Starter

[gichy]

This may be a dumb question, but here goes anyway.
I just started to put the all of the wiring back into my car and I decided to make sure the starter worked.
Currently there is no motor in the car.
I have a cable going from the battery, straight to the large bolt on the starter.
Also I have a wire coming from the relay on the fender to the small bolt on the starter.
I tried to turn the key and all I hear is a clicking noise from the relay, then I thought that starter was not grounded due to the starter not being attached to the motor.
So I ran a wire from the battery (Neg. side) straight to starter and used one of the bolts which hold the body of the starter to the case.
Now I hear a clicking noise then a buzzing noise from the relay.
Not sure if I have the wiring wrong or the relay / starter is bad?
I have also check that the wire coming from the relay to the starter has power when the key is turned.
 

[Chryco Psycho]

if there is power to both terminals with the key turned & the starter grounded , the starter should spin , you can do the same thing with jumper cables buy clamping positive to bolt terminals & negative to the body of the starter , if it doesn`t spin the starter has to be bad

[gichy]

Thank you I thought it was the starter, but the starter worked fine when I took the car apart???
Is it nomal that the relay makes a clicking noise?

[Bullitt-]

I get a clicking noise when my battery is too low.

[gichy]

I have 10.7volts in my battery, is that enough?

[Chryco Psycho]

no a charged battery should have 13.2v

[Stacked440]

Ive seen them bad but eh...back then chrysler made a hearty starter, and if it is bad id just take it apart with some normal hand tools and clean it out, Ive seen a few that got water in them but you clean them out put em back together and they crank like the day they were made lest ye need brushes, then just go to your local autoparts store and pick some up!

[MEK-Dangerfield]

I agree with Chryco here. You need full power to turn that old torpedo starter. That's why that wire running directly to it is so large.

  Mike

[gichy]

So could I just hook up my battery charger to the batery and see if that will work?
Then I will buy a new battery the car is closer to being finished!

[Chryco Psycho]

I doubt a battery Charger will have enough jam to turn the starter orver unless you have a boost mode on the charger

[gichy]

Its works
It was the battery. I hooked my battery charger up and the starter worked.

Thanks all

[JimL]

Please help me.Okay this is what it is.First I have a 73 Cuda with a 67 440 engine.When I try to start it ther makes a clicking noise only.I have bought a new battery,new high tork starter,new neutral safty switch,new ballist resistor ,starter solenoid,electronic ignition box and it still just clicks! I may have turned my distributor too far the last time it ran not sure where it was before I moved it.It was running okay when I turned it so I left it there.A couple of days later I tried to start it,but it didn't start again.I tried moving the distributor again to see if it would start and all I get is clicking noise.I thought maybe the starter burned out from the heat from the headers.I was wrong.Thanks

[Bullitt-]

Jim, are you keeping the battery charged?   Also what is the condition of your battery cables, if you have a loose or corroded terminal creating a poor connection you will get the same symptom.

[MEK-Dangerfield]

A bad starter relay?   

[JimL]

How do I know if I have a bad starter relay?