intermittent no crank 87 suburban

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Hugomartin

Banned
Joined
Jul 23, 2021
Posts
256
Reaction score
71
Location
Nc
First Name
Hugo
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
V20 3/4 ton 5.7 350 suburban
Engine Size
350
any ideas? Most times i only get one click eventually it starts
 

WFO

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2017
Posts
3,376
Reaction score
4,416
Location
Texas Panhandle
First Name
Dan
Truck Year
1986
Truck Model
K20
Engine Size
350
Sounds like the solenoid, or bad or lose wires to the starter.
 

scrap--metal

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2021
Posts
678
Reaction score
1,266
Location
MN
First Name
Calvin
Truck Year
'85, '81
Truck Model
K10, K20
Engine Size
305, 350
Sounds like the solenoid
+1 on the solenoid. I wouldn't trust it like that for too long. Eventually it will give out.
 

RecklessWOT

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2015
Posts
2,548
Reaction score
4,744
Location
New Hampshire
First Name
Kevin
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
V10 Suburban Silverado
Engine Size
350 TBI
What kind of condition are your battery cables in?

How old is the battery?
 

Hugomartin

Banned
Joined
Jul 23, 2021
Posts
256
Reaction score
71
Location
Nc
First Name
Hugo
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
V20 3/4 ton 5.7 350 suburban
Engine Size
350
Starter is brand new battery is one year old cables are good. I had a mechanic remove the bellhousing around the flywheel it was grinding in the bellhousing. Maybe the mechanic didn’t tighten the starter nuts tight enough? I looked at my neutral safety switch it didn’t seem burnt out
 

SirRobyn0

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2019
Posts
6,698
Reaction score
11,149
Location
In the woods in Western Washington
First Name
Rob
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
C20
Engine Size
305
Starter is brand new battery is one year old cables are good. I had a mechanic remove the bellhousing around the flywheel it was grinding in the bellhousing. Maybe the mechanic didn’t tighten the starter nuts tight enough? I looked at my neutral safety switch it didn’t seem burnt out
+3 on the solenoid. Brand NEW or rebuilt? And new or rebuilt does not guaranty good, defective parts, especially rebuilt parts does happen.

So is it still grinding? clicking only? or grinding and clicking? I'm not trying to be difficult but it does matter.

To me if you have had grinding issues with the starter and now it's clicking it seems pretty obvious you got a bad starter, but sometimes lack or power or good grounds can reduce power and mimic a bad starter. So check over the battery terminals, the wires and grounds. If it all looks good get your starter warrenteed. If you find out your starter only came with a one year warranty buy a different brand and if you have to buy another one pop for new not rebuilt if you can.
 

Hugomartin

Banned
Joined
Jul 23, 2021
Posts
256
Reaction score
71
Location
Nc
First Name
Hugo
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
V20 3/4 ton 5.7 350 suburban
Engine Size
350
The grinding is no more because the bellhousing sheild or flywheel cover plate is removed

Still just one click no grinding
 

hoagster

Full Access Member
Joined
May 16, 2017
Posts
1,285
Reaction score
3,184
Location
California
First Name
Mike
Truck Year
1973, 2000
Truck Model
K10, 1500
Engine Size
5.3l
Ditto on the battery cables especially if the are original. They may look good at the terminals but corroded under the sheathing at both ends.
 

Snoots

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2013
Posts
8,158
Reaction score
15,957
Location
Georgia
First Name
Roger
Truck Year
1973
Truck Model
Jimmy Sierra
Engine Size
350
Just a click?
1. bad solenoid (just because it's new don't mean squat)
I had a mechanic remove the bellhousing around the flywheel it was grinding in the bellhousing.
Why the heck didn't he fix it before you left?
2. bad connection at solenoid or battery
3. bad positive cable
 

SirRobyn0

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2019
Posts
6,698
Reaction score
11,149
Location
In the woods in Western Washington
First Name
Rob
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
C20
Engine Size
305
Ditto on the battery cables especially if the are original. They may look good at the terminals but corroded under the sheathing at both ends.
Yes, that's a really good point and for whatever reason especially a problem on side terminal vehicles. I think because that entire batter terminal cable connection is covered. As an example years ago (this was back in the 90's but it's a good example) I owned an 88 Olds 88, also a side terminal vehicle. I was having trouble with intermittent click no crank, then crank and fire, sometimes it would click once, sometimes it would take a few attempts to get it going. In this case the battery passed load testing, and the starter passed a draw test. Cables looked good from end to end, eventually I cut the plastic off the terminals to find the connectors corroded where they joined the cable. New cables solved the problem.

At this point there is any magic advice we can give @Hugomartin he needs to do some checking.
 

mshawn

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2022
Posts
81
Reaction score
44
Location
Malvern,Ar
First Name
Micah
Truck Year
1983,1984,1986
Truck Model
c10,jimmy,k10
Engine Size
350,378,482
Follow some of my other posts on here tonight as I go through the troubleshooting a slow crank situation. Which the troubleshooting will be the same here
 

mshawn

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2022
Posts
81
Reaction score
44
Location
Malvern,Ar
First Name
Micah
Truck Year
1983,1984,1986
Truck Model
c10,jimmy,k10
Engine Size
350,378,482
“Voltage issue “ by imtherealjay
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
41,849
Posts
903,439
Members
33,362
Latest member
Dhatch84
Top