not again

hello out there how are you?
so I have a 92 z28 tpi with a 305.
the original starter took a poop about 3 months ago. I installed a re manufactured remy starter I picked up from my local auto shop. spent an hour on my back removing the old installing the new removed the stands got all excited when it started then two starts later all I got was click click I double checked all my work cleaned the grounds same result so I removed the new got another remy remanned and this time it clicked at first try after a bunch of trys starter engaged and car started right up. then I went to take a ride the other day and instead of just click click it sounded like it didnt know what to do I walked away came back two hours later and the battery (which is only 4 months old) was dead. is it possible for a none working starter to drain the battery?
I am also done with remanufactured any suggestions for what type of new starterI should be using. oh I did try turning the motor by hand well ratchet just to be sure and it had some resistance but turned fine.
thank you in advance for any suggestions. and for reading my novel of a question :-)

3.4 grape

iTrader: (1)

Nothing beats an oem starter. I went through a couple aftermarket, brand new starters and ended up buying a junkyard starter with low miles. Which is still in my car today. You will never get the quality of an oem starter but the powermaster brand seems to rate high.I have never used their starters but their alternators worked well for me.
https://www.summitracing.com/search/...9%2B4294951399

aliceempire

iTrader: (14)

The starter won't cause a drained battery but a weak battery could be the source of some of your starter woes. I'd check the battery, the battery connections and look for a small drain causing issues there. The starter itself, I wouldn't put an original style starter in there. Especially the 2 ton boat anchor they used for automatics nor the weak knee'd thing they put in there for manual cars. My suggestion is to put a LT1 starter in there. A lot of guys here use the Corvette starter. It is a different type of starter but is a superior unit. Camaro/Firebird starters work well too, as well as the Roadmaster/Caprice starter. They're all a little different from each other but they all work fine. They're all smaller than the original and all work better. The only thing is getting the wiring to reach, you normally have to move the slack in the wiring to get the cables to reach. It's very doable and beyond worth it to ditch the inferior style starters. I'm personally using a original unit from a 130k buick in my 10:1 compression 355.

PaulyC

I agree with empire, Just a solenoid click a few things could be happening. First I would check all of your connections starting with the battery lugs. Then battery voltage or battery condition. Low voltage is fairly straight forward but a failing battery may be able to pull in the solenoid but not be able to deliver enough amperage to turn the engine. A simple load test will verify this. If you find the battery voltage low (>12v or so) then check you charging system when running which should be in the 14+v range. Poor cable connections can cause this as well and make sure the lower solenoid connection to the starter motor is clean and tight.

As for the starter draining the battery, I suppose it is possible just not likely. I would suspect either a separate battery drain like an amplifier not turning off or something like that. You can check to see if you have a drain by placing an ammeter in your positive line when the key is off, just don't try to start it when it is connected.

My opinion of parts store reman starters couldn't possibly be lower.

Tibo

iTrader: (15)

Have you ever replaced or "upgraded" your starter cable and added or made sure that there is a fat ground from the battery to the block? These most likely are not your issue but while you are there it's cheap and easy to do. I'm a believer that from the factory the wiring is safe but inadequate, especially over time and especially the grounding system.

Past that I will add that the LT1 style starter is the starter to go with. They are smaller, lighter and more powerful so they should last longer and require less juice from your battery.

Also, did you ensure that the starter was engaging the flywheel correctly? I've installed a starter and not checked it to find out that it would occasionally smack into the flywheel.

not again

First Thank you for this forum :-)
Thank you for all the replys. Gave me a bunch of things to go over
Because of my nutty work week I will not have time to do any trouble shooting till next week. But I will hook up the battery to the charger in the mean time.
i think I will also look into the new mini starter on the link provided and stop using the remanufactured probably worth spending the extra money.
Thanks again..

Galaxie500XL

iTrader: (1)

I've had great success using the L98 starter used on '88-up Corvettes. My son also has one on his 305 '87 El Camino.

They're brand new Remy units, just under $100.00.

