Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) trouble with starting '97, any ideas?

[coadman]

I have my '97 3500 in getting a bale bed installed, and when I called to check on the progress,(it will be ready after lunch), the guy asked me if I ever had trouble with it starting? I told him "not really", although when my son tried to start it over the weekend, it would just "click", he then let up on the clutch, and pushed it down again, and it started. I had just put new floor mats in it, and he thought the mat was under the clutch, and not letting him push it all the way down. No problems after that(for us anyway). The person doing the bed install, said it wouldnt start for him, so he thought battery, but put the charger on, and still wouldnt start. He was thinking "starter solonoid", so he said he tapped on it a few times, wouldnt start, so he tapped some more, and it started. So what is you guys' "diagnosis". Is there an adjustment on the clutch pedal, so it will engage the start switch, or do you think it could be a start solonoid, and if so, how do I troubleshoot? Really appreciate the advice! I do have a service manual setting by my side, so I may do some reading to see what I come up with.

Coadman

 

[crabman]

coadman,

95% of the time it is the starter contacts. If the starter just "clicks", it is usually the starter contacts. Has the starter been replaced/repaired since it was build? If not, replace the starter contacts. Go HERE.

If the clutch switch was bad you would not get a "click" at the starter.



Oh, yeah, the bolts on the starter are torque on by joe gorilla :{ .

crabman

 

[coadman]

Is there a way to "check" this, to make sure? I'd hate to go buy another starter, if that's not what I really needed.

coadman

 

[coadman]

coadman,

95% of the time it is the starter contacts. If the starter just "clicks", it is usually the starter contacts. Has the starter been replaced/repaired since it was build? If not, replace the starter contacts. Go HERE.

If the clutch switch was bad you would not get a "click" at the starter.



Oh, yeah, the bolts on the starter are torque on by joe gorilla :{ .

crabman

Don't know if the starter has been rebuilt or not, the truck only has 68,000 miles on it, and I have only owned it for about 2 weeks now. Thanks for the link to the site, if I was sure that was the problem(which kind of sounds like it) it doesnt look like too hard of a repair job, and I may order the contacts.

coadman

 

[Got Smoke?]

Don't know if the starter has been rebuilt or not, the truck only has 68,000 miles on it, and I have only owned it for about 2 weeks now. Thanks for the link to the site, if I was sure that was the problem(which kind of sounds like it) it doesnt look like too hard of a repair job, and I may order the contacts.

coadman

The repair takes about 30-45 minutes taking it easy. I've done two starters, and need to do my current truck but funds are low. Like crabman said the hardest part is getting the three 10mm 12-point bolts loose.

 

[coadman]

I ordered the heavier contacts a few minutes ago, so I will try and keep it "starting" until I receive them next week sometime.

thanks for the info,

coadman

 

[JFaughn]

Get ahold of a test lite and a secound body to work the ing, switch while probeing with test lite, start at starter large cable there should be lite , ing. sw. start posission, if there is then its starter, no lite go upstream to solinoid small wire from ing sw , if there is lite,key in start pos. check large cable to starter if no lite solinoid bad, if no lite on either then upstream again to switch on clutch pedle use screw diver and push switch farther in if starter starts working remove floor mat or ajust switch to ingage sooner, if pushing clutch switch does not make starter work try jumping wire to solinoid, if not then your fishing upstream again to ingtion switch being bad, this is when you'ld like to get a small fish.

 

[J Shocik]

Coadman, I'll bet on the starter contacts. It happened to my truck, and if you follow this web site, you'll see it is a common problem. As for the repair, if you are mechanically inclined enough to remove the starter, you can easily replace the contacts. Cheap enough too. Just be wary of the gorilla who tightened the 10mm 12pt. bolts... :-laf Just remember to disconnect the 2 positive battery clamps. Advise I got from a previous thread about this repair. John

 

[Dieselnerd]

Just be careful not to lose the ball bearing that may fall out when you replace the contacts. I was lucky, I heard something fall on the floor and found this big ball bearing and figured out it fell out of the starter. Others have had the same thing happen. I don't know the names of the parts but it goes under the actuating rod. Easy to figure out when you see it. If you hold it right you won't lose it.

 

[Joe G.]

start at starter large cable there should be lite , ing. sw. start posission, if there is then its starter,

There is always 12 volts on the end of the large cable. It comes directly from the battery.



The starter solenoid contacts are almost always the problem so don't mess around, change them. If they are not the problem this time they will be later. The larger contacts that Larryb sells are for the 24 volt version of this starter. They are a lot better. Remove the starter from the truck to do the work so you won't loose any parts. If it has not been removed before, the screws that fasten it to the engine are really really tight. It takes a 12 point 10 mm box end wrench for the three starter screws.

 

[ABorchard]

I've read quite a few accounts of people replacing the contacts without removing the starter, that's the way they do all of them at Cummins NW near me. Mechanic there said they put a little grease on the ball bearing to keep it from rolling out.



I've replaced a few sets of contacts but have always removed the starter, anyone here try doing it with the starter in place?

 

[coadman]

job completed(at least for now



You guys were correct, getting the 3 bolts out of the starter was the BIGGEST problem, not enough room to get any tool in there to give a person more leverage! But, with a little short "heavy" ballpeen, I finally got the top one to budge so then I could remove it with the wrench alone. That was indeed the hardest part of the job,but I had a little "snafu" along the way(I will tell you what big GOOF I made(kind of hate to admit it ) I put the starter in the vise, removed the nut & cable from one side of solonoid. Removed the other nut, then removed the 3 screws holding in the cover. It was pretty self explanatory after that, although I did have the instructions that came with the contacts, plus I had printed out Larry's instructions from his website, for a better view. I had no problem exhanging the contacts. The ball was stuck in the bottom of the solonoid, I used some wd40 and an ice pick to free it up. This part I was not sure of, and it was too late in the evening to call anybody or wait for a response on here, but the spring around the plunger was stuck, it wouldnt come out, and I figured it was supposed to as in the instructions it said dont lose the spring and ball. I twisted and pried on the spring long enough, that it broke, so I ended up just putting half of it back on the plunger. Is this going to hurt anything, and what does the ball and spring do, anyway? I closed it up and started to put it back on the truck, got the 3 bolts tight, and was tightening down my battery cable, when I heard a "crack", and a piece of plastic came tumbling down. Upon further obsevation, I realized I had put the plastic "spacers" on backwards! So I took the whole thing back off, and looked the situation over. I knew what I had done, and knew the spacers needed to be in there for insulation. So I looked around my farm shop for something I could use. First I found the top off of a bottle of "slime" the stuff you put into tires to keep from leaking. I cut the nipple off, and drilled the whole the same diameter as the old one, installed it, and it worked fine. (dont know if the plastic will last as long?). The other side needed a plastic spacer, that was deeper, so again I looked around my shed. I found the screw on end, to what looked like a cap for a water sprinkler, it was as deep as the orginal, so I drilled it out, and tightened it down. Worked fine(harder plastic on this one). Bolted everything back up, back on truck, and hit the starter. It "clicked" once then fired right up. Its been firing up from the start ever since. So, if my self made plastic spacers hold up, and my 1/2 spring, maybe I will get by without having to pull it off again? :-laf

coadman