Hi all--

I have a friend's new-to-him 70 351 Vert at my house. We can get headlights and interior lights, but when we try to crank it over, nothing. I cleaned up the contacts on the starter solenoid, but still nothing.

Can you give me a batting list of things to work through to see what is causing the no-cranking problem.

How do I check if the starter solenoid on it is good?

I figure I can check the easy things before it goes to a mechanic.

--Paul

PS John, if you are reading this, I promise not to try to rewire it! :-D

whats the btry voltage?

Can be a bad starter or the battery is stone dead! Does the solenoid make a clicking sound? I just had a new stater go on me, Had bright light but nothing on turning over! Got my rebuilt at Napa put in and started right up! Or you could try turning the engine by hand and see if the starter just got stuck! :scratch:

What about some of the other items like the radio or power top button if so equipped. If using more than one casues the other to dwindle like say radio or top switch makes lights dim or radio fade then it could just be your ground wire from the battery to the block. You would be suprised just how often a car goes dead even seconds after it just worked because of a bad ground. Get on your back in front of the car, reach up and just move the connection back and forth a few times if you can then try to restart. If that's it then unbolt it and clean it up, maybe even add some dialectric grease to resist further corrosion build up. It may be something else but this is a completely expense free check that requires no special tools and is a common problem.

Good to check. The voltage at the battery is good--charger charged it right up in no time. Good idea, Pak, about the ground.

The radio is trashed and the top isn't power. The gauge lights work, though.

I'm thinking that this car will need some serious love as it hasn't moved in awhile.

-Paul

No click, no nothing. Dead quiet. :dunno:

Start by replacing the starter solenoid they arent to expensive. Then check all of your ground wires.

Pak--Checked the ground underneath. Cleaned it well and put it back. Still nothing.

David--I think that is my next move. . . .

--P

Hunh, what about the secondary ground to the fire wall, the braided line one? Usually you would get a click form the solenoid or a grinding tick from the starter when they are the culprit. Since you have a charge and a trickle flow to the lights it still points to a ground being the problem somwhere, especially with a dead quiet start. Before you try replacing anything (even cheap parts) I would hook a tester up to each junction starting from the block ground back and trouble shoot. It really is the best method instead of just R&R'ing parts until you strike gold.

Have we out ruled the ignition itself as not completeing the circuit? Did you try to bypass it and hot wire / bump start the car yet? I think that would be my next step after verifying the braided ground was good too and then I'd double check each section with a tester and try to isolate the problem.

Maybe its just a bad Ignition switch, or the wire is loose! :dunno:

Hard telling. With a bad ground, wouldn't the whole car be dead? I mean, I have headlights, but. . . .

Who knows? Well, at least I have something to keep me busy and out of of the bars! 8)

Nope not at all. As I said, it is quite possible that a poor ground will trickle suffficent power to run an auxilary item (headlights) yet not provide sufficient cranking amperage. That is why I intitially asked about the radio and top. If you had something else to turn on besides lights that caused a fade out or dimming then the ground is defintitly part or all of your problem.

I am speaking from painful experience here. Shortly after a radiator flush several years ago (which apparantly dribbled just enough down the block to corrode the last bit of contacting metal) I suddenly could not start my car at all and it had just been running perfectly only momments before. I was dead, nothing at all. I got the lights on and the radio but as soon as I tried the top everything would die for about 10 minutes then I could get them back again if I retried. I checked every connection but the ground and could find no trouble, I tried a jump and even replaced the battery with a known good one, I replaced the solenoid (now I have a spare, thank god they are cheap) I replaced the starter motor (was old and tested not 100% but would have been usable still) and I still had nothing. I was at the end of my rope when someone findly pointed me to the ground, one wiggle and I was up and running, I did not and would not believe it until then. Since then I can not tell you how many mechanics have told me when talking that they have gotten more free jobs for that gremlin and they don't tell the customer it was so simple either.

Seriously, check the other ground first and then bump start the car to see if the ignition is bad, I feel confident that one of these is your problem.

Where is the braided ground? I traced the one down from the battery down to just below the front of the engine Loosened, wiggled, de-greased, tightened and wiggled again. (Dodging two very nasty looking big black spiders, I might add. Ick.)

You know, there seems to be much more "stuff" in and around this engine that my tried and trusty 66 289! Not just spiders, either.

Back of intake manifold to firewall...?

David--Gotcha. I'll see what I can find when I get home. Thanks much! :-D
--Paul

PS Good to see the Big 12 represented here

<--Mizzou Graduate (We won't talk basketball or football.) :notnice:

There could also be a ground from your starter motor and just because the exposed bradied wire is the correct ground to use, it could be anything really that a PO used or could be missing completely in which case you'll never find it.

If you come up empty just try to bump start it anyway and let us know if it is still dead silent or not, that will aid much in how we can suggest you proceed.

BTW, if the ground to the block had a hidden break in it then it could still be faulty. The only way to be sure is to really test each lead with a voltmeter.

Pak--Ok, I'll see what is going on. How do I/would I bump start it? (Hangs head in shame.)

-P

Touch a red (+) wire from the battery directly to the starter

If it is an auto transmission it could be the nuetral switch.

Edward --There is one I never even thought of. Sheesh! So many things to keep the cars from running!

Thanks!