Potential Starter Issue

Good evening,

I've got a 1986 Chevy k10 with a built 350 in it for starters;
The previous owner has done a hack job on repairing the thing, and i'm left cleaning up the mess.

This morning, when going to campus to study, I tried turning it over and got a single 'click' the first time, upon trying to turn it over a few more times I got no response whatsoever.

Suggestions i've gotten from a few online articles and friends include the battery (I don't think it's a battery issue, because the headlights and all accessories inside run at full power), and the starter.

I got under it, and I couldn't quite tell if the starter was engaged in the flywheel or not and quite frankly I didn't have enough time to really check. I've read that 'hitting it with a hammer' might do the trick.

Would you guys also guess that it is the starter?
Let me know what else it could be if not the starter because unfortunately, this thing is also my daily.

Sounds like your solenoid or ignition switch might be having issues. there is a terminal that you can apply 12 volts to and that would quickly tell you if its your starter, switch, wirinfg, etc

There is a brass plug inside the solenoid that gets worn down over time. If you take the starter out and take the solenoid apart, you can flip the button around and get a fresh half to contact the rotor in the solenoid and it will be like having a new starter, but much more reliable.

I'll try these out tomorrow morning and update as needed

You might be shocked, but this sounds to me like the battery terminals need taken off, cleaned, re installed and tightened.

Update:

The problem is fixed.

The issue was this wire


It was connected to the back of the starter, and (i'm assuming) what happened was it somehow came loose from the electrical tape holding it together, and possibly shorted itself out.
Ended up having to splice in a new section of wire (its ugly, bear with me, but it works)


The previous owners put it through hell (also shown above) and the electrical wiring is a complete rats nest, so if you have any suggestions for that please feel free to comment.

Thanks for your guys help

Glad you found the problem and posting up that you found it and fixed it.

Hopefully you used some solder and it'll hold this time.

HotRodPC said:

Hopefully you used some solder and it'll hold this time.

Click to expand...

Or plan to very soon

cswaxl said:

Update:

The issue was this wire

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Click to expand...

That is a fusible link by the looks of it and the way it's connected to the eyelet with that bulky tag, and being on the starter tells me that is exactly what it is. They are designed to short/melt/break the electrical connection in some way and save wiring and electrical components if there is a problem (over voltage, dead short, etc). Over time though they do tend to deteriorate and can simply "give up the ghost" just by literally being old, brittle, oil soaked, thousands of hot and cold cycles, etc. (not to mention being moved around by hand, taken on and off and manipulated who knows how many times in their life). Some argue that it doesn't matter to replace it when it fails with another new fusible link and to just put a section of wire in it's place. I have always replaced fusible links with new ones and they can be had at any parts store for a few dollars each. They come in multiple sizes and configurations. I generally keep a couple different ones on hand at home in my electrical kit just in case. I have never burned up wiring but I have burned up a few of those over the years and believe they did exactly as intended and saved the electrical system.