Dauntless Starter Problems

I have a dauntless V6 with a delco remy starter. I have been restoring this Jeep with my son on the side for a couple of years. The starter worked fine last year, and over the previous summer/fall we redid the entire suspension and brakes. It sat for about three months and when we went to start it the old battery was bad. replaced it and the starter would not work, no clicking, nothing. cleaned all the contacts and checked the ground, still nothing. took out the starter and solenoid, cleaned it up and took it in to a place that works on starters and the stupid thing worked. Put it back in, and after 5 starts it completely stopped working again, again not even clicking. Am I looking at a bad solenoid? I've had this Jeep for 30 years and it always has started fine. The place I brought it to said they could rebuild it if I wanted, of course for an outrageous price.

 

I fought this problem to a standstill on my 70 & my dad had the same issue on his 69.
Both now have a button on the dash to engage the starter.

 

Probably a bad solenoid. Are you certain you have power to the solenoid when it don't crank?
1st post, welcome from VA

 

Also verify your ignition switch is ok. I've had those same symptoms and it turned out to be an intermittent problem in the switch. I replaced it all before I determined it was the switch because sometimes it would work and sometimes not .

 

with starter all hooked up . will it turn over with a hand held remote starter button . connected at starter solenoid

 

Bad or no ground?

 

I had cleaned up the ground and every wire connection on both ends. My father was an electrician and always said check wires and grounds lol. I will run in and get a remote starter today and try it.

 

Good advice to test it with a remote starter switch.

The Delco solenoids are balky (but no worse than the Ford solenoids). We sold a lot of them back when I worked parts counter long ago. Do you carry spares? It's a good spare to have, even if that's not the problem.

 

Got the hand held starter hooked on it. Solenoid will click once with each try, nothing from starter. then bypassed the starter, nothing.

 

What do you mean, "then bypassed the starter?" The solenoid has two functions - it throws the gear into the flywheel, and it makes contact to run the motor. The motor running is dependent on the solenoid connecting the cable and the starter motor using contacts inside the solenoid.

I would just get a replacement solenoid and try it. Good spare to have. https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=938892&cc=1180448&jsn=390

 

I’m guessing he means the solenoid was bypassed and sent voltage directly to the motor and nothing happened. Sounds like maybe a brush isn’t making contact.

 

and how old is battery

 

Put jumper leads directly to the starter both positive and ground. If it doesnt work just get a new one they are 35$ at advance. Mine has been going strong for 10 years

 

Sorry, I meant I bypassed the solenoid, not the starter. I pulled the starter back off. Using jumpers, I hooked up just the starter, and it spun. then hooked up the solenoid It clicked and engaged the gear but the starter did not spin.

 

The solenoid acts like a relay, and it has contacts inside that connect the battery cable to the starter motor. After years, these contacts get pitted and no longer connect. Can you take the solenoid apart and look at it? IIRC they come apart, and you can burnish the contacts and make it work for a while.

 

I'm ordering a new solenoid. It's over 50 years old and only $25. Will post back when I get it in. Thanks for all the help and advice!

 

Don't throw the old one away. If it is the contacts I remember taking off the end cap and rotating the contacts 180 degrees including disc in there. If it does work now you have a spare.

 

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