New starter jammed and blew something ?

[DetroitIron]

Hi All
I installed a new starter that needed shimming and it jammed against the flywheel. I tried to start once too many before unbolting the starter and shimming. No crank know and bench tested starter to make sure it was still working. Any ideas on what might have burned up or how to trouble shoot? I’m not getting power to the starter

[DetroitIron]

Checked fuses too.

[mongocanfly]

Does your + battery cable go straight to the starter? ...or thru a junction block

[Getter-Done]

Check fusible link in the center of firewall , Under the hood.










.









.

[DetroitIron]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

Does your + battery cable go straight to the starter? ...or thru a junction block

It goes directly to the starter...thank you

[mongocanfly]

So you do have power to the starter...correct?
Maybe you meant no power to the solenoid from the switch..
Does all other electrical work?
Like stated above check the fuse link on the firewall..

[DetroitIron]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

So you do have power to the starter...correct?
Maybe you meant no power to the solenoid from the switch..
Does all other electrical work?
Like stated above check the fuse link on the firewall..

The positive wire from the battery runs directly to the starter but there is no power to the starter or solenoid...radio, lights, heater blower motor, and dash lights work....

[mongocanfly]

Well..you should have 12v on the big lug on the solenoid...at a minimum...if not check the ground to the engine

[DetroitIron]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

Well..you should have 12v on the big lug on the solenoid...at a minimum...if not check the ground to the engine

Yes I used a test light just now to confirm power at the alternator, bulkhead junction terminal, big positive lug on the starter AND what I think rules out a faulty ignition switch...the smaller wire that attaches to the S terminal on the solenoid has power when I turn the key to start. I bench tests the new starter and it is good as well. I will post some pics...I’m stumped

[mongocanfly]

Yeah,that dont make sense...if you've got 12v on the big lug from the battery, and 12v from the switch to the S terminal when you turn key to crank position..it should go....have you tried a remote starter switch?..it would bypass the key switch...we use them to bump engines over...it just clamps to battery + and the S terminal on the starter..with a momentary button in the middle..

[pound41]

Try a new starter. I say that from experience. My nephew works at a store that sells carquest starters. He says they are constantly being brought back into with issues. I have had 2 of them one on 76 stepside 454 started it once or twice heard a clunk and it was done. Broke the housing. The other on my 71 blazer just fried. Order AC Delcos off Amazon Installed them both no issues

[DetroitIron]

Originally Posted by pound41

Try a new starter. I say that from experience. My nephew works at a store that sells carquest starters. He says they are constantly being brought back into with issues. I have had 2 of them one on 76 stepside 454 started it once or twice heard a clunk and it was done. Broke the housing. The other on my 71 blazer just fried. Order AC Delcos off Amazon Installed them both no issues

Thanks for the suggestion. It works fine bench testing it so I thought the starter is good?

[DetroitIron]

Another question I’m researching is regarding the red fusible link that attaches to the main starter lug and goes back the cab connection to the fuse block. Since I have power in the cab in terms of radio, dash lights, etc....does it sound like the starter not cranking issue is not related to these wires?

[pound41]

When we first started working on the 76 stepside. Its my Dad's truck who passed away. So it had been sitting. We had no lights power nothing. We worried about a chewed wire or something. Checked fuseable link, cleaned it etc. I thought the wire going from the starter to the junction box was broken. it wasn't. Since I had no power the starter was the last place I was looking. I finally checked the positive cable thinking it was bad. When I knew it was hot. I changed the starter from another truck and it started right up. Then I got the new carequest and put on it and it broke. I am have 71/72 blazers Positive to the starter positive lead to the junction box. Not running power to the starter and then feeding to the junction box. We chased wires for a while before we replaced the starter. Not much help to you I know but I wouldn't have thought a whole truck would have no power then you change the starter and everything works.

[DetroitIron]

Originally Posted by pound41

When we first started working on the 76 stepside. Its my Dad's truck who passed away. So it had been sitting. We had no lights power nothing. We worried about a chewed wire or something. Checked fuseable link, cleaned it etc. I thought the wire going from the starter to the junction box was broken. it wasn't. Since I had no power the starter was the last place I was looking. I finally checked the positive cable thinking it was bad. When I knew it was hot. I changed the starter from another truck and it started right up. Then I got the new carequest and put on it and it broke. I am have 71/72 blazers Positive to the starter positive lead to the junction box. Not running power to the starter and then feeding to the junction box. We chased wires for a while before we replaced the starter. Not much help to you I know but I wouldn't have thought a whole truck would have no power then you change the starter and everything works.

Very interesting. Thank you..I am going to return the starter and try a new one tomorrow thank you for the idea...maybe bench testing with no real world load of turning the engine over is different than being bolted in and trying to turn the sbc over...maybe something got cooked due to not being shimmed properly when it jammed into the flywheel and I kept trying to get it to crank. Lessons learned if that ends up being the solution

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by DetroitIron

Thanks for the suggestion. It works fine bench testing it so I thought the starter is good?

Well, I had a starter from my 76 that "bench tested" just fine but wouldn't turn the engine over. They tried to tell me my flywheel was bad. I took a chance and bought another starter and it worked just fine.

The thing is that there is no load on the starter gear when it just spins on the bench.

Back in the old days I never took back a starter for core refund. More than once I managed to take them apart and make one working starter out of two or three. That's handy when you're fifty miles from town.

[DetroitIron]

Wanted to close out this thread with some goods and say thank you for the troubleshooting help here. I returned the starter first thing this am and the parts store manager ran it through a more detailed bench test. It was not working to spec, etc. but would spin. Got a replacement and used 3 shims to get the alignment correct. She turns over like a champ now. Still have some things to get back together and then new exhaust. Take care all!

[Palf70Step]

Glad to hear it is working again for ya.