intermittent starting problem, won't turn over

My 73 CJ-5 has been running perfectly for some time now, but just yesterday I got in and turned the key... nothing. It didn't even try to turn over. Opened the hood and checked under the dash to glance for any obvious loose wires, but didn't see anything. During the course of checking for the obvious I handled a number of the wires and this must of hit the spot because when I tried again she started right up as she usually does.

Later in the day I started her again on the first try, but just 20 minutes later I had the same issue of not even turning over. I'm a novice at this and was hoping for some guidance as to where to look first rather than randomly checking every wire. I just drive the CJ around town so it's not like anything would have been shaken loose by hard core wheeling. I'm hoping it's just a matter of finding a wire and tightening the connection. The CJ is nearly entirely stock, but it does have an upgraded fuse box installed. Where do I start?

Thanks,
Jason

 

Go-no-Go can sometimes be difficult. Do you have a dash mounted volt meter? If so, did you notice if it shows 12V with key "ON" when it won't crank? If you are not showing voltage then look at the connections at the Ign SW. Are you running an Ammeter? Check both connections here. It might be a good idea to disconnect the battery and re-tighten all wire connections. If butt connectors were used to install the upgraded fuse box versus solder connection, then you could have a bad crimp connection. A gentle pull-apart tug on both wires at each coupling may find the loose connection. HTH

 

Have you cleaned the battery connections lately? First place I always look at, that's from having an MG as a DD in my younger days.

 

Sometimes a starter motor will develop a dead spot. Cure is to whack it with a wrench or ball peen hammer and try again.

Another common problem is that most starters ground through the mounting of the starter motor. If it gets corroded where it mounts to the engine you'll get intermittent starting problems. Had a bad case of this with my F250 so I ran a ground strap from my starter mounting bolt to the frame.

FYI, a poorly grounded engine with stray currents will cause lots of problems you can't even know about. Namely, galvanic corrosion of every aluminum component: radiators, heads, water pumps, thermostat housings... Keep your engine well grounded and replace your coolant every couple of years even if it's nice and bright green.

Chilly

 

First thing I'd check is the ground strap that should be between the engine block and frame. Without this, the starter motor will never turn.

 

Take about 5 min to visually and manually check every connection that pertains to the starter,starting circuit, battery cables etc.
I believe this has a solenoid on the fender, easy to short around to check.
Could be a bad ignition switch/ loose screws.
As ststed earlier, clean the battery terminals and check the battery cables for internal corrosion.