Wont turn over

[zombieking]

My GP was starting and running great. I wired up a cheap equus tach which took awhile playing around under the dash. When I went to start the car to see it work, all I got was a click. Now I do realize I was under the dash for a good hour with the door open, so with all the interior lights on I may have drained the battery some. I tried starting with a booster pack, but still no go. It is a solid click, and sounds like the solenoid is throwing the starter gear at the ring gear, but maybe not meshing? Can I roll the engine by hand some to try it in a different spot? All I can feel is a 5/8 nut on the lower pulley and when I went to turn it, it just seemed to tighten the nut more, so I stopped for fear of twisting it off.

I took out the tach in case I messed up the wiring putting it in. I've wiggled all the wires going down to the starter. I gave the starter a few love taps with a hammer, but wont turn over. Just a nice solid tinny sounding click when I turn the key. It hasn't been hot here, but it does have headers so is it possible starter got cooked? I wouldn't think so, as engine runs really cool and I've had it out for longer hotter runs before I last shut it off when this happened.

If its just a bad spot on the ring gear, should I try to roll the engine by hand again? Am I doing that part right by turning the bolt on the lower pulley? Any other suggestions to help diagnose why it wont turn over, or things I could try? Really hate the thought of needing to try and pull out that starter. Thanks!

 

[Bonnewagon]

I would start by charging the battery overnight, then testing it. A good running motor doesn't just stop working.

 

[RITTER]

Where did you take power from to wire the tachometer in :?:

 

[zombieking]

I did try to put my charger on the battery, but only to find out the charger died, oh well, it was about 30 years old! Can't afford a new one right now, but might try grabbing a charged battery from another vehicle and see if I end up the same.

I ran the red wire directly to an empty spot on the fuse panel for keyed power to the tach, and I also ran the white tach light wire directly to an empty light-switched power on the panel. The black and green wire were run through to the engine bay, and black went to a ground, and the green was hooked to the tach prong on the HEI dizzy. I have since removed the wires for the tach thinking maybe I did something wrong there, but the starting problem is still there.

 

[RITTER]

If at all possible, grab a battery from another vehicle and see if it fires up :idea:

 

[zombieking]

Tried another battery, but still just a heavy click. The gravel driveway was wet, so I didn't want to crawl under to have a closer look at the starter, so I took my wood handled hammer and reached down through the headers from the top where I could just see the back end of the starter. I gave it several whaps with the butt end of the hammer, and no, they weren't love taps this time. Jumped in and she fired right up! Guess I see a new starter in my future, and might try one of the mini-starters from Skip White. Thanks for all the replies...... and by the way, hooked the tach back up, and it works like a charm! At least something to be happy about.