Starting Issues click. click. click. (1 Viewer)

[Steamer]

-New Positive and Negative Wires to the Battery from the Starter

Can you clarify this? Usually the starter is grounded by a cable going from a starter mounting bolt to the frame.
Are you saying you have a cable going from the starter mounting bolt to the negative battery post?

 

[BGlynn19]

No. I'm saying there is Black Wire with a white stripe (same as the wire on the ignition switch) coming off the harness, going to a neutral safety switch, and then a another wire going from the neutral safety switch to the starter. The other wire coming off the starter is a 4 gauge positive going directly to the battery.

There is a 4 gauge negative grounding wire on the engine block to the battery and a negative grounding wire going to from the Frame as well.

 

[Steamer]

Ok, got it. you're good there.

 

[Steamer]

So you’ve still got an intermittent problem. You could run a small temporary wire to jump the starter. Have a wire from the small terminal on the starter and up to and near the battery. leave it disconnected and protected at the battery and the next time you get the click, hit the jumper to the battery + and see if it turns over or still clicks. That would narrow it down some.

 

[BGlynn19]

@Steamer when you say "the small terminal on the starter" are you referring to the terminal the current ground wire is hooked up to? The starter has one post with a 4 gauge + wire going directly to the battery, one post with the wire coming off the neutral safety switch, and other post that is unused.

 

[Cromagnon]

When did a '74 FJ40 get a neutral safety switch? It doesn't show up on the factory wiring diagrams that I have access to. Have you looked at the wires going to and from this switch and the switch itself?

I would do as @John McVicker and @skidplate suggest and put in a relay.

 

[73FJ40]

@BGlynn19

" and then a another wire going from the neutral safety switch to the starter. "

I guess back to square one. First I've had a clue, do you have an automatic transmission (obviously not stock) when you refer to the NSS? It seems to me that everyone here assumed you had a stock 74 FJ40 with the standard wiring harness.

Can you jump the NSS when the problem occurs?

 

[BGlynn19]

Yes. This is a Chevy 350 conversion with an automatic TH350 transmission and a Lokar shifter.

 

[BGlynn19]

I am very sorry for any confusion.

 

[Cromagnon]

You cannot expect help for an electrical problem, especially an intermittent one, by feeding us one piece of information at a time. Why not put the complete details in the first post? If you get tired of putting the information in every first post place the information in your signature.

 

[Cromagnon]

I would suggest the next place to look is the neutral safety switch, it may be failing and it won't be the first that I have seen cause this symptom.

 

[Steamer]

@Steamer when you say "the small terminal on the starter" are you referring to the terminal the current ground wire is hooked up to? The starter has one post with a 4 gauge + wire going directly to the battery, one post with the wire coming off the neutral safety switch, and other post that is unused.

When you turn the key to start 12v goes from the ignition switch, through the neutral switch (when in neutral) and then to the starter. It is that terminal you want to jump 12v to directly to the battery. When the click click happens again, jumping the starter this way will bypass the neutral switch, the ignition switch, and all the associated wiring. If jumping the starter this way always works then you know there is no problem with your starter, battery or that 4ga wire from battery to starter.

 

[John McVicker]

Post 16, post 19 and post 26. Read them, do it and this will get you back on the road.