I removed my starter (which is relatively new, less than 10K miles on it) back in November to install some LTs, and finally got around to finishing up the project yesterday (our twin girls came early and I haven't been to the garage until Wednesday!). Got everything back together last night and the starter just makes a very faint click. I charged the batt overnight, same result. Here are my observed voltmeter readings:

('85 auto)

Battery out of the car: 12.7v
Solenoid switch term: .1v (I may not have been able to get a good reading)
Solenoid batt term: 18+v and rising (found this very odd)
Battery connected in car: 12.9v
Battery while attempting the cranking: 12.9v
Battery after attempting the cranking: 13.3v+ rising (also very odd)

I assume I need a new starter- any suggestions otherwise?

One last question: If I get a new starter, I want the smaller one (LT1 I think) to make it easier to get around my headers- which one do I need to look for?

Thanks!

 

did you try cleaning the contacts on the inside of the solenoid?

 

I haven't removed the starter yet, I am trying to diagnose before removing it. Would the contacts cause the crazy voltages I'm getting?

 

But did you take a piece of pipe and give the starter a whack? And dirty contacts WILL make starting a problem.

 

No, but I did drop it from about 4 inches to the ground. That could have shaken something loose.

But what concerns me... 18v+ at the battery terminal? .1v at the switch terminal? Would loose or dirty contacts cause that type of wierd voltages?

 

I think your 18 volt reading might be erroneous. If you didn't get the car started then there should be no way to exceed battery voltage. If you get the car started and check the battery voltages while running and the voltage is 18 then you better be looking at the voltage regulator circuit ASAP

If all you got was a click at the starter when you turned the key, then your solenoid is probably not making the large contacts inside to run starter or the required power is not there. Bad power contacts in solenoid, loose or dirty power connections to starter from battery or battery problems.


Or you can hit it with a big pipe.

 

Your 0.1 and 18 volt readings are really strange and the 18v not even possible, lead acid batteries that are perfect put out 13.2 volts. Also, your starter isn't drawing current, evidence is the high battery voltage. Check for bright tight connections of the battery cables to the battery and the same with the large starter wire connection to the starter. Check for clean bright connection from the starter motor flange onto the bell housing (ground). Take a jumper wire and connect between the battery cable on the starter to the starter solenoid connection. The ignition sw starter circuit may not be passing enough current to the starter solenoid (weak click). Ign starter circuit involves the clutch safety switch contacts, the start enable relay contacts, and the ign sw contacts. Take the starter to a parts store for a test. There are large copper contacts in the starter that are forced together at the end of the solenoid stroke that switch 12v to the starter motor and these contacts get pitted and then won't pass enough current to run the starter motor. I doubt a 10k starter is in this shape, but you can replace these contacts. First you should hear a loud click from the starter solenoid, not a tiny click.

 

Found it... the smaller of the 3 wires that was supposed to be on the 'S' term was on some other terminal. I have no idea what that third one is even for, but it looked exactly like the other one, and it's hard to see to connect it- especially with LT's- which is why I crossed it I guess. I picked up a new starter right when I left work (minutes before the stores close) and it didn't have the third post, just the batt term and the s term.

 

The other wire belongs on the big stud. It sends 12 volts to ignition switch.

 

Right, the 2 bigger wires go on the big stud together, the small one goes on the S terminal. On my starter, there was the big (battery) stud, and there were 2 small studs that were identical in size, thread, etc. One was the S term the other is a mystery terminal that somehow generates voltage lol.

Finally though, after a 7 month hiatus dealing with these twins, the project is done: interior, headers, and wheels/tires. And of course it's storming and raining like crazy today