Sleigher

I was having the clicking problem so I bought the Larry B contact kit.
Installed it yesterday, started up a couple of times seemed fine.
Towed the boat this morning. Got to where I was going and it wouldn't turn off. Disconnected the batteries and it shut down.
Re-connected the batteries, started up but I could hear the starter so I only drove till I found a safe spot and pulled over to see my feed valve coil smoking.
Disconnected everything. Waited for AAA. They didn't show up so I tried starting again. Started and stopped a couple times everything was fine. Made it to work. Shut off fine. Started to move off the train tracks and I could hear the starter again. Cooled down and worked ok.
What did I do wrong when replacing the plunger and contacts?
Help please, stuck at work now, plus I need to pick up my boat.
Took the starter out again. Everything looks ok. bolts were maybe a little loose on the contacts but there was no binding.
Started and stopped a number of times fine. Got home it shut down but started again and it kept running. Need to pick up the boat tomorrow. Need truck bad!
Thanks in advance.
PeterC

Hottrodjim

When you tighten down the contacts you can get them twisted a little and that can cause problems. Did you clean and lube the solenoid piston, actuator arm and gear when you assembled it? Make sure everything is seated properly and the bolts holding the starter and solenoid together are inserted straight when you put it together. The engine should cause the gear to disengage once it starts. Make sure the gear slides freely on the starter shaft and can retract properly. The spring in the back of the solenoid should cause the gear to retract if everything is working properly.

Sleigher

The contacts are nice and flat in their seats. The plunger rides up and down without any binding.
The thing that doesn't make sense is that if they were binding or welded then they should stay together after I disconnect the batteries. I put the cables back on immediately and the starter stops spinning.
I'm going to check the starter relay although in all the searches I've done I have not seen any posts that mentioned it.
This sucks. At this point I would gladly trade a few clicks before starting for smoking coils and screaming starters.

PeterC

Hottrodjim

Either the solenoid is binding or the gear is binding on the shaft. Once you cut power to the solenoid, the spring should disengage the gear from the flywheel. You have two cables going to the starter, the big power cable from the battery and the little cable with the terminal on the end. Use a test light with the small cable disconnected and see if the light operates when the key is turned on. I would doubt it is a relay causing your problem.

The big question is did it do this before you changed the contacts? If the answer is no, then you reassembled something incorrectly. I seem to remember some small spring that went in there somewhere, I almost forgot it on mine. I will look in my book and see what I can find.

BC847

This thread will have the gist of the contact kit install and show the parts involved ~ https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...d.php?t=141395

This image has gotten misplaced in the thread (we'll get it fixed soon, for now enjoy the axle disassembly) ~



Hope it helps.

Sleigher

I pulled the starter relay and it did nothing. Put it back in and cranked it, it just kept cranking. Pulled the starter relay and it kept on cranking, pulled the battery cables and it stopped. Put them back on and all was silent.
Something just isn't right.

P

Hottrodjim

Wonderful instructions BC. Thanks for the time and effort that took.

Peter, something must be binding in the solenoid. You probably should take everything apart and make sure the starter didn't fry when it was sticking.

Hottrodjim

Peter, You might want to pull the starter back out of the truck and test it on the floor with some jumper cables. If it happens on the floor something is binding in the solenoid. If it doesn't do it on the floor then you may have installed the starter slightly cocked. I remember that it was tricky getting it seated properly against the block on mine.

labreck

did wires cross-short in igniction wiring some where

Sleigher

I pulled the starter wire and connected a jumper wire between the starter wire and the starter post (the small post on the starter). I hit the ignition (I have the fuel unplugged now so all I get is starter noise) and it started cranking away. Jumped under the truck and pulled the jumper wire. Nothing, kept cranking away so again I disconnected the batteries.
I guess I'm pulling the starter, again. It's not cocked and it is definitely not fried(it wants to run) but something isn't right.
Any thoughts or opinions are appreciated and thanks to all who have replied and tried to help. If I didn't need to pick up the boat in the morning I wouldn't be so bothered by all of this.

PeterC

labreck

out of left feild but sometimes you never now. the floor test a great way to find out.

ScottN

If I remember from doing my start a long while back...

I think there was a shim between it and the bellhousing. Is it possible that you are missing the shim? I believe, if I recall correctly, that missing that can cause a binding starter. (having said that, you don't want to put a shim on if it pulls the drive too far away from the gear ring and prevents proper contact.)

Sleigher

1. I should have just bought a new starter.
2. There must be a diode (or something)in the starter wiring which is what is giving me the problem. I connected the post to a battery charger. I then jumped from the positive on the starter to the solenoid post. The plunger pulled in and stayed in even after removing power from the solenoid post.
I then disconnected the starter motor from the post and took the cap off the plunger. With power to the main post (where you connect your battery cable) I pushed the plunger in with my hand. It stayed in. In other words the coil (solenoid) was being energized meaning that there must have been stray voltage coming from somewhere. Considering that this was all taking place on my work bench it had to be coming from the coil somewhere.
What to do? Have to pick up the boat (another PIA) tomorrow.
I had bought some 100 amp disconnects a while back. I made a little pig-tail connector and ran it between my battery post and my starter cable. If, when I start the truck I hear the starter sticking I can throw the switch and drive on without fear of burning my feed coil or my starter, which will be replaced in a day or two.
On the positive side, I can now replace my starter with my eyes closed.
Thanks for all who chimed in. Still open to any feedback.

PeterC

Hottrodjim

That sucks. It now sounds like you have a short somewhere. If you have a multimeter you can probably find the short but that is another story and you would probably end up buying a new starter anyhow. Good luck, things like this never happen when you are sitting around bored with nothing to do....

bentwings

Probably wouldn't hurt to give Larry at Foster truck a call. He might have some insight to this.
www.fostertruck.com/