A few days ago I started having an issue starting my 85. The first start of the day is fine, totally normal, but once I've stoped the engine and try to start it up again, it won't crank. However, I do hear a click from around the passenger kick panel and if leave the key turned for about 15-20 seconds it will suddenly crank like normal and start. Battery voltage is good. Any advice of what I can check to troubleshoot this further?

 

I don't believe that those trucks have a starter relay, so it could be the solenoid on the starter itself, or the keyswitch. Personally, I would suspect the starter solenoid. Easy to take apart right where it sits on the starter. There are also rebuild kits for the solenoid readily available. New contacts, new plunger, etc.
Pull off the large cable, that runs directly from the battery positive terminal to the starter, that's bolted to the starter, and under a red, rubber cover, and make sure it's clean, and has no corrosion on either end. A dab of silicon dielectric grease on it when you put it back together can be beneficial. Same for the smaller wire that goes to energize the solenoid from the key switch. Make sure it's clean, and has no corrosion. Again, a little silicon dielectric grease on it is a real good idea. It will prevent corrosion, and help keep grease and oil out.
Make sure you disconnect both battery leads before working on the starter! Don't want to get zapped!

You might want to pull the keyswitch out, and check the contacts. Ensure they're nice and clean, don't have any crud built up on them, etc.

Check the grounds in the engine compartment. Make sure all of them are clean, with no corrosion, or grease and so forth, built up. The one from the battery's negative to the engine block, that runs directly to the mount for the AC compressor, especially. That's where the starter gets it's ground from, so it's important. The connection to the actual battery terminal can corrode due to the acid mist from the battery. Also, the wire strands under the insulation can be damaged, corroded, and broken, with no external, visual, indications. Ohm the cable end-to-end, while flexing it to see if there's damage inside the insulation you can't see. Alternatively, you can just replace the cable very easily. Then, you're certain it's good.

Hope something in my ramling is some, small, help...
Pat☺

 

I'd like to buy you a beer sir! Always appreciate your insight here. I'll go through and post what I find.

 

Sounds good!

Sadly, no beer any more, though I appreciate the thought. I don't drink an longer, mainly because when I start, I don't stop. I'm also a diabetic, and the meds preclude alcohol entirely. I do wish sometimes, though.

Thanks again, and good luck!
Pat☺

 

Like Pat says^^^, AND fix the proven problem that is the absence of a starter relay. Details here: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116.../#post52422426



I'll take the beer and Pat's share, too - LOL!

 

Hey well whatever is the equivalent gesture for you, Pat! You've sure helped me and a lot of folks in this community. And thanks for the recommendation, Rad. Might end up putting a relay in, but I'll see if I can just get it back to where it was first.

I went through and cleaned up all the grounding points and cable terminals and checked resistance. For some reason, mine doesn't have a negative ground cable directly from the battery to the block. Instead, I have a short 6 inch or so cable going from the negative terminal to the body, then about a foot down, from the body to the block. The resistance in the cable running from body to block jumped around a bit as I bent it in some places, from 0, 10, to 180 Ohms so I'm looking to replace it. I'd like to get a two terminal cable like the one above the battery in this diagram but can't find an OEM or aftermarket like it in my usual parts sources yet, maybe I will make one.

Another thing I noticed is this bolt that seems to have been cross threaded pretty bad at some point. Should be parallel with the seam of the starter behind it, I believe. I can't torque it down. Tried spacing it with washers but it won't grip at any depth. Might be a drill and tap situation. Does this have anything to do with grounding?

Going to order some parts tonight. It's still intermittent but no longer wants to start when I hold the key turned 15 seconds or so like before. I have a doctors appointment tomorrow, might roll the dice and see if I can get there. I heard there is a way to bypass the harness by running a wire from the positive terminal to the small spade connector on the starter. Is this safe to run for a week or so? I could crimp a female spade on a wire and hang the other end near the battery. But then again, if my issue is the contacts and ground I'm not sure this would help.

Thanks again.

 

That bolt looks like it holds the brake line, or clutch line. Some hydraulic line, in any event. It's should be drilled and tapped, or you can use a thread-zert to fix it. They're a life saver, honestly. Does it have anything to do with grounding the starter? I don't believe so. The starter gets it's ground from the engine block it's bolted to. The way your grounds are set up restricts the engine block current flow capability. That's why they originally ran the heavy cable directly to the battery negative terminal from the AC compressor's mounting bracket. It's a pretty heavy current flow, but a relatively short time, so the best current carrying capability is important.

I am still using the factory starter in my hilux pickup, BTW. I was using the factory starter in my 87 4Runner as well, at least up till I sold it last year.

I replaced the heavy cables to both terminals of my batteries 25 years ago now, give or take a decade or two, in my 2 87 vehicles when I had them both. I crimped on ring terminals to match the cables, about 1-0 or 2-0, thereabouts. I also put some FIT-300 (meltwall) heat-shrink on them to protect against battery acid mist. I also went to Optima batteries, and marine terminals. Only two to the negative terminal. One to the engine block, one to the body metal, just ahead of the battery, behind the passenger headlight.
Positive, one heavy cable down to the starter, directly, and a fusible link to the fuse block in the engine compartment.
I've had absolutely 0 problems since. I clean them all every couple years, both ends. Never see any corrosion, other than a little differential metal corrosion, which is expected.

Would running a wire down to the smaller starter terminal help? It might, as long as it's a TEMPORARY measure. That wire controls whether and when the starter turns the engine over. You certainly don't want something that'll make the starter spin all the time! You would essentially be replacing the key switch.
Main trouble I see, would be that you have to have someone in the truck to turn the key to start, to get the COR to engage it's start side, while you touch the wire to the battery positive, cranking the engine over. Then, once it starts up, you have to remove the wire, and have the person on the key let it set to run.

If you're getting intermittent readings out of the cable down to the engine block, absolutely replace it. No question. Make the new one go directly to the battery negative, not the body metal. AND have one from the body metal directly to the battery negative.
IIRC, there should be 4 main ground wires. The two I just mentioned, one from the head to the body metal, from the lifting hook bolt to a spot on the firewall, right behind the head. That's where the spark plugs get their ground, so good connection is pretty important. Finally, one from the plug going into the alternator to the Power Steering pump mounting bracket.

Does all my rambling here and there help any?
Pat☺

 

It appears at some point someone broke the stud the starter mounts to and replaced it with that bolt. I'll see if I can repair the threads with a tap. If not do you think a helicoil would allow a sufficient ground? I believe they're stainless right? I guess my other option would be drilling up a size, tapping and pressing a new stud in.

 

Well, since the starter has more than one bolt holding it to the engine block, I would go so far as to say that whatever you use to repair that hole/stud/whatever it is, won't really matter. As long as the heavy cable going directly to the battery negative terminal is connected properly, you're golden. One end to the mount of the AC compressor, or another point on the iron engine block, the other end to the battery negative terminal. NOT the body metal.

Good fortune in this endeavour!
Pat☺