2.3L ('83-'97) 88 2.3 no crank no start

[88_stranger]

So, after much deliberation about swallowing my pride, I am looking for any advice with this issue. 3 days ago went to start my truck and only got a loud click from the solenoid. It was cold, about 25 degrees. The battery was a cheap one about 3 years old. Hooked up my charger set to 225 amp jump start and still nothing. Tried jumping the solenoid and still nothing. Pulled and tried to bench test the starter and still nothing. It was late so I tried to think of anything I could to check before buying a new starter. I ohmed out the positive terminal to the case and found 0 ohms. Thinking that was my problem, I replaced the starter. Same issue. I could tell the battery was getting weak due to the continuous tests so I hooked my charger up and let it run for an hour. Suddenly the engine would spin but really slow. Had the battery tested and it was 100 amps down from spec so I replaced it. Same thing again. As I was checking all of the power and grounds as well as the solenoid, it suddenly spun over and started. Now I can’t duplicate it and don’t feel good about not finding something actually wrong. Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks

 

[Uncle Gump]

I'd do voltage drop tests on all the battery cables.

They might look visibly good and corroded under the insulation.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Yeah, that... corrosion on posts or wire ends is where I'd look.