starter motor question

[robmog]

finished my engine rebuild on a barn find non running x 20 years 1972 911 E.
all psyched for my first start.
9 quarts of fresh oil, all new fuel lines, fire extinguisher at the ready!
i turn the key;
hear the fuel pump go on.
hear the CDI box whine.
but nothing from the starter AT ALL, no click nada.
frack!
i don't know if the starter is good or bad, but again the car hasn't been started in 20 years.
maybe this was stupid but i connected the battery directly to the starter with jumper cables, still nothing (the fuel pump came on again) i though the starter motor would spin.
do i have to connect/jump the solenoid?
is this starter dead?
is there a better way to test it?
i saw the starter trouble shooting article but that wasn't helpful.
once again any and all advice appreciated

[Cdnone1]

I'm not sure I understand all the steps you have taken and in what order.You say you jumped the starter directly and the fuel pump came on?
The smartest thing to do would be to take the starter off and have it bench tested first.
If it is good then you will need a volt meter, and a few other things to start tracking electrical issues.
Good luck

[robmog]

the only thing i tried is directly attaching the battery to the starter.
the fuel pump turning on shows the electrical system was all live and the ignition was on.
how do you bench test a starter?

[DRACO A5OG]

If you can try to jump start.

But before that, check the ground on and near the starter/solenoid, remove, clean & secure, even if it looks clean. Years of non use may have corroded the solenoid.

You have to remove the starter to bench test it at a FLAPS or a 12 volt source.

[Cdnone1]

There are lots and lots of threads on trouble shooting this,including several by me.
You can check and see how much voltage you are getting to your starter by hooking up your volt meter to the yellow wire on the solenoid and turning the key.
Please be careful, the car will need to be safely up on stand , wheels should be off, car in neutral and unless you have extensions and clips for your meter you will need a friend to help.
If you are getting over 11 volts there then it could be a bad ground or starter.
I would remove your starter and take it to your local Pep boys, etc and have them test it for free to make sure you have a good starter before running all kinds of other tests or trouble shooting or trying to fix things that might not be the problem.

[DRACO A5OG]

If you have AAA, they will come out and check your entire charging and starting system and give you a print out.

[RSTarga]

Apart from your starter problems, what else have you done to prepare your engine before first start?
1) remove plugs
2) squirt some mystery oil in plug holes and let soak.
3) turn by hand with no plugs.
You have to make sure your rings are free
I'm sure others will post better preparations for a restart.

[RSTarga]

Also what about your MFI ? this should also be cleaned out before you start it.

[robmog]

this is a fresh rebuild, MFI by pacific.
i cleaned the transmission ground strap.
when i power the inside terminal the starter spins but not engage.
does this mean the ignition switch is bad?
regarding the starter, do i have to drop the engine to get it out?
jeez, i just put it in yesterday!
how do you bench test a starter?
my car is up on solid jack stands so i can get to it easily.
reaching that top cylindrical nut is another story.

[robmog]

i found a great post by sherwood here:Baffling starter problem

the terminal closest to the motor runs the motor, power here and the motor spins.
the spade connector with yellow wire runs the solenoid, power here and it should engage.

i did the above and found my starter is good!
i confirmed by bypassing the ignition switch, the car turns over.

i then tested the yellow wire for current, nothing when the ignition was turned.
so i have a bad ignition switch.

thanks to all for their input.