starter

[wagonman]

Hello group.My first post and I am new to owning olds but I have always liked them . I bought a 65 f 85 wagon and I am trying to get it started.330 ,atuo car. Replaced the starter becauese the old one would not spin the engine.I put in the new one and when i went to hook up the bat it shorted and smoke came from starter wires.I took starter off and fixed the grounding problem and now when I try to start it I can hear the selonoid but engine does not spin.Iam going to take a breaker bar to try and rotate the engine tomarrow. Is my starter ok? Thanks

[Oldsguy]

So you mean the old starter would not rotate the engine at all? Do you suspect the engine is siezed, becuase you want to try to rotate the engine manually with a breaker bar? I wouldn't recommend that, not yet. You say something shorted and smoke came from starter wires and you fixed a grounding problem. Did the large positive wire from the battery to the starter smoke? How did you fix the grounding problem? Do you know why the wire or wires smoked?

I know these seem like a lot of questions but I am just trying to get everything striaght before recommending any action.

[wagonman]

Originally Posted by Oldsguy

So you mean the old starter would not rotate the engine at all? Do you suspect the engine is siezed, becuase you want to try to rotate the engine manually with a breaker bar? I wouldn't recommend that, not yet. You say something shorted and smoke came from starter wires and you fixed a grounding problem. Did the large positive wire from the battery to the starter smoke? How did you fix the grounding problem? Do you know why the wire or wires smoked?

I know these seem like a lot of questions but I am just trying to get everything striaght before recommending any action.

The old starter would not spin the engine.Had starter tested and they sold me a new one.I got the car disassemled and was told it ran.I had to replace the bat and cable to the relay.When I put new starter in and hooked up batttery the the large positive wire touchrd the exhast manifold.Ireinstalled starter and now I hear selonoid.I was woundering if it was starter problem or engine siezed. Thanks.

[Oldsguy]

Ok, it looks like the starter motor may have been damaged when the large positive wire to the starter touched the exhaust manifold (ground), so not only was the wire damaged but possibly the starter too. If you can remove the starter and have it tested to verify my idea I bet that is it. When working on your car, especially electrical problems but especially-especially when working on the starter, remove the battery ground first, the one from the battery to the engine block. If you get the starter checked and it is bad the place you purchased it might replace it for free. Re-install the starter, verify that the wiring is correct by visual inspection, finally, re-attach the ground from the battery to the engine. Then, try to start the car, if you still hear a click but the engine won't spin, THEN you might have a siezed engine. It might be hydro-staticly siezed meaning fluid in the cylinders. Remove all the plugs (after dis-connnecting the battery ground first) and try to start the engine again. If it turns that is a good. You might only have a bad head or head gasket that leaked coolant into one or more cylinders. If the engine does not spin that still might be the cause but if it was some time ago the rings might have rusted to the cylinder walls and it still won't turn for that reason. OR, if it still doesn't spin it might be because of a bad crank bearing. To tell if the rings are just rusted to the cylinders you can squirt a product like PB Blaster into each cylinder and let them sit for a couple days, squirt again, let set a couple more days and finally after a week you can FINALLY try to turn the engine over manually with a breaker bar on the crank. But try the new starter first.
I hope this is helpful.

[wagonman]

Thanks.Will do.