starter wont disengage!!!

The cougar used to have this problem, its really bad. And I'm talking about when your going to start it and it keeps cranking over, we just put the diode in the wire and its still doing it and we just replaced the wiring harness hoping it would solve the problems like for example, this crap! Anyone know whats going on? It has a MSD 6AL box if that helps. We are trying to get this baby to fire up today, races are next weekend, we need it done NOW. Please help

Sooooooooooooooooooo,,,,,,, I'm confused.....

Engine run on usually describes the engine continuing to run after the ignition is shut off....

kinda sounds like you are describing the starter staying engaged after the engine starts???

better description of problem might help

dkp

Yes the starter status engaged thank you.

Solenoid sticking? I had a starter once where the spring got really weak and it wouldn't disengage immediately. Actually figured it out watching vid of the car launching and seeing a spark come from the flywheel when the starter gear would fly back into the flywheel gear.

BigDave65 wrote:Solenoid sticking? I had a starter once where the spring got really weak and it wouldn't disengage immediately. Actually figured it out watching vid of the car launching and seeing a spark come from the flywheel when the starter gear would fly back into the flywheel gear.

Could be, this thing will continue to turn over until the battery dies though. I was wondering if the alternator could be giving the starting system voltage and continuing to feed it. Does that sound plausible?

Bump the solenoid with a screw driver it will help sometimes.Yesterday we had the same problem when we fired Derek's engine I wacked the solenoid with the rachet it went to working right.

Will do

Sounds like it needs a shim.

342g wrote:Sounds like it needs a shim.

Shim the starter? That could cause it? My dad is going to call the company we got the wiring harness from tomorrow to see what they think it could be.

[quote="bb429power"]

342g wrote:Sounds like it needs a shim.

Shim the starter? That could cause it? My dad is going to call the company we got the wiring harness from tomorrow to see what they think it could be.[/quote

]I had one do the same thing, wasn't disengaging all the way, any auto store has the shims.

[/quote]
Could be, this thing will continue to turn over until the battery dies though. I was wondering if the alternator could be giving the starting system voltage and continuing to feed it. Does that sound plausible?[/quote]

So you turn the key to start and the thing just sits there and cranks?

Try a new ignition switch.

Disconnect all the wires from the solenoid except the two mains then try the starter with a remote switch or screwdriver.

dkp

[quote="342g"]

bb429power wrote:

342g wrote:Sounds like it needs a shim.

Shim the starter? That could cause it? My dad is going to call the company we got the wiring harness from tomorrow to see what they think it could be.[/quote

]I had one do the same thing, wasn't disengaging all the way, any auto store has the shims.

Oh no, the problem isn't that the gear wont go back in mechanically. Whats happening is the starter is getting power from somewhere and it turns the motor over as if you still had the key in the "start" position. It wont crank in the "on" position until you try to start it, then it will reman to crank while in the "on" position once released from "start".

Am I making sense or do I need to explain it differently? Its kind of difficult for me to explain it in text.

bosshoss wrote:

Could be, this thing will continue to turn over until the battery dies though. I was wondering if the alternator could be giving the starting system voltage and continuing to feed it. Does that sound plausible?[/quote]

So you turn the key to start and the thing just sits there and cranks?

Try a new ignition switch.

Disconnect all the wires from the solenoid except the two mains then try the starter with a remote switch or screwdriver.

dkp[/quote]

YES, that's whats happening. This is a new switch, it did it with the old one too, and it will do it even if jumped with a screwdriver.

disconect the ignition wire from the starter solinoid, then jump the starter/relay. with a screwdriver/or remote starter. then quickly test the disconected ingnition wire to see if there is power at that wire while Cranking /running . if there is power to it then you have a wireing problem that is feeding from the alternater . if no power is there then it is the starter solinoid sticking . feeding constant power from the battery . a week return spring in the solinoid . Best guess good luk . let us know what u find ?

what starter do you have ? old type or the newer mini one

Old type, I believe its a Bosch.

! ! ! WARNING: DO NOT INSTALL A JUMPER WIRE BETWEEN THE BATTERY TERMINAL AND THE SOLENOID BLADE TERMINAL AT THE STARTER TO AVOID THE USE OF THE # 12 WIRE. IF DONE, VOLTAGE IS GENERATED TO THE SOLENOID BY THE STARTER SPINNING AFTER THE RELEASE OF THE START KEY OR BUTTON, CAUSING THE STARTER TO REMAIN ENGAGED, RESULTING IN SEVERE DAMAGE AND EVENTUAL FAILURE OF THE STARTER
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Maybe this is the issue.

Maybe, I'll check that out Lem.

Even better, thank you

This is for the late model mini ford starter from the '90s.

I have had this happen several times due to fuji dinky brand offshore solenoids. It can also happen with a really old factory one. As was said earlier, if it happens again, whack the solenoid with something solid, and it should stop. Then go buy a good American solenoid.

Okay, not the solenoid. Last night we put the one from the maverick on it and it still wouldn't disengage Did what the Wiring harness company said and the problem still remains, we will have to check it out again. I didn't check what Lem said yet, I had to call it quits for the night.

I've had this happen to me twice in the past, first time was my 69 Fairlane 428 CJ - that was because of a faulty solenoid. The second time was a quicky engine change I did for a friend, and I forgot to hook up the engine to chassis ground wire. The engine cranked over, and started, but the starter wouldn't disengage, I thought it was the solenoid again, changed it - no joy, tried a different ignition switch, that didn't work either. By chance I noticed the ground wire wasn't attached - hooked it up, problem solved. I still can't figure how that changed things, but it did!

Wayne (SAWDOFF) Pearce

We have yet to hook up the ground strap, we will hook it up and see what happens