90 c2500 won’t start

[Schurkey]

HOW was the starter tested?

The starter was tested at autozone they hooked it up on the solenoid like it gets wired on the truck

Point is, did Autozone have a way to LOAD the starter like it would be in an engine, (having to work to crank the engine) or is it free-spinning?

Off-the-car testing of alternator, starter, battery is REALLY common, but it's a crap way of testing. On-the-car testing is much more effective--and almost no one does that any more; at least not folks who post on forums.

Voltage-drop (VD) testing like Frank Enstein suggested is an effective way to test the integrity of the cables 'n' connections. Very recommended. I would have allowed up to .5 volts of VD.

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[HotWheelsBurban]

When I was testing starters back in my parts store days, the machine we had was one of those with a cradle you set the unit in,a bolt to tighten to hold it still,and jumper cables to get the juice to it. There was a gauge that showed voltage/amperage draw, so you could see if it was in range.
What I got in the habit of doing, especially if the customer wasn't entirely sure the starter was the problem, was to test it several times, and lean on it a few times to get it warmed up. Even on a day like today (109° in the shade) the unit has cooled off some compared to the engine compartment heat. If you do a more strenuous, thorough testing procedure, you may find that it will show the starter is really defective, even though first try may not show this. On Mom's Chrysler, the starter didn't initially test bad when we took it off and went to the parts store ( and had them check it). I suggested they try it a couple more times, get it hot, and sure enough,it was bad. I felt like that was the problem since the battery and cables were good. And we didn't want to do the job again ( on the original Chrysler Pacifica, the rest of the car is built around the starter; only way to see it is to pull the radiator/condenser etc.).

 

[thinger2]

I would re-visit the battery cables.
The stock side post cable has 4 lugs that should have sharp edges.
Those lugs are supossed to dig into the lead on the battery and keep the cable from rotating when it is tightened.
They are often worn smooth and instead of digging in they end up moving back and forth and displace the lead.
Because of the weight of the cable and the stiffness of the cable there is a limited arc that it can travel through as it moves.
So those contact points get smoothed out and the flat part of the lead gets worn as well
A Gm sidepost battery has a "collar" around the lead.
Kind of a plastic "stand-off"
The plastic end on your battery cable has a step down that fits inside that collar on the battery.
The problem is that when you tighten down the battery cable if the contacts are worn it feels like you have a solid connection but what you are feeling is the plastic making contact before the metal makes contact.
The factory battery bolts also have a short grip range.
If you overtighten those bolts in an attempt to get a solid contact you can pull the threads out of the lead.
The stock battery cables are known for looking just fine but being corroded under the plastic.
If you have old factory battery cables.
Cut the plastic off of them and look at the green fuzz.
Get a 3/8 x16x1 bolt and a nut.
Ream the eye on the cable end untill the bolt fits through it.
Run the nut onto the bolt and put it through the eye of the stripped battery cable.
Finger tight the bolt into the lead of the battery.
Dont use a wrench.
You can punch a hole into the battery.
Bottom the bolt, run the nut down onto the eye of the cable.
Drive it for several years .

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

I would re-visit the battery cables.
The stock side post cable has 4 lugs that should have sharp edges.
Those lugs are supossed to dig into the lead on the battery and keep the cable from rotating when it is tightened.
They are often worn smooth and instead of digging in they end up moving back and forth and displace the lead.
Because of the weight of the cable and the stiffness of the cable there is a limited arc that it can travel through as it moves.
So those contact points get smoothed out and the flat part of the lead gets worn as well
A Gm sidepost battery has a "collar" around the lead.
Kind of a plastic "stand-off"
The plastic end on your battery cable has a step down that fits inside that collar on the battery.
The problem is that when you tighten down the battery cable if the contacts are worn it feels like you have a solid connection but what you are feeling is the plastic making contact before the metal makes contact.
The factory battery bolts also have a short grip range.
If you overtighten those bolts in an attempt to get a solid contact you can pull the threads out of the lead.
The stock battery cables are known for looking just fine but being corroded under the plastic.
If you have old factory battery cables.
Cut the plastic off of them and look at the green fuzz.
Get a 3/8 x16x1 bolt and a nut.
Ream the eye on the cable end untill the bolt fits through it.
Run the nut onto the bolt and put it through the eye of the stripped battery cable.
Finger tight the bolt into the lead of the battery.
Dont use a wrench.
You can punch a hole into the battery.
Bottom the bolt, run the nut down onto the eye of the cable.
Drive it for several years .

Dad put something like this on the Burb when we first got it. He used stainless steel bolt and nut, and I check the tightness about once a month. Our roads are so rough, everything rattles loose if you don't watch it! Other than that, it works great!

 

[thinger2]

Dad put something like this on the Burb when we first got it. He used stainless steel bolt and I used nut, and I check the tightness about once a month. Our roads are so rough, everything rattles loose if you don't watch it! Other than that, it works great!

i did it as a side of the road emergency repair fully intending to replace the cables and then forgot all about it because it worked.
I used plated bolts because I had them.
Mine also rattled loose so I put some random round copper washer under the battery eye and it has been that way for a couple of years now.
And it makes a whole lot easier to jump start my fleet of crap mobiles.

 

[Kmoody528]

So I figured it out it’s a grounding problem after trying a whole bunch of other things including jumping it I just ran a jumper cable to my negative post and put the other end on one of the starter lugs and it started right up so I know it’s a grounding problem all my starter bolts and holes are clean does anyone know where the ground for the engine block is located I see a little ground strap but that wouldn’t be large enough for the starter

EDIT
Also the way it died and the previous owner telling me he pulled the engine to change the clutch I’m thinking maybe he hooked up to small of a wire or didn’t torque it down properly

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

does anyone know where the ground for the engine block is located I see a little ground strap but that wouldn’t be large enough for the starter

The main ground is from the battery to the accessory bracket (maybe 6ga, IMO it wouldn't hurt to upgrade to 2 or 4ga) on the front of the engine but, as mentioned previously, you could run one (maybe 4ga) from there to a mounting bolt on the starter. Other grounds are battery to fender, block to frame, and back of passenger side head to firewall.

 

[Schurkey]

On my '88 K1500, the main ground cable goes from battery negative, to the fuel-pump blockoff plate bolt on the lower right side of the engine block.

OEM cables are probably 4-gauge. But that doesn't mean they can't be corroded to death under the insulation, or loose, or otherwise faulty. Around here, the parts stores like to sell 6-gauge cables for D-I-Y "repairs"; 6-gauge is entirely insufficient, but at least it's less expensive than 4-gauge. For that matter, the starter-to-engine connection can be poor--covered in paint, loose starter bolts, etc.

Point is, you DO NOT need another ground cable directly on the starter. You need a fully-functional ground cable where GM put it to begin with, and a good electrical connection between the starter and the block.