I've had mine for over two years...the first year I had my L98 IROC, I went through 5 starters before buying this one.

not again

HELLO AGAIN.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE INFO.
SO AFTER ALL THAT I FIGURED IT TO BE A GOOD IDEA TO USE SOME OF YOUR ADVICE :-) AND JUST WENT OVER THE STARTER CIRCUIT AND CHARGING CIRCUIT AND IT LOOKS LIKE I HAVE ONE OF TWO ISSUES RESOLVED AND THAT WAS DIRTY GROUNDS NOT MAKING SOLID CONTACT TO FRAME AND THE HEAVY GROUND WIRE WAS DEFINITELY SHOWING ITS AGE AT THE TERMINAL SO I WIRE BRUSHED IT TO MAKE IT SHINE AGAIN :-) AND USED SOME DIELECTRIC GREASE AND PUT IT ALL BACK AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE ALTERNATOR IS JUST NOT PUTTING OUT WHAT IT SHOULD AND IS DRAINING THE BATTERY WHEN SITTING FOR A DAY OR TWO.
SO I REMOVED THE BATTERY (WHICH IS NOT EVEN A YEAR OLD AND I PUT IN A 5 YEAR EXIDE) AND PUT IT ON CHARGE OVER NIGHT THEN LET IT SIT FOR THE WEEK AND TESTED IT EVERY DAY WITH NO LOAD ALL WEEK AND IT HELD AT 12.49VDC THE WHOLE TIME. REINSTALLED IT ... OH AND I CHANGED BOTH POS. AND NEGATIVE TERMINAL SCREWS AS THAT WAS A 10 MINUTE JOB AND COST ABOUT $5.00. SO I REATTACHED THE CABLES THEN I ATTEMPTED TO START IT AND SHE STARTED RIGHT UP BUT WHEN I PUT MY METER ON THE BATTERY WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING IT FLUCTUATED FROM 12.10 - 13.98VDC AND DIDNT STAY CONSISTENT EVEN WITH NO ACCESSORIES ON AND THE HOOD BULB REMOVED. SSOOO I DROVE AROUND FOR AN HOUR OR SO AND IT SEEMED TO START FINE THE FEW TIMES I STOPPED. THE NEXT DAY CAME OUT AND GOT THE CLICK CLICK STARTER AGAIN SO A QUICK JUMP FROM MY JEEP AND SHE STARTED RIGHT UP. I PUT MY METER ON THE BATTERY TO SEE IF THERE WAS A DRAW WITH NOTHING RUNNING AND YOU COULD SEE THE VOLTAGE DROP SLOWLY I STARTED PULLING FUSES AND IT STAYED THE SAME SLOWLY DROPPING AS SOON AS I DISCONNECTED THE LEAD TO THE ALTERNATOR THE VOLTAGE DROP STABILIZED AND THE BATTERY WENT BACK UP TO AROUND 12.29VDC. I REMEMBER A WHILE AGO ON MY 97 JEEP THE ALTERNATOR WAS ACTUALLY SLOWLY DRAINING THE BATTERY AND ONCE I REPLACED IT ALL WAS WELL AGAIN. I AM GUESS THAT THAT SYMPTOM MUST BE CONTAGIOUS IN THE DRIVE WAY I OCCUPY SO HOPEFULLY NEXT WEEK I WILL BE ABLE TO PICK UP A NEW ALTERNATOR. ANY SUGGESTIONS AS TO WHAT ALTERNATOR I SHOULD BE LOOKING INTO.
I HAVE A 92 Z28 TPI WITH A 305 NO REAL WORK DONE ENGINE IS PRETTY MUCH STOCK JUST NEW HEADERS AND Y PIPE AND ALL THE SMOG PUMP SHTUFF HAS BEEN REMOVED AND THE TPIS BIG MOUTH INTAKE MANIFOLD AND LARGE TUBE RUNNERS.
OH I ALSO LOOKED INTO SOME OF THE STARTERS THAT WAS RECOMMENDED AND I WILL MOST LIKELY REPLACE THIS REMANNED ONE WITH THE L98 REMY THAT GALAXIE500XL SUGGESTED AS THE SHOP I USE CAN GET ONE FOR AROUND $95.00 AND WILL EVEN CREDIT ME FOR THE ONE I JUST RECENTLY INSTALLED THIS WAY I KNOW I WILL NOT BE ON MY BACK AGAIN NEXT YEAR REPLACING ANOTHER REMANNED FAILURE.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR READING MY NOVEL OF A STARTER STORY AND ALL THE REPLYS :-)

GeneralDisorder

iTrader: (1)

Starters and alternators being made now have serious quality issues it seems. I have gone through two of the PowerMaster alts, and two of their starters. Can't believe what garbage this stuff is. My next alt will be from these guys:

https://www.dcpowerinc.com

We have used a couple on customer's cars with excellent results.

Not sure who builds a decent starter just yet. I'm still looking.

GD