Just put a rebuild in and was about to start it but the starter didnt turn. Starter solenoid is heating up badly with just the battery wire connected. Not even S wire is connected. Starter is bolted in with one bolt missing. I jumped the starter when it wasnt installed in the engine and everything worked correctly. But when its bolted in, and only the hot lead connected, does it start to fry. I'm stumped at what it could be.

 

Can you turn the engine over by hand? If so, make sure the mesh on the gear teeth are okay... You sure its the right starter/flywheel?

 

Yes, I can turn the engine over by hand. Right flywheel since i didnt change anything and same starter. Also the S wire connector was reading 12v without the interlock switch engaged or the ignition switch. But the S wasnt connected when the solenoid was heating up. Only the battery was connected. I wasn't turning the key at all. The solenoid just started to heat up with the battery wire connected.

 

bad solenoid?

 

cant be, i replaced it since it was doing it before. I thought it was just due to the S connector reading 12v. But this theory was thrown out when I realized it was still frying it since the battery wire was the only one connected. Is it possible for the battery wire to recieve too much amperage in the case of a short? I didn't think a short at the battery wire would be a factor, but just incase I will check for one. Also, since the starter isn't completely bolted down, could bad grounding be the cause of this?

 

If there was a short, the starter fuse would have blown.. Which I'm surprised didn't happen.. Make sure and check you have the right fuses in your blocks. but... you definately have something whackey. Bad grounding wouldn't make the solenoid hot. It would just make the whole thing not work. Pull the starter off again, put hook it up to the car's electrics... just let it hang... does it spin? If so, then there's some other problem... but, if not.... its electrics.

But you said you had this starter in your car before right?

 

do u have your ground bolted to the starter? thats what happend to me

 

No, am i supposed to have my ground bolted there? I thought it was supposed to go on the transmission.

 

There should be a ground strap and a power strap. I think. Then the wire from the harness that powers the solenoid. The solenoid flips power to the starter motor...

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong but I think thats right.

 

i had the same problem i putting an 88 engine , harness and ecu out of a vert into an 86 car and in some 88's and all 88 verts there is another ignition wire in the ignition harnes which was causing the problem . i dont know what years of engine / car you are dealing with but what you can try is hooking starter power and ground up, and the spade conection the one that recives signal to start when to turn the key . run a wire from that up near the battery pos term turn your key to the run position and touch that wire to pos term car should start . this will tell you if there is a wiring issue in the harness somewhere