What is killing my pickup's starters...?

[superstar]

If the ring gear on the flywheel is bad it will chew up the teeth on the starter gear. This will not make the flywheel turn, you will hear grinding. Another thing to check is the bolt holes that mount the starter can get elongated and the gears will not mesh properly. This will wear out the ring gear, more grinding. Some starters also need shims to properly engage the gears, more grinding.
D_B covered electrical. Just a few things to check if the starter turns.
Good luck.

 

[PaulChristenson]

The starter that he removes...has he bench tested it???

Is the removed starter shorted??

Will the removed starter engage ??


Mine are an 86 F-150 and 87 F-350 Dump...No problems with either...do I hear an offer??...

 

[herman]

Don another possible problem is a missing ground cable. This one bit my brother a while back. He had replaced the starter several times and it would work for a short time. It turned out that a return ground strap from the engine to the battery had been removed/never installed and the starter had been depending on stray return paths to complete the circuit. For a quick test, when it stops again, connect the engine block to the negative post of the battery with a jumper cable and try it. If it starts, you need to install a ground cable between the block and the battery.
The other possibility is the solenoid. Next time it fails to start, leave the key on and use the jumper cables to short across the big terminals on the solenoid. You will get some sparks if the starter is good but if you do it quick the starter should engage. If you don't get sparks and/or the starter does not engage. It's the starter or the cable, most likely the cable. Again, you can use the jumper cables to test. Connect the starter to the solenoid with the jumper cable and try to start the truck. If the cable is bad, it should start.

 

[The Kraken]

Replace your grounding strap from the block to the chassis.
Worked on my '76 MG Midget!!!!

the K

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Next time it fails to start, leave the key on and use the jumper cables to short across the big terminals on the solenoid. You will get some sparks if the starter is good but if you do it quick the starter should engage. If you don't get sparks and/or the starter does not engage. It's the starter or the cable, most likely the cable. Again, you can use the jumper cables to test. Connect the starter to the solenoid with the jumper cable and try to start the truck. If the cable is bad, it should start.

LOL he admitted he doesn't know a lot about vehicles, this procedure probably looks like you're trying to kill him ROFLMAO!

Good luck Don!
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[DandyDon]

LOL he admitted he doesn't know a lot about vehicles, this procedure probably looks like you're trying to kill him ROFLMAO!

Good luck Don!
Ber :lilbunny:

I used to use a screwdriver to jump starters on the farm. Used to have an ancient cotton stripper that often had to be started that way. I did it in pitch dark one night at the end of the field only to learn that I'd bypassed the safeties, the stripper was in gear, and the machine was running away. I manage to catch, board, and stop it after running in the dark without being caught by the back wheels. One of those adventure that mom never needed to know about. :11:

Thanks for the suggestions, friends. I'll print all this out and take it to my mechanic on Monday.

 

[herman]

I had faith in a farm boy.
I hate to change parts for no reason. Find the real problem and fix that, don't just shotgun the problem (shotgun= change parts all over the place until the problem goes away but you have no idea what was actually wrong). There are way to many "mechanics" these days who shotgun rather than actually diagnose the problem.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I had to put that in there for the people who don't know Don and don't know much about vehicles. It just hit me funny that your description of "connect stuff until you get sparks" might sound odd to some. I'm easily amused, what can I say

Hey Don, are you taking it to a dealership? Sometimes they have information that other mechanics don't have. They would have a great background with F-150's and would know if there was some sort of faulty part that had been recalled or that was prone to problems. They are usually a little more expensive but if the problem had been located earlier it would have been cheaper in the long run.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[DandyDon]

...connect stuff until you get sparks....

Sounded like Farm-boy SOP to me, didn't think anything of it. :lol2:

It's not costing me anything, but it is a hassle to keep taking it back for warranty replacement. I would think he'd be tired of doing all the free work and ask around, but I'll ask him about that.

​

 

[scubajoe]

Don,
There is an easy fix. Sell it if you can find a buyer, if not donate to the Kidney Foundation. Then go and buy yourself a Chevy!

Joe