artugio

So fairly recently I was able to get my truck out of our driveway and on the road. In the mornings when I had to leave for school it would start up as if it was a new vehicle, but subsequent starts would become more and more difficult, and I would have to fan the gas pedal to get it to come back to life. An example of this would be at the gas station, going to leave was a fight to get it started back up. Now, the starter just clicks when the key is turned.

I've figured that the battery is fine as the headlights come on nice and bright, and all the connectors are tight and in position. Truck has a good amount of oil in it and everything seems to be the exact same as it had been the past few days before it stopped starting.

So, clearly there's a issue with the starter or one of the parts that is part of the circuit, maybe ignition switch? I've been scratching my head on how to diagnose the actual issue and find a way to fix it. Any help would be appreciated

GhostriderI

When you try to start the truck with the headlights on do they dim?

burnthelight88

Its either going to be the starter or the solenoid on the fender. Solenoid is an easy fix and a cheap part, most people with this problem would just throw a new one on, they go pretty often. You could try jumping across the solenoid terminals to see if it will start, if it does then you know that the solenoid is the problem.

However, I'm willing to bet your actual starter has died. It's not extremely tough to replace either, but considerably more expensive. You can remove it and then bench test it yourself or take it to your local auto parts store who will usually bench test the starter for you.

artugio

I'm a newbie when it comes to fixing anything, so could you give me a few ways to diagnose the issue? I know where the solenoid is but i'm unsure of where the starter's exact position is. I also don't have access to a bunch of stuff you'd use to test (multimeter or test light) so I'm kind of at a disadvantage there too. I'm just dying to get the truck back on the road.

GhostriderI

Looking at the solenoid follow the rear large cable down to the engine, the other end is connected to the starter. (I know most starters are mounted on the lower passenger side, but we all know this wire goes to the starter on every Ford that uses a finder mounted solenoid).

burnthelight88

Well if you don't have decent tools, then don't waste the time diagnosing the relay, just go buy a new one. Under $20, and if it doesn't fix the problem, someday it will be your problem and you'll already have the spare one laying around. I actually keep one in my truck at all times as part of a small "emergency" kit.

Once you replace the relay, if the truck still just clicks, then you're probably looking at replacing the starter.

BEFORE you do this next optional step, make sure parking brake is on, truck in park or neutral, helper standing nearby, wearing gloves and glasses:
If you really want to do one "diagnosis", turn the truck to run and then go under the hood. Jump the two solenoid wires together. Basically it will supply power to the starter as long as you have them "jumped". Some people jump them by holding a screwdriver across the terminals. If the starter cranks, you know its fine. In that case it'd probably be the solenoid. If the starter does nothing, then its the starter.

Manuellabour247

This information is spot on. I had the same problems on my 75 and my 73. The "spare solenoid" in the truck is something I always had. Lol. I would say that before you start replacing anything, check your connections to make sure they are not loose or corroded. A bad connection will do the same thing as a bad solenoid/starter. Also check the connectors on the solenoid to make sure they aren't fraying. If the wires are bad, you can replace everything several times over and get the same result.

artugio

I went ahead and called up my local NAPA, to test battery and it came out all good. Good voltage and amps, no issues. Clean connectors.

I headed home, and tested the solenoid with 2 screwdrivers and it just sparked, no turnover. Not wanting to sit around mulling over that info, I went ahead and tracked down a local guy who owns an late 60s/early 70s orange and white ford that I'm super envious of (he had told us to come swing by if we ever wanted to talk about fords or fixing fords) and walked in on him and 2 of his buddies who plainly told me that it was the starter, and one told me he had a spare one he'd be willing to sell, for considerably cheaper than either NAPA or O'Reilly's would.

Obviously, I'm a little skeptical of the quality of the starter, but I guess I'll just have to see it when I get there and decide if I want to risk the $20. Hopefully it's a good one and I can the truck running again!

I'll be sure to update this once I get a call from him.

Thank you all for the info you've provided, it's been helpful and I really appreciate it.

Manuellabour247

Make sure there are no shims to either starter. Also make sure the bendix comes to the same position as your stock one. If it's off by too much, you'll be replacing a flywheel/flexplate in the near future.

Manuellabour247

You jumped the 2 small wires right?