motor wont turn

Asked by ZAC5150 Apr 27, 2012 at 01:40 PM about the 1969 Ford Thunderbird

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

69 tbird 429 tjet,turn the key and cellonoid clicks once and starter won't engage. Changed cellonoid twice and the
starter,cables and battery. Tried crossing cellonoid to see if it was safety neutral switch,no dice. Plus motor does
turn manually,not seized up. WTH!

2 Answers

14,745

Since this post is a month old, you probably got it fixed now but if not, I would say it sounds like either the wrong starter(starter should have two holes, one top, one bottom both 3/8" bolts, one goes in from one side the other from the other side) or maybe it's going in too far and jamming against the flywheel. Try using some starter shims. 2 should be enough, Or get your money back on the rebuilt starter and try a brand new one. Some rebuilts are just junk depending on where you buy them.. Also, double check your wiring. Make sure you have it wired correctly and the connections are making contact, clean if rusty. Kenny.

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4,455

Check to make certain that you can turn the engine by hand,if yes ,then do some voltage drop tests .That particular type of Ford starter Must have at least 10.5 volts at the starter positive cable,it's required for the starter to pull the bendix into the flywheel.make sure your battery cables are up to snuff,429 CU pulls a LOT of current to get it turningGrounds must be clean and tight,with cables of a proper gauge to handle the current flow through them.

1 people found this helpful.

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