Need help starting 73T thats been sitting for a year

Andy Ring · 08-22-2008, 09:19 AM

I've been storing my 73T in my parent's garage and have not started in well over a year. In that period, it has been inhabited by mice. After clearing out the mice from the front trunk carpet and the sound deadening insulation in the engine compartment, I charged the battery and checked the fuel lines. Then, I tried to start her up. Turn the key, the fuel pump whirls. Turn the key to the crank position, and there's just a click. So, I first measured the battery voltage. 13.5 Volts. Then I tried turning the engine over by hand--turns over fine. I tried jump starting the car just to make sure it had enough juice-same result: a click but no spin. I then towed the car up the driveway and rolled it down and popped the clutch. The engine turns over fine, but it didn't start (no surprise since it usually needs to crank for some time before starting).

Anyway, what's the next step? Why won't the engine turn over--seems like lack of battery has been ruled out. Could it be the starter? Or what else? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

BTW, the car ran great last year. And it has MFI. I'm sure there will be other problems (as it has had a mouse infestation), but I'm just trying to get the car to crank at this point.

Rot 911 · 08-22-2008, 09:41 AM

Starter has probably froze up. Whack it a couple of times with a hammer and then see if it starts.

If you had mice in your car you might also have a mouse nest behind the fan housing. If you notice the engine running hot then have a look.

Andy Ring · 08-22-2008, 10:52 AM

Thanks. I whacked it, but no change. I guess I'll do a search on how to swap out the starter. Would it be the starter or the solenoid, or both? When I turn the key, there's definately a loud click in the general area of the starter, so I something in the area is being energized, but no cranking results.

Rot 911 · 08-22-2008, 11:00 AM

Does it roll in neutral? Only other thing that could be wrong is the clutch plate stuck to the flywheel. From your post I got the impression that it would roll in neutral.

You might want to clean all the connections before pulling the starter. If that doesn't work, pull the starter and then use jumper cables from the battery to the starter and see if the solenoid kicks the starter gear out and everything spins. You connect the ground cable to the starter case and the red/hot cable to the big terminal, then jump it with a screw driver.

tharbert · tharbert's Garage

The loud click is probably the started solenoid engaging the starter gear. The gear is then retracted as soon as you release the key. Sounds like the starter motor to me. You may be able to pull it off and bench test it. If you can get it to spin on the bench, it may be worth slapping it back on to see if it works. This is kind of like Kurt V's answer on steroids. Sometimes, a little debris or corrosion can interupt the voltage flow through the contacts. Spinning up the motor may just clean it enough to start working again. (sorry, this was written while Kurt was posting his note above)

Andy Ring · 08-22-2008, 11:09 AM

Car rolls fine in neutral. My first fear was that somehow the mice had "frozen" the engine by getting inside it. I was afraid the the starter simply could not turn over the bound engine. So, to test this I got the car rolling in neutral and let out the clutch to see how easily the engine turned over. Neutral was fine and the engine also turned over easily. Judging from the voltage and the clicking of the solenoid, I think the starter must be bad.

Andy Ring · 08-22-2008, 11:24 AM

To remove the starter, do I just undo the two bolts that connect it, remove the wiring and pull it out? Any tricks? I don't have any manuals with me as I'm just up visiting my parents and hadn't really expected to do any real work on the car-thought it was just a dead battery.

Andy Ring · 08-22-2008, 11:26 AM

Opps, just found Pelican Parts Technical article which explains. Sorry to ask before finishing my search.

Andy Ring · 05:53 AM

Ok, I got the starter out and have a couple additional questions,

1) How do I bench test it? Attach the battery ground to the starter body and the positve to the large terminal on the solenoid that goes right into the starter? I have found instructions for how to disassemble the starter, but I just want to test it without dissassembly.

2) If the starter doesn't work, I think I'll just buy a new one. Pelican sells two. One is a heavier duty version. Since my car has the stock 2.4 engine, I would assume the regular duty one would suffice. Do I need to lubricate or seal anything when I reinstall the new one?

3) When I removed the starter, I disconnected the battery positive terminals and left the grounds on. In reading more instructions, they all say to remove the ground connection on the battery rather than the positive. I don't understand why this is better? Just an idle question.

Thanks,

Andy

dad911 · 08-24-2008, 07:43 AM

3) Safety. You remove the ground connection 1st, because if you short a wrench to chassis while doing so, it will not matter. Then you can remove positive safely, without sparks/shorts.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

Are you using the old fuel that has been sitting and decomposing in the fuel tank?

john70t · 08-24-2008, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Ring

1) How do I bench test it? Attach the battery ground to the starter body and the positve to the large terminal on the solenoid that goes right into the starter?

Correct.
-Hook up the large positive(+) cable between the battery(+) and solenoid first.
-The case of the starter is normally grounded to the battery(-) through the engine/transmission straps. Clip the black(-) cable to any part of the starter body.
-Last step is activating the starter. The small connector on the starter solenoid comes from the ignition switch "start" position.
Attach a medium gauge wire to the positive(+) side of the battery/solenoid and touch it to the connector. The gear should pop out and spin.

Something to note: A starter motor may work fine on the bench under no load conditions, but fail after baking for an hour next to a hot, high compression engine with old oil and a weak battery.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Ring

2) If the starter doesn't work, I think I'll just buy a new one. Pelican sells two. One is a heavier duty version. Since my car has the stock 2.4 engine, I would assume the regular duty one would suffice. Do I need to lubricate or seal anything when I reinstall the new one?

Not sure about the different types available, but keep the old one to rebuild/sell later on. It's worth money.
No sealing should be necessary, but the connections(especially way back on top of the dirty transmission) should be protected with dielectric/silicone grease to prevent corrosion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Ring

3) When I removed the starter, I disconnected the battery positive terminals and left the grounds on. In reading more instructions, they all say to remove the ground connection on the battery rather than the positive. I don't understand why this is better? Just an idle question.

The negative/(-) ground system is all part of the chassis ground-return to the battery. Electricity nees a circle to flow, so every piece of unpainted metal on the chassis makes a good ground path back to the battery.

Seperating the battery(-) from the chassis first is much safer than avoiding accidentally touching the chassis.
People have welded wrenches and wrist bracelets while trying to disconnect the (+) cable first.