2.8L V6 wont stay running. When running it hesitates. It hesitated when I tried to drive it.

[RobbieD]

Your alternator connections are right.

Over on the driver side fender well, did you get the thick Black / Orange wire reconnected? The one that had the melted connector. It needs to be reconnected, and insulated really good if there is any exposed metal terminals.

 

[franklin2]

UDPATE:
Fixed the wiring

I need help with the wiring for the alternator. (I can't find anywhere on the web of where the plugs go. (the colored plugs are dirty and faded.) Tell me where to plug them in if Ive plugged them in wrong. I think I've got it right but just need to be checked. Since I don't wanna damage anything.

I am going to be like a parent, and scold you for taking wires loose arbitrarily and then asking later on where they go. That seems to be a theme during this whole project. I am thinking you are just starting out and this is your first big project, so this will be a lesson learned. We all had to start somewhere and go through the school of hard knocks. Masking tape and a sharpie work well for marking plugs and wires. I hope it does start and run.

 

[MadMax_636]

Your alternator connections are right.

Over on the driver side fender well, did you get the thick Black / Orange wire reconnected? The one that had the melted connector. It needs to be reconnected, and insulated really good if there is any exposed metal terminals.

Yeah, it's jammed back into the plastic connector. No exposed metal.

 

[MadMax_636]

I am going to be like a parent, and scold you for taking wires loose arbitrarily and then asking later on where they go. That seems to be a theme during this whole project. I am thinking you are just starting out and this is your first big project, so this will be a lesson learned. We all had to start somewhere and go through the school of hard knocks. Masking tape and a sharpie work well for marking plugs and wires. I hope it does start and run.

Yeah, this is my first big automotive project. Plus, I was just unplugged stuff to pull the harness aside since it was a mess and needed to be untangled anyways

 

[MadMax_636]

UPDATE:
I wanna start off and say. I have a 3 port solenoid. Just putting that out there in case that comes up later.
I reseated the starter. I didn't do anything differently when I did it.
I wired up the starter and I just hear the solenoid thump/click. Power in the truck goes dim
I hook my battery to a second car and let it charge for a good few mins does the same thing.

Do I need to get a 4 post solenoid for some reason or am I missing something small? Like starter grounding. Would it be smart to run a ground wire from the starter bolt ears to somewhere on the frame?

EDIT:
I checked my resting battery voltage. Its at 12.54v. When I turn the key to run/on it drops down to 12.35v.
My battery does take water. I checked the levels and they looked a little low. I dont know If I should just replace the battery or try filling them up.

I hate how I got everything working. Then this crap happens.

 

[franklin2]

You should have a large fat ground wire going directly from the battery to the engine block somewhere.

Checking the voltage at the same time you are trying to start it is excellent troubleshooting, I am impressed.

Do this same voltage check at the large solenoid connection going to the starter, point #4 in the picture below. Try to start it and see what voltage you get. If you get something low below 12v, that means you have a connection problem upstream. So move upstream to point #3 and try again. If at #3 you get 12v, then the solenoid is bad. If you get something below 12v at #3, then that short cable or your battery clamp is bad.

If you got 12v at #4 when trying to crank it over, then move your negative meter lead from #2 to a place on the engine block that is clean bare metal. Try to start it again while watching the meter. If it's below 12v, your ground is bad, either at the battery, at the engine block or the cable itself.

If you have 12v when trying to start it at #4 and the negative on the engine block, then you have a starter problem. Either a connection at the starter, the starter might have dirt between it and the transmission interrupting the ground to the starter, or the starter itself is bad.

You can pull the starter, get some jumper cables, hook the ground to the body of the starter and to the neg of the battery, and touch the + to the starter and the battery + and see if it will run laying on the ground.

ford starting system by D Franklin, on Flickr

 

[MadMax_636]

You should have a large fat ground wire going directly from the battery to the engine block somewhere.

Checking the voltage at the same time you are trying to start it is excellent troubleshooting, I am impressed.

Do this same voltage check at the large solenoid connection going to the starter, point #4 in the picture below. Try to start it and see what voltage you get. If you get something low below 12v, that means you have a connection problem upstream. So move upstream to point #3 and try again. If at #3 you get 12v, then the solenoid is bad. If you get something below 12v at #3, then that short cable or your battery clamp is bad.

If you got 12v at #4 when trying to crank it over, then move your negative meter lead from #2 to a place on the engine block that is clean bare metal. Try to start it again while watching the meter. If it's below 12v, your ground is bad, either at the battery, at the engine block or the cable itself.

If you have 12v when trying to start it at #4 and the negative on the engine block, then you have a starter problem. Either a connection at the starter, the starter might have dirt between it and the transmission interrupting the ground to the starter, or the starter itself is bad.

You can pull the starter, get some jumper cables, hook the ground to the body of the starter and to the neg of the battery, and touch the + to the starter and the battery + and see if it will run laying on the ground.

ford starting system by D Franklin, on Flickr

Yeah, I did all the stuff you said already. I test the voltage from #1 to #4 12. I also tested the voltage when cranking and the dash lights died. Nothing, zilch. I got a battery charger and new term clamps since the ground clam has seen better days. Its got a hole in it and idk how. Im thinking its starter related. Maybe dirty around the starter causing a bad ground.
The last time I tested the voltage. It would drop to idk what. I also tested turning the headlights on. Once I pulled the headlights switch. Everything went off. Im gonna charge the battery tomorrow and call into work as well so I can focus on getting my truck running.

Any tips on stripping battery cables? Im replacing the ground clamp right away.

