electrical and ignition Start Up Problems

[Strodaddy]

I need help. My '74 2002 will not start, the selenoid just clicks. I had the battery tested, jumped it and i have now replaced the starter. Turn the key and still only get a single click. I did notice that my clutch is not engaging due to the link on the clutch pedal being broken. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Hans]

I'd be looking at the cables and connections between battery and starter, and block to ground/neg. terminal. Pull negative terminal, clean it inside and the post, remove other big cable connections and clean terminals. Wire brush, emery paper, Make sure everything is shiny before re-connecting terminals. What did the battery test at?

[Strodaddy]

I just bought the battery in September. I had it checked anyway at Autozone and it was good. All my terminals are free of corrosion, but i wil clean them anyway. If i cant find a fix this '74 might be for sale. I have to put the clutch linkage back in beofre i try to start it again.

[mikesmith]

Do the dash lights go out when the solenoid clicks?

 

If yes, hold the key in 'start' for about 5 seconds, then release it and immediately go feel the wire from the battery to the starter.  If it's hot, your starter is locked or shorted - see below re: rebuild/core. If it's not hot, then you have a bad connection at the battery end (see Hans' list above).

 

If the lights don't go out, the starter solenoid and contacts are suspect. First pull the starter and suspend it (still wired in) somewhere that it's safe for the gear to spin and see if it will spin away from the flywheel. If it doesn't, give the solenoid a couple of firm taps with a medium-sized persuading device (you are trying to jolt its innards, not dent it) and try again.

 

If the starter is the original, it's quite possible that the solenoid contacts are toast. At this point, you have a core for a refurb'ed unit (or you can try stripping and rebuilding it yourself, but if you're comfortable with that you probably wouldn't be asking this question...).

[Strodaddy]

On the old starter the solenoid got warm after a few attempts at starting it. The new one i put in today, the solenoid didn't get warm at all. I'm going to take it off and see if it spin off the fly wheel after a few firm taps with a hammer. The dash lights don't go out, but they do dim a little, but i suspect thats just because of the drain on the battery from trying to start the engine.

[Hans]

Did you also clean the terminals on the big cables where they attach to the starter and block? Always pull neg battery terminal, then check other ends. 

[jimk]

Confirm you have the wires to the starter on the correct terminals.  These can get mixed up.

[Strodaddy]

Well, I replaced the positive cable going to the starter and the car started right up. Turns out the old cable was in pretty bad shape. After it started i noticed that eyebolt that connects the clutch pedal to the clutch master cylinder broke. Why aluminum was chose to fabricate this part is a mystery to me, so i had a buddy of mine make a new one out of steel. Problem solved.