1965 289 starting problem

I see the point.. elaborate troll, tiring of making up urban Katrina legends.

"I'm ASE certified.. but only passed because I have a photographic memory"

Evidently.

Wow, that's reaching. I'm not trolling. I've been very active on the IZCC

mailing list in the past. I just work oncomputers for a living now. I took the ASE exams in college, back in1998. At the time I owned a fuel injected four cylinder, and a fuelinjected six cylinder. If you're familiar at all with the exams, you'llunderstand that you don't need to know everything about everything topass them. I took and passed A1 and A8, with the hope of getting a smogtech certification. That's automotive engine performance andchassis/suspension/brakes. What's getting me is that the technology issubstantially larger, louder, and older than anything I have in my twovehicles (a 1982 Nissan and a 1999 Buick). I'm just asking for aconsensus diagnosis on the starter. Don't get your knickers in a wad. I realize there's been a lot of trolling recently, I read the newsgroup before posting. I'm just a regular guy who happened to ask a question on a damn newsgroup.

Those are available as a dress-up kit. They usually don't indicate anything.

Forgive me

It would be impossible to say without a compression test compared to some original specs. How about voltage at the battery while running? What is the amp rating of the battery? If it didn't have a starter that was up to snuff, and it had enough compression, you might be right about that. The solenoid is cheap; replace it. Check the basics first. Check the starting and ignition circuits for obvious faults. Check the ground strap. Replace the voltage regulator as well, they're cheap, too. These circuits are prone to failure. Make sure everything is clean and bright and no arcing is going on.

They came with ammeters. You'll have to use an external voltmeter or install one.

The lights and other

Check the other things first.

Sort of out of practice, no? Regardless, just look at the things responsible for starting it. Cap, rotor, plug wires, points, dizz, pull a plug or two, etc. Assume nothing with a 40-year-old car.

I don't do that. Just check back here.

You see, this is why effective troll control, and the other measures mentioned (most excellently by Jafo) must be in place to ensure the survival of hobbyist newsgroups. Everyone gets edgy and pissy. People are presumed guilty of being liars when they just might not be.

Consider, for a moment, that this person is honest. Then decide after a few exchanges whether or not you want to talk to them. It's just that simple.

I took C in college (the language), but I couldn't write you a function stub if you had a gun to my head. OTOH, I can still recite lines of Sartre's plays, with completely correct grammar, from memory. People's minds work differently.

While a photographic memory may be a plus, to be a tech, you neeed the skill to diagnose problems in a logical fashion and to base your next step on the results of the previous step. Possessing a certificate means nothing if we can't back that up with knowledge. Would you listen to a doctor that is unfamiliar with the human body but passed because he/she has a photographic memory.

I would suggest that you possess "dime store" jumper cables that can't carry the required current (that you state that the lights work fine shows that you have little understanding of current requirements for the starting system). It may sound harsh but I can only suggest that both you and friend may be better served if you help him find a real tech and then take him for a beer.

If you're still game to try diagnosing and repairing this..... Electricity works the same in a new Honda as it does in a 40 year old Ford.... Purchase a good quality DMM and learn to use it correctly. Without this step, you will be doomed to asking questions in NGs.

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in news:1126216254.615255.13150 @f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

my apologies, then... and good for you in taking the tests as a civilian.

Jim, thanks for your concern.

I've replaced the starter on several cars, alternators, air conditioning, fuel injectors, intake and exhaust manifolds, turbochargers, et cetera, in addition to doing all the normal maintenance. I'm quite capable of doing this.

It may surprise you that not everyone carries a great set of jumper cables in their back pocket. In fact, I have a set in my Z, but I was asked to go look at this friends car today. I brought a small toolchest and my leatherman. I wasn't the one who jumped the car, it was said friend and a coworker. I'm just relaying the information, as I said, to get a consensus diagnosis.

Furthermore, we are talking about a starter here, not an airbag, or brakes, or anything else crucial. The comparison to a medical doctor is something of a logical fallacy. Working on otto-cycle engines is a lot like riding a bike, to use the adage. That having been said, if you look at the starter for a 1982 280ZX, and the starter that's on that

289, they're very different units. The wiring from the battery to the starter is different. Everything's located in a different place. And, it's been at least six years since I had a car on jackstands. I've done a lot of preventative maintenance for friends.

The only reason being "doomed" to ask questions in a newsgroup is doom at all is people like yourself bite the heads off people with honest questions. And, before you start, don't give me some song and dance about there being trolls afoot. You may have heard the expression, "don't feed the trolls." Well, the idea here is that trolls aim to make the internet a less pleasant place for their own amusement. To go and kick every newcomer in the teeth is to let them have your newsgroup.

I was more than polite in my original question, and even went the extra step of saying that I realized there had been trolling, and qualifying my original question after I was accused of trolling.

This ad hominem stuff is for children and people who don't understand that this is a community. I'm frankly shocked at how unfriendly the two of you were. I've never experienced that in the other automotive communities I've participated in (which, for the sake of not starting a brand argument, I won't mention).

I will dredge up my larger toolbox, get the voltmeter from it, suggest the owner buy a Haynes manual if he wants me to work on his car, and go perform a proper jump with a proper set of cables.

Thank you, "Wound Up," for your input. I'll see what I can find out, if I can fix the problem, and post a summary if I can.

Not a problem. It should be a simple process of elimination, because if it ran to begin with, things were in the ballpark.

That said, keep in mind that these old small blocks will run with stuff fairly far off spec compared to what you've spent most of your time with. Tweaks will likely be necessary. One 289 of mine ran ok when I had the distributor off a tooth on the advance side, and as I recall, there are only eight teeth. "Where are the timing marks? Oh... way down there..."

I'd replace the points with a Pertronix Ignitor as soon as you get it running reliably ($79, 15 min., never mess with the points again).

Best of luck with it.

they did??? my 65 has an idiot light, only 65 gt's came with meters.

try a solenoid first, your description exactly matches this. And the ASE stuff, I don't believe in it either although I am ASE master certified and Honda Platinum certified. That's all just paper though. Chip

Where is the buzzing sound coming from? Likely the starter solenoid. Located on the inside fender, passenger side, large, short, stubby cylinder with bolts. Quite inexpensive, very easy to replace. Just make sure you mark the wires or switch them one at a time from the old to new. Replaced mine recently, symptom was no starting and a buzzing sound coming from it.

Oh, make sure you disconnect the battery first.....

Michel.

You're missing the point. I agree, it sounds more like your battery is low and the cables are not good enough. The starter is probably old, flywheel a little warped, chrome rings, a little higher compression; all factor working together making the need for a hot battery with good amperage.

Clean the battery terminals. Put your cheapie jumper cables on and let the other car run. Leave it that way for 15 or 20 minutes to charge the Mustang's battery. Then try to start it.

Al