Alright I'll try to make this semi-brief so you dont get bored with it. Got a '74 malibu that I decided to plop a new (rebult I should say) 350 into. Well the car drove to where it sat in the weeds for a few years. Anywho, after yanking the engine and putting the new one in I find that the starter isn't getting juice when I turn the key.

I can use a remote starter and get it to turn the engine by hooking it up to the wire that goes from ingnition and the battery so I know the starter works.

I thought that it may be the neutral safety switch, but it gets no juice no matter what gear its in and the backup lights come on when I put it in reverse so it doesnt seem like it would be outta whack.

And finally one day I had a brainfart and replaced the fuse. Viola! It turned over! But the next day when I went out to work on it I got nothing(once again), replaced the fuse again but still wont work.

So anyone have anything else for me to try? I may have missed something important to mention cause im dog tired at the moment, so if ya have any questions, feel free to ask.

Thanks in advance

I'm guessing it is a bad/poor connection. I would think about replacing the battery cable. I've seen a lot of starting problems cured by just doing that. Then I would suspect the starter solenoid, then the starter motor.

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-Mark
TC# 717
ACES #1641
1967 Chevelle SS396/375 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/1BadRat2)
1967 RailVelle (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/1badrat3.jpg)(Parting out)
1964 Chevelle 283/195
1975 Corvette 396/425 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/1BadRat1.jpg) "Wow, that's a mighty strong 350!"
Rat Garage (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/RatGarage.jpg)

Battery cables and battery are new and I cleaned all the posts on the starter and the connections on the wire. Also the fact that I can get the starter to kick out and spin by jumpering the wires (Using a screwdriver also worked) means the starter and solenoid should be good, shouldn't it?

I would imagine the solenoid is bad, or going bad.

Well even though I did have it tested, and it worked, I rekon I'll swap out the starter and see what happens. Got a backup sitting here, doesnt spin fast enough to turn the eingine but it will at least kick out and spin. Hopefully it'll be that simple!

Thanks

weirdwaldo, You could check the cables from the starter back to the switch and battery. My son's nova sometimes you turn the key and it would start other times it would click and sometimes do nothing. We found the wiring from the starter up to the firewall were brittle and worn after 30 some years. I spliced new wire at the firewall down to the starter and that fixed his problem. May want to check yours, because you said your starter works fine with a remote starter.

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Greg Chambers
Crowley, TX
67 ss clone

[This message has been edited by Didge (edited 01-11-2002).]

Since you can get it to turn over with a remote starter switch, you've eliminated some problems already.

You need to make sure you're getting juice from your fusebox to your ignition switch. Then see if you're getting juice from there to the starter.

Did the fuse blow again? If so, replace it and just turn the key to the "on" position. Don't try to turn it over yet. See if the fuse blows. If so, you probably have a loose wire hanging somewhere touching ground.

If not, then try turning it over again and see if the fuse blows this time. If so, start tracing the starter wire from the key-switch to the solenoid. It must be grounded somewhere.

If you have headers, look for a wire with the insulation melted off near the starter.

It's nearly impossible to find a short over the web. I hope you get it soon.

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Chad Landry
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'68 El Camino

The fuse was still good, so it didnt blow again. Wires all look good, no melted spots, nothing exposed. But I did notice something yesterday, while I was using the remote starter to turn the engine over there was an exposed tan wire that started smoking, its not hooked up to anything either, just laying there. Any idea what its for?

Ahwhoops! I take that back. Turns out the wire that I thought was smoking wasnt the wire at all. It was the chrome braided heater hose resting on one of the t-bar valve cover nuts. Seems when the engine was turning over it started smoking and getting hot.....also the body ground coming off the neg. battery cable got hotter than a pistol.

Time to go stare at some wiring diagrams!

Hmmmmm, a chrome plated HEATER hose, resting on the engine, along with the body ground wire getting hot.

I don't think turning the engine over with a remote starter would have it build anywhere near enough heat to make a hose smoke. Chrome or not. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif I think maybe the chrome hose cover is being used as a substitute ground somehow? Do you have any, and have you checked the ground straps? (the ones between the engine and the chassis?) Where does your negative battery cable go, and are the connections on it clean? If you aren't grounded good enough, this might explain weak starting, and the hot little body ground wire.

Interesting problem. I have no idea if I have helped you. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif Good luck!

chris

Well one of the grounding straps (From the intake to the firewall) wasn't hooked up. The one from the chassis to the hood is apparantly broke so I'll have to fix it. Is there more engine to chassis ground straps to be found? I hooked the one up and it didnt seem to make much of a difference, if any.

The neg. battery cable is running to the alternator bracket, its on there tight and is clean looking as well.

Weird you have the same post running in two different places. Makes it tough to see what some one else has contributed.
Don't worry about the ground straps. They won't help you. You have a good ground to the alternator bracket. The other ground you need goes from the negative cable to the inside right fender. All the grounds you need under the hood to start the car.

Weirdwaldo YES there is one more ground you did not mention there should be (IMO) a pigtail off the neg. bat. terminal to the fender. I believe there is also one on the pass. side fire wall down low to the frame.
Also a vibration washer (star shaped w/o.d.tabs) under the cable end to the bracket will make a better connection. One more thing be sure that neg. cable is good I have seen them go bad right at the terminal end. The cable looked good, I pulled on the end and it came right off, the inside was all corroded. It really sounds like your motor has no ground. Good luck