Motor & Tranny back in

Randy N Connie

Registered User
Got my motor and tranny back in.Went to start it .And it just made a click.
I check all the wires every thing seems to be hook up.The battery is full
charge.Every thing works but when I turn the key to start it makes one click.

I replaced the tranny is there something that I should adjust on a 1990 auto
trans,that would keep it from starting.The wire on the starter is tight.The
small wire on the starter is pluged in.Ground wires on both sides of the motor
are on the motor mount.The wires are pluged in at the trans.

The trans is out of a 93 SC.

RANDY
 
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Hey Randy,
When I went to put my donor engine in my car,,,the starter just went click. I couldn't figure it out either.
Knowing the Ford starters the way I do( I have many a Ford truck that ates starters) I replaced it with one I had laying around. It started right up.

Why,,,I don't know. ALSO, get a load of this, and this will probably not make sense to most, but it would eventually turn if I jumped the the solenoid. Figure that one out.

On another note, were you able to turn the torque convertor without any problems when you tightened it up?

Skip
 
You are remembering to push the brake pedal while you crank arent you? That threw me for a loop the first time I tried to start the car.
The only thing on the tranny that would stop it from cranking is the neutral safety switch.
Also check the ignition switch itself, they've been known to go bad and can cause that.
 
Well I have checked every wire no pinch wires all wires are hook up.
When I get in to start it .I put my foot on the brake turn the key one click.
When I hold the key on after one click,I can push the auto shifter back and
forth and it will make one click going in & out of park.

I don't know how to check the volts at the starter by myself.That
is about the only thing I havent did.

randy
 
Reads like a ground problem. Does it go click then dim lights sure sign of a bad con

All of my starter problems have been caused by the neg connection on the starter solinoid (slide connector). It has to be on there good and tight . The shaking form the starter tends to loosen them up . Everytime I have had problems it has been in this area the starter solinoid area. It is a very rare occasion when the solinoid on the side wall next to the battery fails.
 
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The motor turns over by hand.I don't think that any power is going to the starter.
The click I hear is not the starter clicking.The wires are tight on the starter.
one wire with a nut holding it and one small wire that plugs in.

I had every wire and plug in marked I don't think that I missed one when
putting the motor and tranny back in.I have trace the wires all are hook up.
 
Randy I bet the clicking you hear is the solenoid that is mounted on the drivers side fenderwell. Check and see if thats whats clicking.
Those things go bad sometimes and that how they act when they've gone out.
 
That little bugger may have gone bad good thing is there cheap!
Make sure all your connections there are clean and good.
On one side of that thing you will see a big black cable coming out of a big black rubber boot that kinda ressembles half of a horseshoe. That big black cable is the one that goes to your starter. You will also notice a smaller but still heavy gauge wire coming out of that horseshoe thing as well, thats the smaller wire that plugs onto the starter.
Have someone set in the car and turn the ignition switch in the crank posistion with there foot on the brake. Now take a voltmeter and see if you have battery voltage on the two terminals that have a large nut and post on them. If you dont have volage there that little solenoid is bad. If you do have voltage start looking at the starter.
 
I will work on the car, but if the soleniod is bad that may be the straw
that brakes the camels back.I have spent to much money on electrical
parts already.I am not spending one more penny on electrical parts.

So you think that the soleniod went bad setting in the shop.It has
12 volts going to it.I thought about tring to jump the soleniod,but
I don't know if some thing would burn up .
 
Randy you can jump it by having someone turn the ignition to run position not crank hold the brake and you can jump with screwdiver the 2 large top and bottom posts on that solenoid and see if the car cranks. It should crank then.
 
That bottom post should have battery voltage all the time regardless of key posistion, However the top post should only have voltage when the key is turned to crank. Check that and see what you have.
 
Or you could.

See that little connection on the side wall solinoid with the Red slide conector on it . This is the wire coming form your ignition. Take the connector off you will see a small screw stud then take a screw driver and ground the neg on the solinoid to the small screw stud. Real quick like tap the screw driver aginst it . This will cause the starter to turn over. If it does not turn the starter over it is a bad connection or the solinoid is shot.. There are many possibilites here but like I stated before 90% of the time it is that darn solinoid on the starter or the connection to it. They cost a good 45 dollars new it is cheaper just to pick up a used starter from a salvage yard.
 
The voltage should be the same on both wires.
Take a pair of jumper cables and only use one side of them for this.
hook one clamp on the bottom post of the fender solenoid then hook the other end of the same jumper cable to the larg post on the starter then try to crank it. If it cranks that cable with the lower voltage is bad.
 
Randy,

I had a similar problem that turned out to be a bad ground at the negative battery post. When I pulled the cable off the battery I could see where it had be arking on the post and melting a portion off the battery post and cable. The other common problem, would be a bad connection where the small wires attach to the starter.

I would also try turning the ignition on and jumping the starter relay with a screw driver to see if it's working correctly. I'm talking about the part next to the power box with the large wires are attached to a pair of large terminals that some people call the starter solenoid.

David
 
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Leforrest,I jump it as you suggested,it made a click.

Mike,haven't tried jumping it yet.I will.

David N. When I put the car back together,I sanded every wire end.
and I cleaned every plug connector.Whith some electrical cleaner.

I need to find this.And hope it is some thing I did,The car is a lemon
the sooner I own up to that the better off I will be.I have worked on
this car for over two years every day.I may half to give up.

randy
 
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OK Randy have you tested the starter?

Take battery cables hooked to a battery or a battery charger. Hook the neg to the starter solinoid neg slide clip then touch the positive to the stud where you usually hook the starter cable to. This should cause the Driver lever to engage you will hear it click. OK next test see if starter is spinning. Hook the negative to anywhere on the starter but the neg clip or the terminal posts ground it to the starter somwhere just hold the negative aginst the body of the starter. Then touch the positive to its normal terminal post this will cause the starter to spin.
 
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