I put a rebuilt stater in my car It has a newly rebuilt 305. I turn the key and I get nothing. I jump the s terminal and the power cable from the battery, the starter turns. When I turn the car over with the key no cranking but I do have accesories and lights. I checked all of the connections they are clean and tight. I am thinking neutral safety switch. What do you guys think? Where is the safety switch on our cars It is automatic 700r4 1987

 

The neutral safety switch is on the shifter body for an automatic and on the clutch pedal bracket for a standard shift.
Not trying to be insulting by any means but, did you bolt the purple wire back to the 's' terminal ? Sometimes it's the simple things that are overlooked (just asking because I've done the same thing myself ).

 

Yes I hooked the pinkish purple wire up to the starter. It actually turns over if I jump the battery cable and the pink wire but it makes a horrible grinding sound. I like your quotation by the way.

 

Thanks radiate
I'd say the next place to start is by tracing back thru the wiring. If you have a voltmemter it will be helpful as well. I'd start by seeing if the car try to start after messing around with the shifter in the park and neutral. Use the tester to see if the purple-ish wire at the starter is getting +12v when you turn the key. Next would be to see if the heavy gauge yellow wire at the park/neutral switch is getting power when turning the key to start. If it is you've found the problem. No, test the yellow wire at the ignition switch on the column when turning the key. If there's power there, then there is a brak in the yellow wire somwhere between the switch and the park/neutral switch. If no, there should be 2 heavier gauge red wires running to the ign switch, test those for a constant +12v, they are both on the same circuit so both should either have power or not. If they do, then your ignition switch is the most likely culprit. If they don't, thy both tie into each other then go to the bulkhead connector on the firewall. From there it goes to the main lug on the starter and has a fusible link (the small plastic black things on the wire right at the main lug), no power on this circuit would suggest the fusible link has perished but, if it were blown, you'd have lost your power windows, locks and some other (minor) things I can't think of offhand. It's all a matter of hunting through the wiring.
As far as starter grinding, is it a shrill high pitched grind w/o turning the motor over or is it more low toned and turning the motor over ? The high pitch/no turn, the starter gear is not fully engauging to the flywheel or the flywheel is missing a few teeth. Low pitch/turn, the starter isn't properly shimmed and the starter gear is pressing too hard into the flywheel teeth or, in the case of the 2 p.o.s. rebuilts I got from advance, the actual caseing cracked/split after a few starts (on both of them). Those are just guesses tho.. don't take it as gospel geez..I guess that was long winded enough, huh ?

 

Sounds like the solonoid is bad, what was wrong with the old starter?

Also, the gear selector is in the "Park" position right?