Starting problems...

Hello All -

Alright, so my '56 is running pretty good. I just put a new Optima red top in about 3 weeks ago. I'm only driving it on the weekends but today it won't start (e.g solenoid clicks but no turn). As far as I know the starting system is pretty simple battery...starter right??? (by the way there is a 351W in the Jeep).
I threw a battery charger on it and it appears the battery only has about half the juice. Can I deduce that the alternator is not doing a good job of charging that battery (e.g. change with high output alternator) or should I just pull the starter and have that checked out, or both, or should I sell the Jeep and buy one of those great hybrid cars
Has anyone had any good/bad luck with those Mean Green starters/alternators? I like the idea of the gear reduction starter...a little less juice, and it about half the weight of the starter that's in there.

Comments welcome....

 

Let us not forget the tapping of the hammer on the starter. This has got many an engine started over the past few decades.

 

Start the engine and pull the pos bat cable off the battery. If the engine dies, then the charging system has a problem. If it doesn't, then quickly replace the cable. Look for a errand draw. A good example is a volt gauge that isn't routed through the ignition, causing a trickle draw, or an interior light, amp, ect...

 

Under the category of "battery draw", an idea is to: remove the negative clamp on the battery, and place a test light in series between the clamp & the neg batt terminal. Does the device light up or pulse? If so, to find where any draw is, yank fuses until the light goes out.

It's possible that the battery could also be a baddie. Got the receipt?

 

Sounds like either a bad battery or a draw on the system. Try jump starting it, that would eliminate the starter being the problem. Then once it's running check how much voltage the alternator is putting out... should be 13-14v if it's charging.

 

Check all your connections, make sure they are clean and make sure they are tight on the battery and the ground is good. It is best to have clean metal on the block ground. If that is a Ford engine, you can jump the selenoid easily to check if the starter or selenoid is good/bad. Also check your alternator. The hammer on the starter will only work for awhile, but it can get you going. I use to push start my Jeep, not enough money to buy a new battery in college. Still don't have enough money for the Jeep!

 

Every time I've had an alternator die on me, the last few times it started it would start turning over slower than usual. It didn't just all of a sudden not turn over at all. The short in the system seems much more likely.