I will try the light test today on the S terminal. My wire might be purple I dont know because it looks almost black now from road grime. and it sits over in the far corner next to the housing so its hard to see. I do know that when I have the key turned on I am getting a good 12.2V down there. I have even double checked the new fuseable link I installed on both sides of it to make sure the power is getting through. The battery is brand new so I know that is not the issue. About the battery connections though how would I know if they are bad when everything else seems to be fine?

 

Set your multimeter to "ohms" and put one test lead on the positive terminal, and the other on the copper wire that comes out of the connector. If you have a good connection there, the resistance shouldn't be more than a tenth of an ohm or two. Repeat the procedure for the negative terminal. I also like to check the connections of the two grounding straps to the frame in a similar manner.

 

WELL IT TURNS OUT IT WASNT THE STARTER AT ALL CAN YOU BELIEVE THE NERVE OF SOME ENGINERS? SO HERES THE STORY FOR OTHERS IN THE FUTURE TO USE. AFTER HOURS OF TRACING EVERY WIRE IN THE CAR THAT DEALS WITH THE STARTING FROM THE IGNITION TO THE ALTERNATOR TO THE DISTRIBUTOR TO THE STARTER I KEPT GETTING GOOD OHMS READINGS. THANK GOD FOR MULTIMETERS WITH SOUND. TESTED THE STARTER, SELANOID, ALTERNATOR, BATTERY ALL WERE GOOD. TRACED OUT EVERY GROUND WIRE ON THE ENGINE BLOCK AND FRAME, AGAIN ALL GOOD. SO NOW IM RACKING MY BRAIN AND JUST COULDNT FIGURE IT OUT TO SAVE MY LIFE SO I CALLED ONE OF MY FRIENDS FROM THE LOCAL CORVETTE CLUB AND ASKED HIM TO STOP BY FOR A SECOND SET OF EYES ON THIS THING. HE CAME OVER AND IT TOOK HIM ABOUT 4 HOURS AS WELL. WE RETRACED EVERY STEP I TOOK PREVIOUSLY AND CAME UP WITH THE SAME HEAD SCRATCHING LOOK AS BEFORE. THEN WE REALIZED THAT IT HAD TO BE SOMETHING WITH THAT STUPID STARTER RELAY SWITCH THAT SITS ON THE PASSENGER FIREWALL THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE FOR SEATBELT REGULATIONS. EVEN THOUGH I DISCONNECTED THAT LIKE 15 YEARS AGO AND NEVER HAD AN ISSUE BEFORE. SO WE TOOK IT APART AND FOUND A LITTLE CORROSION IN THERE BUT EVERYTHING WAS MAKING GOOD CONTACT. WE CLEANED IT UP TO LOOK BRAND NEW AND HOOKED EVERYTHING BACK UP TO GIVE IT ONE MORE TRY. I TRIED TO START THE CAR BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. I TRIED AGAIN AND THIS TIME AS I TURNED THE KEY HE PRESSED THE BLACK SWITCH AND SHAZAAM IT STARTED LIKE IT WAS NEW. I LET HER RUN FOR A SECOND BECAUSE IT WAS JUST SO NICE TO HEAR HER AGAIN THEN I CUT IT OFF AND TRIED TO START IT UP AGAIN AND OFCOURSE NOTHING THEN HE HIT THE SWITCH AND BACK TO LIFE SHE CAME. SO IN THE END WE JUST TOOK A 12 GAUGE WIRE A COUPLE OF SPADE CONNECTORS AND MADE A NICE LOOKING BYPASS. CUT DOWN THE INNER COVER RELAY SPADES AND PLACED IT BACK INTO POSITION FOR ORIGINALITY LOOKS AND NOW NOT ONLY DOES SHE SOUND GOOD IVE ALSO MADE MYSELF AN ANTI THEFT DEVICE. SO PKGUITAR AND SIXFOOTER THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUTS AND PUTTING ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. AND FOR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS THIS TYPE OF ISSUE HERE IS ONE TROUBLESHOOTING DIRECTION TO LOOK FOR.