Hello i have a 1991 350 TPI - T5 and the issue that i am having is when i go to start, it just clicks. I have to turn the key about 5 times before it cranks over.

I have replaced the starter and then i replaced it again thinking it was defective again. I then replaced the clutch switch and that wasn't the issue either. I have been told that I have got bad luck of the draw, twice and its the starter solenoid. I guess its not hard to believe but i wanted to be sure before I go through the hassle of getting them to issue me another starter.

Any tips or advice is appreciated.

 

Sounds to me like the starter is not getting enough power. Very similar to a dyeing battery symptom.
The battery could have a dead or dyeing cell.
Any auto parts store should be able to test it for you in or out of the car.

If you have a jumper on your charger use it when it acts up and see how it does.

 

Weak battery
Loose battery cables
Corrosion on battery post or cables
Bad ground wires

Bad starter solenoid

That's about the only thing that will give you the click, click, click when turning the key.

NSS/Clutch switch send power to the little post (S) on the starter, so if they are bad, it just won't do anything when your turn the key to start it. No clicking, no nothing.

 

the battery is a new Optima red Top. The battery cables are also new and tight.

I was thinking it may be a bad ground or a faulty solenoid. What grounds should i check and where are they?

I have done a lot of reading and searching about this problem and the common battery, cables, loose wires, etc all seem to be a dead end. I have ran into a few threads saying to use a ford remote solenoid for chevy engines not thirdgen specific. Has anyone tried this method?

 

I have a 91 firebird with a 305 an t5 tranny also. I had a bad starter that didn't engage the bendix an just would spin an not engage with the flywheel. Well sometimes before changing the starter all I would hear is a click an I would have to turn the key a few times then it would start the engine.

I changed the starter because it was bad an thought that would cure the no start an just one click Issue on start up sometimes. NOPE. it's a good Reman starter an still has the no start an just one click when I turn the key.

Found out I have a VATS issue In the ignition with the small wires in the ignition lock cylinder going bad. I work at a GM dealership an talked to one of the techs an they said the wires in the ignition are very small an can fray after 20+ years of turning back an forth so many times so now I'm going to buy a new lock cylinder an should be good.

 

"Found out I have a VATS issue In the ignition with the small wires in the ignition lock cylinder going bad."

If it was a VATS issue, you would't get the click click click. It would do nothing.

 

The ford remote solenoid is mostly to cure starter heat soak... Where the starter is close to headers/exhaust and after driving for a while it over heats the starter and start drags (turns over slow) until it cools down.

Or when you move the battery to the rear of the car to keep the long lenght of + battery cable from being hot/live all the time

 

Thanks for the replys, I understand that the Ford solenoid is for a different issue but I guess what I was getting at was using it to bypass the the solenoid on the starter.

Do you think adding some shims might be a solution?