clicking starter

[supr88]

i have a bit of a problem with my starter... car is a 1988 ma70 with a 1jzgte swap. when i turn the key to start it goes 'click' from near the starter. click it a bunch of times, usually 5 or 6 and it will start.
so now im in calgary and its -25 outside, and it justs clicks forever and will not crank. this happened to me on my toyota pickup with a 22r, and all i did was take the starter off and clean the contact up with some sandpaper as it was covered in dirt/corrosion. it worked great after that. i want to try that with this starter, before buying a new one.(can napa even get these starters? anyone have a part number?)

so how can i remove the starter? is it possible if i put it up on jackstands? will it fit out the bottom?
i would go look, but its -25 and snow on the ground right now. yesterday i had to replace my power steering cooler line as it exploded, and in about 5 minutes i froze my hands and ass off. im a d.i.y. kind of guy, i wont trust a shop with either of my toyotas, no matter how freakin cold it is.
thanks for the help
mike

 

[kanji1jz]

okay, so i've had this problem since a few months after doing my swap and from what i've found out is that it has to do with the wires going from the ignition to the starter having too much resistance. the part number should be on the starter but if you do enough research on this site i'm sure you will come up with a part number, just takes a little effort. also, the starter does come out from the bottom. it's no different than the 7m starter, if you haven't done one of these either, basically it's not too bad. two nuts and bolts, hope you have a ratchet wrench and a long extension. good luck in the snow... oh and it's 80 in florida if that makes you feel any better.

 

[aphxero]

you can use 7m starter also just buy nut and bolt for it

 

[Supra-Man18]

Theres nothing wrong with the starter.. Mine did the same thing and i checked and it was a ground problem.. I put a grounds kit on the car and never had the problem again.. With That same starter ! Starts right up now...

 

[zambini]

yeah, most likely terminal 50 wire.. (little wire w/ plug) good luck tho!

 

[apexi287]

Yes check all your wiring to your starter more than likely it's not even your starter, I have the same issues with bad wires sometimes it doesn't want to start but always will the second time. The wires have way too much VD from bad/dirty connections and old wires. Also might as well get the starter checked while your at it to make sure, I mean it's only two bolts.

 

[supr88]

i think its fixed. its one of those intermittent things so im still not sure yet.
i bought a new 1 gauge ground wire, put it on last night. also my battery was a bit low on charge, as the positive terminal was loose.
everything is a big deal when its -25 and snow on the ground! at least it seems i dont have to remove the starter anymore.

 

[CyFi6]

This is pretty common and easily fixed with a relay. Use the blue signal wire going to the starter to control the relay and run a new wire from the battery + going to the switch side of th relay and down to the starter. Its a pretty common modification that people do. There is a write up on the supraforums if you need more clarification.

 

[supr88]

thanks, I will do that soon. Today its supposed to get up to -16!! the last week it never got above -20, so that will make it easier for me to work. I cannot work with frozen brain and hands!

 

[Supra-Man18]

Kool let us know how that goes..

 

[supr88]

http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76403&
found that, link to a how to write up and 9 page debate about why this is a good/bad idea.
got it hooked up and it now works just fine. starts first turn every turn. before i hooked it all up I checked the voltage at terminal 50 when the key is turned, which was 11.97V with a battery fresh off the charger at 12.80V. confirms the theory that something in the circuit is causing significant voltage drop. Some might see this as a 'hack' mod or for people not smart enough to figure out the real problem. I really dont see what the fuss is about, whats so bad about isolating a problem and dead-heading it? instead of pulling the entire harness apart to re-run the wire, just forget about it, and go with something simpler with shorter wire runs.

had a little scare, after i hooked it up, the starter just spun but didnt engage. also didnt stop when the key was turned off... the first relay i grabbed out of my spare relays bin was screwed up, but grabbed a different one and everything is good to go.
my only concern is the terminal 50 wire falling out of the starter, will have to do something about that soon, but i cant really reach it from above, and i am not jacking my car up on the street and crawling under it in the snow. no way not today.

 

[CyFi6]

if you get a standard female crimp weather resistant connector is slides onto that starter terminal very well and stays put

 

[zambini]

haha yeah i did it. works every time! the oldschool dudes have a problem with it, but seriously, who cares?

 

[SimpleMKIII]

http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76403&
found that, link to a how to write up and 9 page debate about why this is a good/bad idea.
got it hooked up and it now works just fine. starts first turn every turn. before i hooked it all up I checked the voltage at terminal 50 when the key is turned, which was 11.97V with a battery fresh off the charger at 12.80V. confirms the theory that something in the circuit is causing significant voltage drop. Some might see this as a 'hack' mod or for people not smart enough to figure out the real problem. I really dont see what the fuss is about, whats so bad about isolating a problem and dead-heading it? instead of pulling the entire harness apart to re-run the wire, just forget about it, and go with something simpler with shorter wire runs.

had a little scare, after i hooked it up, the starter just spun but didnt engage. also didnt stop when the key was turned off... the first relay i grabbed out of my spare relays bin was screwed up, but grabbed a different one and everything is good to go.
my only concern is the terminal 50 wire falling out of the starter, will have to do something about that soon, but i cant really reach it from above, and i am not jacking my car up on the street and crawling under it in the snow. no way not today.

Im having this exact same problem. I bought a new starter, battery, swapped out a gank of relays, still a clicking problem. Dont even have a 7mgte anymore and it still does it with dr tweeks new harness. I checked the 12 volt wire before the relay, but before i turn the swith and the relay releases it drops under 12 volts and clicks. some times it starts, sometimes not. If i keep a charger on it it will start all the time, the minute I take the charger off, only a few times it will start. I would bounce the clutch pedel whilst turning the switch and it may or may not work. Sometimes if i just turn the switch and just a wait about 5 seconds it will start.

 

[CyFi6]

It sounds like you need to do the relay mod. Take a jumper wire and go from B+ to the trigger terminal on the starter (make sure its not in gear) and see if it starts up.

 

[aphxero]

Dude yeah you can just bypass the relay and the foot switch. I do it all the time and no prob.