starter won't stop. Solenoid?

After my 1959 CJ5 wouldn't start last week, I determined I had a bad solenoid and bought a new one from Kaiser Willys. I wasn't 100% sure which of the two large terminals went to the battery and which went to the starter since the solenoid looked slightly different than my old one. When I crank the engine, it cranks well but regardless of when the engine actually starts, the starter keeps turning. It's not engaged with the engine, just turning on its own. Makes no difference what position the ignition is in...start, run, or off, it keeps going, even though the motor turns off when the key is turned off. Is this something that could happen if the solenoid is on backwards, i.e. battery and starter are connected to the wrong terminals? Or did I get a bad new solenoid?

 

typical ford starter solenoid

 

i dont think the location of those two wires would matter the solenoid is just a switch. check the little wire(goes to the s terminal) for 12 volts while the starter is still spinning after its running,it should be dead after you let off the key.if not its in the key circuit. check the wire going to the starter too if it still has juice after the key is released its the solenoid. the flaps should be able to get a solenoid.

 

More than once, I have seen the copper disc on a new solenoid, which connects the starter to the battery weld itself to one or both contacts on the heavy current side. I smack it and it lets loose. It seems like it is just on the first time. After that, it lets loose and works like it should. Not sure why, but it happened on a Ford van I used to own and also on another vehicle I had. Probably just cheap stuff from China. Who knows? But in your case, it doesn't appear that this is the cause. You apparently have something that is keeping your solenoid pull in circuit energized so the solenoid will not release. Do like one of the posts above suggests and measure on the small terminals to see if you have voltage present after the engine has started and then follow what he said to do. He had a good description of what to expect...

 

:iagree:

I'd try a hot "jumper" wire to the small terminal, see what result you get without the ignition on. Put it in neutral first!!!

 

Yep, my Delco did this twice, usually when the battery was down a bit. Just pullng the starter out and cleaning up the starter shaft will help a lot. It's been over 20 years since it has happened, knock on wood...

 

If you are using a Ford-type starter solenoid, they can usually be repaired by drilling out the rivet in the middle and taking them apart. Inside you will find the copper disk, which you can usually flip over - it's held on by a clip. Then you have a new contact surface, which should last a while.

Standard used to make a souped-up SS581, the SS581X - maybe this is NOS: http://www.oehq.com/oeparts_stiss581x.htm In lieu of that, the regular SS581 or the Napa/Airtex equivalent might be ok.

Also, make sure you have not accidentally wired the I terminal back to the S terminal, in some direct or round-about way. The I terminal is meant to supply a full 12V to your coil / ignition module for starting, and if you loop it back to the S terminal then S will stay high after you release the key, and the starter will continue to run.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone. I tried the hammer thing, which seemed to work. When the starter kept cranking, I just tapped the solenoid with the hammer and it would stop. But, it happens every time I start the engine. The good folks at Kaiser Willys are sending me a new one so we'll see how it goes.

 

Just as a follow-up for future readers, I received the new solenoid and that fixed it right up.