where to start looking for the cause of a starting problem?

[67resto-coupe]

Ok, so I've made it through the ignition and tuning issues....car runs fine....as long as you can get it started. Problem is, I can run it in the garage for a few minutes, shut it off, then restart it, and get to the local corner store. but once i get back to restart it, there's no juice to turn it over. just clicking. then, i get a set of jumper cables on there and 2 mins later - it'll spin and fire and not die until i turn it off. what gives? i just had the alternator rechecked - kragen said it's good. the battery is brand new, as of may. this one's really throwing me for a loss and it's grounded the car until i can figure it out, as i'm tire of bumming jump starts off people. any ideas? should i have the alt checked again? i did retighten the alt belt to get it tighter, but i'm not sure where else to look. thanks.

 

[6t6red]

I don't know if you have headers or not, but it sounds like heat soak with your starter. I had this very same problem with my 66. The starter needs a good ground to complete the circiut. I learned from a good racing buddy of mine that you need to run a ground strap from one of your starter bolts to the frame to complete the electrical circuit. If the starter doen't have a good ground it will creat a huge electrical draw on the battery and make it seem like you are experiencing a battery or charge problem. Like me, you may have already fried the starter because of a bad ground, but if you install a new starter just ground it like mentioned above and it should work fine. Mine has been trouble free since I grounded the starter to the frame. I hope this helps you in overcoming the same problem as I had.

 

[daveSanborn]

there's no juice to turn it over. just clicking.

Do you have a volt meter?

The very first thing I would check.... before grounding the starter (which is great advice).... is to put a volt meter on the battery and have someone start the car. The ALT checks good on the test bench, but is it performing on the car? You should see a voltage drop while the engine is cranking, but once it starts you should see the voltage come back up to ~12 volts. With the car running, get the RPMs up to 2000 and once again check the voltage on the POS BAT terminal. You should see the ALT performing and +13.5 volts on the voltmeter.

 

[camachinist]

If cold starting after sitting overnight isn't an issue, current drain can be discounted, as likely can alternator performance, since a defective alternator will not charge, or undercharge, the battery and cold cranking will trip that issue up. A voltmeter will tell the story in a few seconds. We'll presume the new battery is working properly, since it takes a jump well and can start the car within a few minutes and cold-cranks it fine. What remains is connections and the starter itself, along with the starter solenoid. If I didn't want to do a complete diagnostic, I'd throw a rebuilt starter in, cleaning all connections, and try that. It's cheap.

 

[67resto-coupe]

thanks, i'll check the battery and the charge while it's running tonite.

i'll also toss in some this info to clarify what's on the car already:
long tube headers, hi-tq mini starter - new since july, new battery since may, and new solenoid (?thingy on the inner fender wall).

i have a cheap voltmeter from harb.freight, but i'll have to check the instructions on how to use it.
i did readjust the belt on the alternator last night, too. set the battery on the trickle charger for about 5 mins. car started, no problem. turned it off, adjusted the belt and the car started up again, no problem.

the only common item thru all these and prior situations is that this is the orig or older alternator.....since my dad is the prior owner, he doesn't know when the alt was replaced, it at all. but since the wires are really stiff and frozen in their curls, i can only imagine that this alt has been in there for years.

if needed, any recommendations for a good 1-wire alt for a late model roller 5.0?

 

[jonward786]

my car started acting up and not wanting to start every so often and it would give me a click, thats all. i would go up to the starter solenoid with the end of a screw driver and give it a couple firm wacks, and it would start. as you might imagine, the solenoid was going, and one day it eventually died all together in the parking lot of a grocery store. 35$ later for a new solenoid and never had a starting problem since. just because your solenoid is new doesnt mean it isnt defective. they're cheap for a reason

 

[67resto-coupe]

** FIGURED IT OUT ** someone told me to check the wiring...rechecked the alt wiring...good. pulled the negative battery ground to block - found it.
apparently, where i was grounding it....in between the alternator spacer and the pass.side head....i had tightened it so much that the spacer squeezed the
copper wiring out of the terminal. i had taped the terminal w/elec tape, so after peeling it off, i found maybe 3 strands of wire in the terminal.

reopened the terminal with a flathead, reshaped the copper ends and gave it a good squeeze in the vice.....starts every time now.
thanks.