No cranking

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Jppr26

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I have a 87v20 and it has been sitting in the shop for a while during hunting season, It won’t turn over or click or anything is there a relay I’m not finding somewhere
 

1987 GMC Jimmy

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You've got the battery, grounds, fusible links, and the wires themselves but no relays between the battery and the starter solenoid. All those things need to be in working order.

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That long, red wire in the diagram shows the wire going to the starter solenoid. You can follow that and look for it being chewed by a rodent or a burned fusible link. You could also check starter functionality with a remote starter to see it's actually the starter or problem with wiring, the ignition switch, etc. It's important, though, that everything is grounded properly if you do that.

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RustyPile

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The list is endless.. First start with checking battery condition.. Do the lights and other electrical units work?? The battery could need a recharge or simply cleaning of the posts and cables.. Did rats eat the wiring??.. The only relay between the ignition switch and starter is the starter solenoid.. It's a dual purpose relay.. It provided a path between the battery and starter for the extremely high electrical current.. It also provides a means for the starter bendix to engage the flywheel gear.. However, there is a safety switch between the ignition switch and starter that prevents starter function unless the automatic transmission is in park or neutral.. Or in the case of a standard transmission, the clutch pedal is fully depressed..

This ain't all there is to the list, but it should get you started (pun intended0..
 

RustyPile

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1987 GMC Jimmy, you type too fast... lol...
 

1987 GMC Jimmy

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Ha, thanks. My computer teacher in the eighth grade would actually take points off my stuff because she said that I typed way too fast to be practical. No biggie, though. You gave OP a good in depth explanation on the battery, which is super important. All the starting related gremlins I've ever had have either been related to a battery issue, a starter motor issue, or a big, fat rat that was chewing distributor and spark plug wires under my hood. I killed it, though, so it won't be hurting anyone anymore.
 

RustyPile

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When I was in school, the PC wasn't even a dream, much less a reality.. 'bout the only people that had 'em was very large corporations and the gub'munt.. lol...
 

RustyPile

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Ha, thanks. My computer teacher in the eighth grade would actually take points off my stuff because she said that I typed way too fast to be practical. No biggie, though. You gave OP a good in depth explanation on the battery, which is super important. All the starting related gremlins I've ever had have either been related to a battery issue, a starter motor issue, or a big, fat rat that was chewing distributor and spark plug wires under my hood. I killed it, though, so it won't be hurting anyone anymore.
I noticed no one had replied to his post, so I went to my WORD program and typed up my response, spell checked and made a run through the grammar.. Did a "cut and paste" to my reply box and hit "POST".. Lo and behold -- you beat me to it, and you did more work in the preparation than I did, so it had to be your typing speed..

Well, we gave him enough work and "map following" that he should be busy for the rest of the day..
 

1987 GMC Jimmy

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Agreed on the info. But believe me, I wish it was still that way with the technology. We wouldn't have the informational access we have now, but my generation's got their noses so far up their computers and phones, they don't know how to communicate normally or so much as live without the damn thing. And my generation was the one that grew up with dial up internet, cassette everything, and cell phones that were only good for making a phone call and maybe a text message later on, and all that was heavily innovative compared to what previous generations had. The succeeding generation that actually grew up with this stuff in its more modern form scares me because mine is bad enough as it is.
 

RustyPile

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I took Photography in High School in 1960.. I'd take 35 mm pictures all week and then on the weekend I'd commandeer the family bathroom and turn it into a dark room.. Took several hours of fumbling around in the dark to process a roll of film and print up the dozen or so pictures.. Pictures were grainy black and white.. Today, I can take those same dozen or so pictures with my high resolution digital camera.. Download to my computer in less than a minute and 5 minutes later have photo studio quality color pictures from my printer.. All done under the LED lighting in my "office"..
 

Honky Kong jr

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I took Photography in High School in 1960.. I'd take 35 mm pictures all week and then on the weekend I'd commandeer the family bathroom and turn it into a dark room.. Took several hours of fumbling around in the dark to process a roll of film and print up the dozen or so pictures.. Pictures were grainy black and white.. Today, I can take those same dozen or so pictures with my high resolution digital camera.. Download to my computer in less than a minute and 5 minutes later have photo studio quality color pictures from my printer.. All done under the LED lighting in my "office"..
Come on you mean the wooden box with the pyrotechnic flash right and 1860s right? Lol
 

RustyPile

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Come on you mean the wooden box with the pyrotechnic flash right and 1860s right? Lol

No, but I did help develop the technique.. You see, you take some ---- oh never mind... You wouldn't understand.. :Big Laugh:
 

Honky Kong jr

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No, but I did help develop the technique.. You see, you take some ---- oh never mind... You wouldn't understand.. :Big Laugh:
You take some what aluminum foil and bathroom cleaner and combine them in a sealed 20oz plastic bottle and throw them in the yard while the neighbors are out in their garden? Or wait till it’s dark and put a full can of 2+2 next to a small fire and shoot the can with a broadhead? Don’t you wanna be my neighbor?:happy175::happy175::happy175:
 

Jppr26

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Ok so battery is good lights and all that works, fuel pump runs and everything but when the key is turned to start nothing happens, I found the clutch start safety was unplugged and I plugged it back in but still nothing, wiring looks good, I did just replace the alternator, water pump, both tanks and sending units, and everything else with the fuel system but the left tank quit working, this is why I had it in my shop to start with when I got the truck it had been sitting a while and one tank was rusted out, and both tanks worked fine till one just quit.
 

Jppr26

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V20 custom deluxe
Engine Size
350/5.7
Mechanical I’m ok working on it, but electrical work and I’m screwed for the most part
 

RustyPile

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Ok so battery is good lights and all that works, fuel pump runs and everything but when the key is turned to start nothing happens, I found the clutch start safety was unplugged and I plugged it back in but still nothing, wiring looks good, I did just replace the alternator, water pump, both tanks and sending units, and everything else with the fuel system but the left tank quit working, this is why I had it in my shop to start with when I got the truck it had been sitting a while and one tank was rusted out, and both tanks worked fine till one just quit.

John, sounds like you got a lot of "stuff" going on (wrong) with your truck.. Getting your engine to crank over is one issue, getting it to run on one or both tanks is another issue.. Lets get it to crank over first..So first things first..Go back and read and study posts #2 and #3, and ignore the gibberish and ramblings of me and my friends .. Posts #2 and #3 covers getting the engine to turn over.. Once you understand how the starting circuit works, you'll need a friend and a test light to check it.. There's a purple wire attached to the starter solenoid. Attach the clip of the test light to a good ground and while your friend turns the key to Start, probe the terminal where the purple wire is connected.. If the test light lights up, and the starter doesn't at least click, the solenoid and possibly the starter is bad.. If the light doesn't light up, do the same test at the clutch safety switch.. Shove the clutch in and probe both terminals with the light.. You should get a "light" on both terminals.. If you get a "light" on only one terminal, the switch is bad.. If you get a light on both terminals, you have a break in the purple wire somewhere between that switch and the starter solenoid..

Get the engine cranking over and get back with us.. We'll then help you sort out the tank problem... One problem at a time so we don't overload you with procedures..
 

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