4000 Starting Issue

[old school]

Hi gang,
I have a 72-73 Ford 4000 gas and the when starting, the engine barely turns over yet I put a brand new battery in. Starter or something?

 

[rvirgil_KS]

Hi gang,
I have a 72-73 Ford 4000 gas and the when starting, the engine barely turns over yet I put a brand new battery in. Starter or something?

Check for corroded battery cables and cable connections, especially cables to posts and cable at frame ground.

 

[old school]

Check for corroded battery cables and cable connections, especially cables to posts and cable at frame ground.

Thanks for the suggestion, should have mentioned that only connection that I have cleaned is the ground but doesn't look bad.

 

[sweetskillsrk]

Dielectric grease for the win! Anytime I have a connection apart, it gets cleaned and greased. Would be a good idea to check resistance in your cables. If they aren't sealed, there could be corrosion all up in them.

 

[Eman85]

Starter or something?

Yes, could be the starter or something else. Do you have a voltmeter?

 

[old school]

Yes, could be the starter or something else. Do you have a voltmeter?

I do but unsure of how to test. Any instructions would be appreciated.

 

[Eman85]

I do but unsure of how to test. Any instructions would be appreciated.

Start at the battery, first clean both ends of both of the cables and measure voltage at the battery.

 

[Tim PloughNman Daley]

Hi gang,
I have a 72-73 Ford 4000 gas and the when starting, the engine barely turns over yet I put a brand new battery in. Starter or something?

A 'NEW' battery can be junk out the door. What is the date code on it? Is it a good brand like DEKA INTERSTATE DURACELL EXIDE EAST-PENN or other? Bargain-house units tend to have poor lifespans - 2 years at best. Best to take it to a local GEN/ALT shop and have it tested on their machine under load. Pass? Leave it out and alone and now go thru entire wiring system per diagrams with a VOM set to Continuity. Inspect condition of wiring harness visually for loose connections, poor, cobbled up, ho-made wiring jobs, and/or frayed wires. No idiot test lights. Take no shortcuts. Might want to motor test Starter Motor and Generator. Is there a fan belt tensioning device attached? Is fan belt correct and tension set right? Without proper belt tension you will never charge the battery and will have cooling issues as well. Loose belt tension can cause overheating the radiator and water pump damage. Can take components and VR to your shop guy too and he will test them too. Distributor tuned up correctly also important. Ya gotta have the correct wiring setup B4 you reconnect the battery to test system.

Tim Daley (MI)