 

[franklin2]

Yeah, I did all the stuff you said already. I test the voltage from #1 to #4 12. I also tested the voltage when cranking and the dash lights died. Nothing, zilch. I got a battery charger and new term clamps since the ground clam has seen better days. Its got a hole in it and idk how. Im thinking its starter related. Maybe dirty around the starter causing a bad ground.
The last time I tested the voltage. It would drop to idk what. I also tested turning the headlights on. Once I pulled the headlights switch. Everything went off. Im gonna charge the battery tomorrow and call into work as well so I can focus on getting my truck running.

Any tips on stripping battery cables? Im replacing the ground clamp right away.

The headlight test is a good one.

All you have to do is turn the headlights on so everything dies, and then go out with your meter and touch the battery right at the posts. If you do not have 12v, the battery is dead or bad.

If you have 12v ON THE BATTERY POSTS move your + meter lead to the cable clamp at #1. If you lose 12v, that battery connection/clamp is bad. If you have 12v, then move the negative meter lead from the neg post to the clamp at #2. If you lose 12v that battery clamp is bad.

Keep moving around till you have 12v, and then you don't. The point where you lose 12v is the bad spot. Just keep the headlights on at all times so the system is dead, then you can test it like that.

 

[MadMax_636]

The headlight test is a good one.

All you have to do is turn the headlights on so everything dies, and then go out with your meter and touch the battery right at the posts. If you do not have 12v, the battery is dead or bad.

If you have 12v ON THE BATTERY POSTS move your + meter lead to the cable clamp at #1. If you lose 12v, that battery connection/clamp is bad. If you have 12v, then move the negative meter lead from the neg post to the clamp at #2. If you lose 12v that battery clamp is bad.

Keep moving around till you have 12v, and then you don't. The point where you lose 12v is the bad spot. Just keep the headlights on at all times so the system is dead, then you can test it like that.

I got the starter fixed. Now I need help on setting the timing to she will firing up and run. She cranks and all of that fun stuff.

Starter is acting up again. I need to reseat it .....
I'll deal with it tomorrow.

 

[MadMax_636]

Im gonna have to reseat the starter. If you have any ideas on making a bracket to me

The headlight test is a good one.

All you have to do is turn the headlights on so everything dies, and then go out with your meter and touch the battery right at the posts. If you do not have 12v, the battery is dead or bad.

If you have 12v ON THE BATTERY POSTS move your + meter lead to the cable clamp at #1. If you lose 12v, that battery connection/clamp is bad. If you have 12v, then move the negative meter lead from the neg post to the clamp at #2. If you lose 12v that battery clamp is bad.

Keep moving around till you have 12v, and then you don't. The point where you lose 12v is the bad spot. Just keep the headlights on at all times so the system is dead, then you can test it like that.

Thanks for the great battery testing info! I did get everything work as in the starter worked and the power issue went away. I'm thinking it might have to do with my engine ground. I also think It might have had something to do with the way I had the positive cable on the solenoid. Im thinking something wasn't making 100% contact for some reason. After cranking on her and the bowl filled up I tried to fire her up and she sputtered a little bit. Then after some more cranking, I heard the starter grind. Meaning it moved away from the flywheel. I've been thinking of some sort of bracket that cradles the starter to make it holds it close to the flywheel using the 2 mounting bolts. I just don't really have the material or tools to weld or whatever. So ill have to think of something. That's all it needs for it to not moving. Something to just hold it close and dear to its little flywheel.

Im gonna call it a night. Ill work on it in the morning. I don't like getting under my truck at night. Scares the shit out of me for some reason. Heard to many horror stories.

 

[franklin2]

Is something broken? The bolts should bolt the starter tight to the transmission, and the transmission should be bolted tightly to the engine.

 

[MadMax_636]

Is something broken? The bolts should bolt the starter tight to the transmission, and the transmission should be bolted tightly to the engine.

Sometime in my trucks past. One of the previous owners had don't through-bolts... I had to do the top one as it was rusty and when I loosened the bolt. It broke threads out. Through bolts were the only solution.

It holds it tight but with the amount of power from the starter and the cranking force. it somehow slides aways. I wanna say there's a thread about it happening to someone else on here.

When I rebuild my motor (Whenever I get to it. Since I need her running in the meantime) I'm gonna look around in junkyards and see about getting a new bell housing. Since shes getting a new clutch and flywheel during the rebuild.
Main focus right now is getting her running.

 

[MadMax_636]

Is something broken? The bolts should bolt the starter tight to the transmission, and the transmission should be bolted tightly to the engine.

I've got the starter "happy" So the motor cracks. Not I can't seem to find a way to get her to fire off. I've retarded and advanced the timing. She just cranks. I've pumped the throttle to get some fuel down her neck but nothing. I'm gonna let her sit for a min and maybe try again. The heat is just exhausting. Especially since my driveway in right under the sun.

 

[RobbieD]

I hope that it starts. If it won't, you may need to go back and check that your distributor rotor is pointing at the #1 cap tower, with cylinder #1 at TDC on the compression stroke. If you have a helper (and your timing light) you can have the motor turning over and look with the light to see if the timing mark is close.

 

[MadMax_636]

I hope that it starts. If it won't, you may need to go back and check that your distributor rotor is pointing at the #1 cap tower, with cylinder #1 at TDC on the compression stroke. If you have a helper (and your timing light) you can have the motor turning over and look with the light to see if the timing mark is close.

Yeah, Me too!

Thats what I was thinking about doing. Probably is I don't have a helper sadly. Im gonna pop the passenger side valve cover and crank the engine over by hand till the 2 lifters on that side are both closed and then pop the dizzy in and point it at #1. Then ill be 100% sure I'm at TDC.

Im also gonna check to see if I have a good spark. Since I checked my HEI connections and Im getting 12v on them. Ill pull a plug, crank the motor with the plug hooked to a wire and see if the spark is good.
Im also regretting not buying a starter trigger at harbor fart.