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1979 Ford F-150 has problems starting


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Isaac22
User

Jun 30, 2016, 6:57 AM

Post #1 of 10 (1708 views)
1979 Ford F-150 has problems starting Sign In

I have a 1979 Ford F-150 with a 6.6 litre engine. When we try to start it the starter will turn the engine for 1-2 seconds and then it will stop if you turn the key of and try agine it will do the same thing. We charged the battary and it did the same thing so we bought a new battary and it did the same thing agine. One time when we tried to start it the battary cable started smoking so we looked at it and it was cut almost all the way through we replaced that and It did the same thing. And some times when the starter turns it will make a clunk. So we don't know if it is a flywheel problem or a weak starter. It does have a carb problem but that shouldn't affect the way the engine turns over. Any help would be apresheated


kev2
Veteran
kev2 profile image

Jun 30, 2016, 7:42 AM

Post #2 of 10 (1699 views)
Re: 1979 Ford F-150 has problems starting Sign In

starting system or engine.
remove all plugs and then engage starter.... same condition - still kicks off after 1 second
Anything 'spit' out of plug holes?


Isaac22
User

Jun 30, 2016, 8:23 AM

Post #3 of 10 (1698 views)
Re: 1979 Ford F-150 has problems starting Sign In

I just remembered that is the one thing we tried that I forgot to put in the post. When we tried that it turned over but if kind of sounded like the starter had barly enough power to turn the engine over. And nothing came out of the holes. When we put the plugs back in it did the same thing it did before.


(This post was edited by Isaac22 on Jun 30, 2016, 8:31 AM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jun 30, 2016, 8:57 AM

Post #4 of 10 (1690 views)
Re: 1979 Ford F-150 has problems starting Sign In

Sounds like a bad starter or battery cable.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Isaac22
User

Jun 30, 2016, 9:46 AM

Post #5 of 10 (1683 views)
Re: 1979 Ford F-150 has problems starting Sign In

I don't think it is a bad battary cable becuse I replaced that and it doese the same thing. I looked up starters and there are a lot of choices which one do you recomend I am looking for a starter with a decent price that is a good unit


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jun 30, 2016, 9:51 AM

Post #6 of 10 (1681 views)
Re: 1979 Ford F-150 has problems starting Sign In

I'm not just talking about the battery cable end, the whole cable can be deteriorated.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Isaac22
User

Jun 30, 2016, 10:42 AM

Post #7 of 10 (1677 views)
Re: 1979 Ford F-150 has problems starting Sign In

I should have been more spicific in the post. I did replace the entire cable


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jun 30, 2016, 11:55 AM

Post #8 of 10 (1666 views)
Re: 1979 Ford F-150 has problems starting Sign In

You had a smoking cable said up top. That and carb issue no surprise no doubt working the heck out of a starter. Cables are not what it came with in 1979 at all. Junk 99% of the time not copper not real lead ends alone might be inadequate for the amp draw this 400M engine needs normally.


Carb note: If flooding out badly a lot you are washing oil off cylinder walls and could even be diluting oil to almost abrasive.


IDK - Used to buy 6V cables for all of these which was a 1 (ONE) gauge copper cable all three of them on this and problem over for life even this old.
How to know how much effort this engine takes to crank is going to be hard to know if it will crank at all. High bet it's already harmed starter and might do the same to another in short order as they can't take low amps and extended cranking for long.


If mine I'd toss this starter but beef up the cables. Gotta get this carb right. The two so common problems were just the choke and rubber parts for diaphragms can't be much good unless new a couple times or more already.


Even this old if engine still OK in general this was a top 10 engine for durability by Ford,


T



Isaac22
User

Jun 30, 2016, 12:57 PM

Post #9 of 10 (1660 views)
Re: 1979 Ford F-150 has problems starting Sign In

I already replaced the cable what starter do you recomend


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jun 30, 2016, 1:33 PM

Post #10 of 10 (1656 views)
Re: 1979 Ford F-150 has problems starting Sign In

Things/parts change so fast I can't say a brand. Just get one with a lifetime (Autosnooze) or like place. You can take these apart and do brushes, starter drive yourself. Trouble is I think it's been so hot I wouldn't want that one anymore!


Remember - this may be the result NOT the total fix or it will happen again. Easy - you could waste a flywheel/ring gear over this if not already some trouble.


Engine could just be way too tight for some reason too and thinking for a way to know that so easily and not sure? I would normally look for excessive voltage drop while cranking with known good battery, known good cables (all) at the age I can't find the good stuff anymore or quickly.


Copper got expensive and apparently children chew on lead battery cable ends or something so they won't use it anymore!


Maybe see if there's brass stuff that will do.


Just saying that what I've bought for this vintage said to be right was total junk. Like powering a house with a lamp cord grade wire.


More: No doubt also hard to find was the 6V cables. It took twice the wire for 6V vehicles to start so much the better for 12V. Common for huge engines to struggle just being hot + that solved it.


Sounds contrary to sense but low power delivered overheats electrical motors up to ruining them. That's why you hear solenoids flutter when amps aren't enough if right shouldn't allow you to burn out a starter.


If you can without changing a thing right now try really carefully double up the wire that was hot and showed it, new now with jumper cables very precisely or don't.


You can test wire alone for voltage drop now and see how the one there does. Just the wire in question for now.


Long run if this truck is excellent I'd change them all out or really repair originals even this old and lots older just the ends really went bad,


Tom







 
 
 






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