Donnis

Sorry it's been awhile.

Today I out the starter back in. I put a new cable from the solenoid to the starter. And a new ground cable from the battery to the alternator bracket. And connected the old ground cable to the starter bolt. So it's grounded in two places on the engine as well as on the quarter panel. Attempted to start and no luck same click.

I used a jumper wire from the battery to the small wire in the solenoid from the ignition and still just a click.

Anything I am missing or something else I can try.

88xlt

Bridge the two large terminals on the solenoid together with something metal heavy enough to carry the voltage to operate the starter. ie as heavy as the inside of a battery cable. Just do this temporarily and it should spin the engine over.

Donnis

I used a large screw driver as one of my first attempts to spin it over. It did nothing.

88xlt

It should spin if the battery, the cables, the starter, and all the connections are good. Something is not right.

Donnis

I agree. When the starter was out I tried to test it with jumper cables and it didn't work. I took it to the parts store and it was good! Is there something other than the solenoid that would make it start. I'm beyond stumped with this

88xlt

By bridging the two large terminals on the solenoid you are making a direct connection to the starter. You might try tapping on the side of the starter with a hammer, people sometimes do that and it works.

Chris_1

iTrader: (1)

This is the smaller gear reduction starter. Not 100% if you have this style or the earlier (bigger) style.
You can see that the style in the picture has a 2nd solenoid right on the starter. It has a large wire coming straight from the battery and that little wire is what comes from the fender solenoid. When the fender solenoid closes it powers that little wire, which activates the starter mounted solenoid and that delivers power into the starter motor.
You should have constant power to the large wire that bolts to the starter. You should have power to the little one only when the key is to start and the fender mount solenoid is activated.
On the old style bigger starters, the main power goes through the fender solenoid and activates the starter - different system, but on that style you don't have power to the large cable on the starter until the fender solenoid is activated.
If you could follow all that (clear as mud ?) then you can use a test light at the starter and the fender solenoid to see if power is getting where it's supposed to go.

Donnis

I have this style starter.

Chris_1

iTrader: (1)

Ok, that's the second kind. You should have power to the fender mount solenoid on the one side (from the battery). When you turn the key to start, you should get power to the little push on wire, which activates the solenoid - that gives you power to the other side of the solenoid which should go down the wire to the starter; and the starter should turn.
No other mystery stuff, if the power gets down to the starter and the connections are good the starter should turn.

My 03

I seem to be having the same problem. Only get a solenoid click when key turned to start. New battery, new solenoid, good fuses, good power everywhere, good grounds and starter pulled and checked . Doesn't turn over when jumping the solenoid. Power to the small pull off wire. Myself and a friend have independently checked everything except the neutral safety switch. I'm thinking this could be the problem but I have heard that there could be some sort of safety switch under the dash also. What are your thoughts?