Jasper 83

So I jumped in my 85 pickup to leave work a minute ago and tried to start it. Sometimes its slow to start but that's another issue. I cranked it for a few seconds and let off when it didn't start right away. Hit the key again and got nothing but a click. Hit the starter a few times but no luck so I got somebody to push start me with a forklift. So far just seems like a normal bad place in the starter, right? Accidentally hit the start position with the key while the guy was pushing me and you can hear the bendix grinding on the flywheel. I thought oh good the starter is working now. So I drove home, cut the truck off coming down my road and tried the starter again with the clutch depressed. Click click. So I popped the clutch and the truck started back up so just for the heck of it I hit the start position with the key while the truck was running and got the grinding noise again like the starter was engaged. No noise unless you hit try to start while the engine is running. No strange noise driving home to indicate the bendix is stuck in the flywheel. I've never heard of anything like this so I guess ill see what y'all have to say and probably go pull the starter off this evening when it cools down some. The truck is an 85 4x4 SR5...22RE

xxxtreme22r

sounds like the normal bad starter contacts to me. Solenoid/relay sounds like it's working fine due to it pushing the plunger out, but with the plunger out that's where the contacts come into play to turn the starter motor.

Jasper 83

Problem solved. I disconnected the battery cable last night trying to clear some stored codes and tightened it back up. While I was outside tryin to figure out what was going on with the starter I held they key in start position and it was trying to spin real slow. Took the battery cable loose again and wiggled it and retightened. Now it'll start right up. That explains the bendix engaging while the engine was running. Apparently it was engaging the whole time it just didn't have the power it needed. Oh well, cheap fix and maybe this thread will help somebody else in the future.