always..always drop back to the basics and assume NOTHING until checked

[grumpyvette]

honestly I see so many guys that come by, the shop for a bit of diagnostic help, and almost to a man these guys are 100% convinced the problem they face is major and they need to spend a great deal of cash they just don,t have or that some new CARBURETOR or ignition SUCKS and the truth is that many times if they stepped back and took a deep breath, maybe had a few cold beers and bothered to actually verify each sub-system, the answer to the problem would eventually become all too obvious, you would be amazed at the number of fuel filters that have not been changed in 6-12 months that changing results in some crappy ignition issue clearing up, or a high speed ignition miss , that dis-appears when a new distributor cap and plugs that have not been cleaned or replaced in 3 years cures.
I just isolated a bad miss on a buddys 383 1968 road runner , the last plug back on the drivers side ignition wire was not even plugged in on the spark plug, it was wedged in next to it, but difficult to see unless you looked with a flash light!
yeah! I know you never make mistakes!
I got a call a couple years ago from a guy that just installed a KILLER solid roller cam in his 1967 corvette with a high dollar 406 sbc, he just could NOT get it running right, the timing was off the idle sucked several plugs were gas fouled... I got there and started with the basics, he seemed to resent it because he just knew everything was done correctly....yet it ran like crap, , it was twenty minutes of question and pulling answers and testing things before he suddenly remembered he was using the standard 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 firing order on a 4/7 swap cam!

 

[philly]

woops! i always ask myself this question when my cars are giving me problems... was the problem there before i touched it? if not, its likely something i did and have to go over again

 

[DorianL]

woops! i always ask myself this question when my cars are giving me problems... was the problem there before i touched it? if not, its likely something i did and have to go over again

Yep - that often guides me. Some problems mysteriously appear when you performed an upgrade somewhere else. One day I had performed two mods. Cut the front coils to lower the front and installed an HEI. On relays and everything, Yeah! Anyway, I back out and everything is running fine until I crap out halfway around the block. I blow a fuse and ASSume that it's the ignition. So in a fit of I rip everything out and... NUTS! Same problem... its stalls after a few seconds. Turns out cutting the front coils altered the fuel pickup AND fuel gauge reading. I was essentially trying to run on an empty tank.

Lesson learned: look before you leap to conclusions.

Now what the hell is wrong with my starter... or... is it my starter...

 

[Grumpy]

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/problem-with-starter.1646/#post-26319


HAVING A HIGH AMP (160-220 amp) QUALITY ALTERNATOR AND A DECENT BATTERY, WITH GOOD CLEAN CABLE CONNECTIONS HELPS IMMENSELY
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/tff-8173nep/applications/year/1996

http://www.powernationtv.com/two-minute-tech/2min-39/rebuild-a-starter

http://www.ebay.com/itm/64-79-GM-Po...Starter-Rebuild-Kit-Brushes-4pc-/190685688571

the contacts in that starter are easily replaced and your posted pictures show considerable wear issues
if you look around youll find most auto parts vendors or alternator and starter repair shops sell a kit to replace the copper starter solenoids or replacement contacts that get worn & burnt for usually under $20
now obviously different model starters may take different replacement parts but if you do a bit of research you'll find a rebuild , done to replace the contacts is hardly difficult and frequently all thats required, Id also point out that loose or worn corroded battery and ground connections can give similar issues
yes it could easily be a bad solenoid or bad electrical connections or the starter just needs to be replaced
http://www.sears.com/mmp-victory-la...kit/p-SPM9892765225?sid=IDx20140425xECNMPLG17

 

[DorianL]

Oh, my... "ground connections can give similar issues" I have a nasty feeling about this...