hinkak

quick backstory. Last week I picked up an 87 f150 w/ the 4.9 with an unknown history. I may have slightly overpaid but it was the body and engine that I wanted.... and 99,99% rust free. Rare here in central NC. Not sure if its 112k or 222, but just about everything works...the oil pan is a little wet but oil was good.

Started right up but had a bad IAC. Junk yard part (yellow marker). Drove in 60 miles home and it stalled several times coming to a light/stop etc but always started right up.

Yesterday I installed a brand new IAC (motocraft, most expensive one) and she fired right up. Felt like she had a slight miss but she ran and idled. shut her off and then fired back up again and Drove her around the driveway. Stalled... fired back up and didn't want to go into drive. Shift selector is broken but you can find reverse and drive etc by feel. Went into reverse no issues, eventually got it into drive. Made it to the end of the driveway but she stalled. Won't crank.

When I crank her all i hear is a single groan noise. I took the battery to autozone and they said it was good. Charged for 3 hours last night @2amps slow charge and then on the battery tender overnight. She went green by morning. Same thing...single groan noise when I engage starter. Very little corrosion on truck etc.

What steps should I take to diag her? I'm a part changer by hobby. Should I take out all the plugs and try to turn her over by hand? should I try to swap the starter? Thanks in advance

PS what does the single groan noise indicate? I've had an aftermarket starter in a 95 maxima go bad and just do nothing... then fire up again later. Newer cars seem to go click click click rapidly when the battery is weak. Was always told its the starter solenoid protecting the starter when there isn't enough juice.

88xlt

You can bypass the solenoid by bridging the 2 large bolts on the solenoid. You have to use something metal(that conducts electricity) that is atleast as big around as the inside of a battery cable. Make sure it is in park for safety reasons and no need to turn the key on, you are just checking for cranking.

raski

Clean and verify all battery, ground and starter connections are clean and sound. Using a volt meter, probe the heavy lugs on the starter solenoid when the engine is actually being started. You can use a test switch to activate the solenoid or a helper to turn the key.If you have around 11v being applied at the starter while cranking, I would remove starter for testing. I have had bad connections at the starter where it mounts to the bell housing and ran a dedicated ground cable to a mounting bolt. My bet is a bad starter.

hinkak

Update;

I jumped her with a plug in 200amp charger/jump start that I bought at Sears 20 years ago... Immediately turned over. Disconnected and she started and ran for 15 minutes till I shut her off. Doing an oil change, swapped out the O2 sensor and have been cleaning her up.

Connections look good. I'm thinking it may be a weak battery as its a valuecraft and almost 5 years old. May throw a starter in her as well as it could be a dead spot on the starter. Replacing the cable to the stater might be a good idea as well. Truck is 35 years old and she needs to be reliable. I plan on keeping the truck, but not sure how I feel about autozone starters...

Thanks for the tips.

raski

When you post in the future, give all the facts including having a cheap five year old battery under the hood and all basic tests have been done.Get your battery tested because it appears to be shot.
Why start replacing parts that are not proven to be defective? You're looking at opening a new can of worms, especially putting in a junk starter from Autozone..

hinkak

I have had the Gold Duralast in the truck for a couple weeks now. I've only started her 7-8 times but she starts right up, even after sitting for a week. I had the valuecrap battery tested at autozone twice. Both times it tested perfect. They don't do a load test etc and my guess is that its a weak old and cheap battery. Don't trust autozone just because they say the battery is good. Funny because the guy first told me he would only recommend valuecrap if I was selling the vehicle and then turned around and said the battery tested perfectly lol... gave me 20 off the new battery but holy cow, when did batteries get to 200 bux.

Starter appears to be aftermarket/replacement. Has a yellow screw pictured on the side/sticker. washed down the engine and the starter looks newish. Going to pull it this weekend and see what it is. I don't want an autozone etc starter in her... I'll pay for a decent new/reman to avoid the sooner than later failure that I've always seen with those remans.

Steve83

For that, you could have gotten a Ford/MotorCraft TestedToughMAX BXT-65-800.

(click this text)

hinkak

New question and I may have a bad nuetral safety selector... or a bad starter solenoid. or my trans doesn't shift into park (c6) etc or read that its in park or ?

After sitting for a week waiting for time to pull the cluster to replace bulbs, and other various repairs that needed to be done (still working on) to get her road worthy...

I finally got the cluster out far enough to replace the bulbs. I tried to start her and nothing, no noise or crank etc. Tested the solenoid; hot on the right and no juice on the left when the key was engaged (start). The shifter cable is broken (snapped) and I know that has nothing to do with it but the shifter feels a little wonky feeling for the gears. Everything looks good with the trans but there is an old trans shift modulator along with a bunch of other misc parts in the cab when I bought it. Couple spark plugs were left loose so who knows...

How can you tell if the nuetral safety switch (auto c6) is preventing the starter from engaging?

I"m going to replace the starter solenoid with an AC Delco because its $20 and I've been having multiple no start issues.

Shagg

Test voltage at the small signal wire with with the key is the start position, that will tell you if power is going to it or not. Send 12 volts to that small post and see if it cranks to test the solenoid.