'66 Mustang: Engine Won't Crank

[anthonyventry]

Hello,

The engine won't crank on my recently-restored '66 Mustang, and I am trying to diagnose the problem before paying to have it hauled to a shop. I am a noob, so please forgive me if I am not the best at articulating the problem. Here is what I have tried so far:

1. I do not believe the battery is a problem because the headlights work fine. And, when I turn the key in the ignition (with the headlights on), the headlights stay lit but dim slightly.

2. I tried starting the car in neutral to see if the problem is in the park/neutral safety switch. No luck.

3. Using a screwdriver, I tried bridging (a) the connector on the solenoid where the hot wire from the battery connects to the solenoid to (b) the connector on the solenoid to the immediate right of that connector. I did this at the suggestion of a mechanic. Although this caused a spark, the engine did not crank.

4. I also tried following the cable from the solenoid to the starter, and I could not detect any problems with the cable.

Any thoughts or suggestions as to other things I should look into or try are MUCH appreciated.

 

[shoguun]

use a breaker bar to try and turn it by hand. if it doesnt turn than you probably have some major internal issues. maybe pull the starter and see if it spins and isnt frozen

 

[rbohm]

pull the starter and have it tested. if it works fine, then put a breaker bar on the crank shaft dampner bolt and try turning the crank, if the crank turns the engine is free, and you have either a battery issue, or a solenoid issue. if the crank does not turn then pull the plugs and try turning the crank. sometimes coolant gets into the cylinders and you get hydrostatic lock. if you have that problem then it is time to replace the head gaskets. if you still cant turn the engine, then you have a major internal issue and it is time to pull the engine and tear it down.

 

[6Stang7]

When you try to start the car, does it make any kind of sound (like a click noise for example)?

After you try to spin the engine with a breaker bar, and before you pull the starter (if the engine does spin freely), get a long piece of tubing/wood/plastic that you can put up against the starter motor. Then, get a hammer and hit the pipe (which will in tern hit the starter) while someone is trying to start the car. If this gets that car to start, then you need a new starter.

I think that you test for the neutral safety switch wasn't the best method either. You need to find the switch itself and test to make sure it is good. In fact, the best bet would be to find the connector and use a piece of wire to short out the safety switch out of the system.