85 22re cranks but won't start

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orange85

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Nov 19, 2010
Threads
4
Messages
14
Location
Alberta, Canada
Alright bare with me here this is my first post. Here's the story i have an 85 pickup with a 22re. one morning i got solenoid click when trying to start it so i replaced the starter hoping to fix the problem, still got the solenoid click changed the alternator (no connection to problem just did it) and tried starting it again. it cranked and went. started it a few times that night all good and then it stopped working. solenoid click again and now it cranks but won't catch.

Battery checks out with 12.5 volts and 14.5 when running. commonly open relay and AFM check out good according to procedures found online. fuel pump runs when supplied with 12 volts and the motor seems to try and catch better with the 12 volts supplied but still won't run. probed the commonly open plug for power and its getting 8.5-9 volts when cranking the starter; is that enough power to close the coil? Also my starter has one wire into the harness and one power wire off the battery should i have some sort of ground running to it?? Anybody have some ideas i still want to probe the wiring at the pump when cranking but i need a second set of hands. Any help is much appreciated.
 
Lots of things to check.

If the dizzy cap is cracked it won't run.

I suspect the problem is not the fuel pump. You say you put power to the pump but didn't say how you did this. I assume that means you can hear the pump spinning. Do you know where the check connector is for the fuel pump?

Check the engine ground. There is not another ground to the starter as it grounds through the engine. There should be a wire from the back of the engine to the firewall. Remove it, clean it, and clean where it attaches. I can't remember, but there might be another ground wire to the engine.

Many times a sluggish starter is due to dirty terminals. Clean the battery.

Coming off the battery + is a heavy gauge wire that runs to an L-shaped fuse block on the passenger side fender. I've had this wire break. Break it, and you loose more than the engine. Mine has been replaced with a pair of 10g.
 
I think I remember my old (65) Chevy having a battery+ cable from the starter solenoid to the ignition coil. I haven't played too much with the starting system of The Mule, so I may be wrong, but if this cable is also on a 22R/RE, I'd check the connectors between the two points, and make sure nothing's come loose, or gotten filled with dirt. Hope this helps.

My last bit reminds me:
I'd go over all connectors with a fine-toothed comb, make sure some solders haven't failed, or gotten dirty to the point they short.

edit: I'ma go study me some 22R wiring diagrams...
 
well with the click issue he might have a bad ignition switch, if i read and remember correctly everything goes to it then out to the starter and possibly the ignition. so if the contacts are worn in there, then he might not be getting juice to his coil.
 
Thanks for the quick response guys, I have good spark, battery is clean and i did the cap and wires a month ago after i picked it up. The starter isn't sluggish it cranks hard the motor just won't start and occasionally the starter won't go. i put 12v to the fuel pump by disconnecting the plug at the pump and using a car battery and some spare wires, last night i probed that same connection when the starter was cranking to check for power and i was getting nothing. This means my commonly open relay isn't closing but since i already checked that i'm leaning towards the ignition switch now. Anyone have this problem before? Will check grounds/connections and replace that wire to the fuse box today


Check for the fuel pump is the rectangular plug on the drivers side of the engine bay right?
 
toy4xfun said:
hey if you search on here, it has been discussed, i have been lucky, my no start problem where i would get the click was a failing optima battery.
Click to expand...

Same problem just last week, failing Kragen battery.
 
toy4xfun said:
well with the click issue he might have a bad ignition switch, if i read and remember correctly everything goes to it then out to the starter and possibly the ignition. so if the contacts are worn in there, then he might not be getting juice to his coil.
Click to expand...

He said he was getting the click. Likely means the solenoid is moving which means the ignition switch is most likely working. My bet is bad contacts in the solenoid, but what do I know... They do burn up after a number of years.

Other things I'd look at are cable condition. Old cables can have to much resistance to allow the starter to work. Check both the positive cable from the battery to the starter, and the engine ground cable from the engine to the battery.

When the starter is cranking, the voltage at the starter should not be less than 8-9volts or so. If it is less, then way to much is being lost in the cables and solenoid between or the battery is not properly charged or dieing.
 
re clean ur battery connections. means buy a battery cleaning tool. clean the inside of the terminals and the batt posts. all lead should be shiny.

aftermarket starters are garbage.

the morons who "rebuilt" it didnt square up the copper contacts to the plunger. I'll bet the farm on that one.

examine and repair the wires as pappy outlined.
 
toy4xfun said:
well it seems that his starter is working fine now but he is not getting voltage to his fuel pump.
Click to expand...

BINGO! starter is moving, i'll look into my intermittent starter issue once i get the truck to run for now it's back burner. i probed the back of the ignition module (where you stick the key in) its sending 10 volts to the circuit open relay which i think isn't enough to close the relay therefore no power to the pump when cranking. I'm going to wire in a switch for the pump and check if my fuel filter is plugged up maybe. Spark is good btw
 
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