won,t turn over

There's a terminal block on the top of the drivers side inner fender well (may be under your air cleaner box) that is prone to rust away into nothingness. I spent months tracking down electrical gremlins before I found that one.

Do you have a battery disconnect? Most of my "clicks" we're cause from bad contacts or corroded contacts of the battery disconnect switch.

l cleaned and replaced all the battery connector. l dropped the starter again but didn,t disconnect the wires and cable and gounded it agaist the frame of my truck. it would kick out but didn,t spin. so l thought l found the problem took it out and took it to a garage h e messed with it and got it to spin. put it back on and it started to turn over but then it quit and just click when l turn the key. l took jump cables and gounded the starter and got a jumper wire to the small terminal on starter and other end l touched the positive side of battery post. nothing. l,m lost. thanks

It seems like you have starter issues. I don't know how your 7.3 starter is built but some Fords have a magnetic coil on top that both engages the Bendix gear and provides the connection for the starter motor. If that coil is failing, you'll get the intermittent spins and engagements like you've stated.

Again, clamping a meter onto the starter will tell you if there is power to the starter and if it is drawing current, trying to engage.

You also need to verify that you have adequate power in the battery being used.

Find a REAL auto electric overhaul shop, who overhauls starters and alternators for a living. Let them overhaul it.

Charles

rayroof10 wrote:
l cleaned and replaced all the battery connector. l dropped the starter again but didn,t disconnect the wires and cable and gounded it agaist the frame of my truck. it would kick out but didn,t spin. so l thought l found the problem took it out and took it to a garage h e messed with it and got it to spin. put it back on and it started to turn over but then it quit and just click when l turn the key. l took jump cables and gounded the starter and got a jumper wire to the small terminal on starter and other end l touched the positive side of battery post. nothing. l,m lost. thanks

The fact that it worked when when you took it to a garage with a different battery source would lead me to think the problem is with your battery. What is the resting voltage reading of your battery? Also if you place the red lead of your multi-meter on the pos terminal of the starter and the black lead on ground and have someone turn the key on what is the voltage drop? These two simple tests with help determine your problem.

Gjac wrote:
The fact that it worked when when you took it to a garage with a different battery source would lead me to think the problem is with your battery.

Logical assumption but a starter with half of the windings shorted out or a bad brush or two will spin with no load just fine sometimes but fail under load.