I picked up a junk yard 292 motor last week and I'm checking out the parts. Is there a way of testing the starter without doing all the connections from the relay? I do have an extra relay I can use if I have to.

Rono

  Ron Lane,  Meridian, ID

Got cables. Connect neg side of battery to body of starter, touch pos cable to starter post and let-er-rip.


"The Master Cylinder"

Enjoying life at the beach in SOCAL

If it's good it's gonna jump right off the floor. Be ready.

       A  L  A  N   F  R  A  K  E  S   ~  Tulsa, OK    

Put the starter on the floor. Attach the red/positive jumper cable to the starter starter connection stud then put your foot on the starter to hold it from jumping off the floor and touch the black/negative cable to the starter case. I have been burned by this test in the past. The starter turns fine with the jumper cables but put it back on the motor and it falls flat under a load. There is a on-the-car starter amperage draw test that is a better way to test it but you need an inductive amp gauge or one of the older test meters that has a specific positive link (shunt?) that is connected to the positive battery terminal. Then you crank the engine and read the amount of amperage it takes to turn the starter motor. There used to be specs for this, I seem to remember something like more than 200amps meant the starter was weak. I still have an old Fox Valley test meter that has one but haven't used it in decades. Maybe some the older mechanics here can explain that one better. Way back when cars had the fire hazard true amp gauges instead of voltmeters, it was easier to see what the amp loads were.

57 Black Tbird 312/auto

The old timer auto electrician test is to clamp starter in vyce and place piece of hardwood timber between gear and bench, with battery cables connected to starter, jam neg cable to batteryy to get it spinning and lever timber up into gear causing load on starter, there will be sawdust etc flying around but replicates decent load on system.

  AussieBill            YYYY    Forever Y Block     YYYY

 Down Under, Australia

As an old time starter,generator,alternator rebuilder I was taught to attach the cable to the positive starter post and then compleat the circuit by using the ground on the starter motor.

This way the starter hot post will not get disintigrated or damanged by momentary touching the hot post to activate the motor.

I have seen the post get melted and unable to allow a nut be attached to it to secure the cable.

Oldmics

Oldmics, glad to see someone else knows the right way, and as you correctly say, putting pos cable to starter terminal will cause damage, these posts  and handy tips help everyone here.

  AussieBill            YYYY    Forever Y Block     YYYY

 Down Under, Australia

Yep...got my cables crossed. Maybe too much turkey and spirits yesterday. Edited the post to read the correct Pos/Neg terminals.

57 Black Tbird 312/auto