Starter Turning Over Issue

Mike DQ

Member
I've got a '72 pickup, 345 with the 727 auto. In the interest of keeping this to the point, for years the starter had turned over slowly (new battery, cables, ignition switch) but would usually start the engine and I lived with it ... until my daughter killed it completely 4-wheeling. It would not turn over. I replaced the solenoid, which got it working but it was slow again ... But now sometimes it won't turn over at all, regardless of hot or cold ... it's very unpredictable. I can see the amp gauge pegging when I turn the key to start so I know it's putting out power. But all I get is a click under the dash.

All that to say, I measured the input voltage to the relay under the dash and it's at 12V, but puts @6V out. There is another one exactly like it attached to the ashtray track, so I plugged it in and got the exact same thing. Is that what the voltage is supposed to be?
 
Slow cranking and low voltage due to heavy current draw is a symptom of a starter with a shorted winding. If your cables and battery are good I'd get a good rebuilt starter.
 
How about the battery? Could it possibly be weak? 12.0 volts indicates a partial discharge to me. A good, fully charged battery will display 12.6 to 12.8 volts resting surface charge. I'd look at having your battery load tested for free at a parts store before buying a starter. Is there such a thing as a good rebuilt starter these days? Not trying to be cute. That's an honest question.
 
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