Switch, starter, or solenoid???

After several months sitting, I went to start up my 2A. It cranked but didn't fire. I kept trying it until it stopped cranking, and it's not the battery at issue. When I turn the key, I hear a clunk like the starter drive gear pops out, but that's where everything stops. After that happens, I have no power to the key or anything - no lights, radio, nothing. I replaced the remote solenoid on the firewall and the same thing happens. The motor is a Dauntless V6 out of a '68 CJ5 and there's a remote solenoid on the firewall. Starter was new when I swapped motors in '07. Switch is the same keyed switch that's been in the Jeep since I got it in '03.

This has me stumped. Is something grounding out?

 

Several months of sitting can cause the battery to have issues, also the ground circuit may have developed some rust/corrosion------I would start with these two.

 

My guess is that the field coil is shorted in the starter-a direct short that causes you to have no juice to anything else. Sounds like the solenoid/bendix is still working. I think it may have just got too warm from cranking. You might chect to see if the starter gets warm after 10-15 sec-or maybe sooner, and the battery cable will likely be warm or even hot.

 

It's not the battery. That was the first thing that got replaced and the gound cable connection freshened at the same time.

Now it won't even crank, so maybe it was a result of all of the cranking when I first jumped in and tried to fire it up. If I pull the starter, can a decent shop test it? Or, is there a way I can test it?

 

I would replace the grounding cable with size 1/0 (from an older 6 volt). I have experienced corroding inside the plastic rubber/whatever type material used for insulation. I now used the older flat copper ground wire without insulation. Also, you can cross the solenoid terminals with a screw driver on the hot side to determine function of solenoid and key. As a last thought you can remove the starter and ground the case really good and touch the terminal with a plus battery lead via a cable of 1/0 size to determine starter bendix function (it should extend like it would into the flywheel and really whirl, so hold it tight). If you do not feel comfortable doing this, don't. Take to starter shop. Charging your battery is always good for a vehicle that sets awhile between starts.

Good luck

 

That second solenoid on the fender is not needed and just add's to the power loss. If the clunk you are hearing is the solenoid on the starter yet the starter is not spinning over then you have a loss of battery power to the starter unit or a bad starter/solenoid combo.

 

Took the starter out and jumped power to it...functioned fine.
So, I pulled the remote solenoid and rewired from switch to starter and BINGO! I'm up and running.

Thanks everybody for the help.
Cheers!

 

Glad you found the problem, and thanks for reporting back-----you may help someone else out.