Starter starts turning w/o key

[truckerdawg]

I am working on a 4.0 swap into my BII and of course I hit my first snag. As soon as I connected the battery the starter(which did work fine) started spinning w/o throwing the bendix forward. No key in ignition and then I even removed the selenoid wire(small red wire) and left just the positive wire and the thing will do the same- starts spinning. I thought it would need at least a complete circuit of the other wire. Does anyone have any ideas? My grounds are secure. No I do not have the positive connected to the small stud.

 

[adsm08]

Sounds like something got knocked around and the starter is shorted internally. Take the starter out, hook it up to the battery with some jumper cables, hook the neg to a bolt-ear, the positive to the big stud. If it keeps running then, go get a new starter.

 

[truckerdawg]

That was my only thought. Thanks. I'll post again with my results.

 

[truckerdawg]

I took the starter out. Hooked up the positive lug only to the battery and then grounded the starter body to the block with the other cable-as soon as the ground touched, the starter spun. I've never in my 50 plus years have had such a starter malfunction. And now bleeding the clutch master cylinder it pumps up not down- squirts fluid out the hole in the cap- another expense.

 

[truckerdawg]

Bought another starter and hooked it up. Everything is as it should have been.

 

[adsm08]

I've never in my 50 plus years have had such a starter malfunction.

I've never seen one do that either. But from what you described it was about the only thing that made sense. It was also the easiest thing to test.