I have a '76 F-250 High Boy. ( I rebuilt the engine from a '68 390) I recently replaced the solenoid after checking the starter and finding nothing wrong with it. It fired right up! No problem! Drove it around and it wouldn't shut off. Turned the key to accessories, pulled the key out= nothing. I ended up having to pop the clutch to kill it and disconnect the battery out of fear it would drain. I tried starting it again a few days later and now it won't start. No click, nothing. Is the ignition fried now too? (which I replaced in November) Or does this sound like an electrical problem i.e. faulty wiring etc?

Welcome to FTF.....I'm guessing that since you said High Boy that you mean 4x4....which is probably a 360 as there were no 390's in a 4x4.

Sounds like something is amiss with the wiring....here is a couple of links to some manuals here that will point you in the right direction

The years are different, but the same principles apply...and I'm sure others will chime in also.

http://www.fordtruckfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29167

http://www.fordtruckfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31336

r2d2therc said:

I have a '76 F-250 High Boy. I recently replaced the solenoid after checking the starter and finding nothing wrong with it. It fired right up! No problem! Drove it around and it wouldn't shut off. Turned the key to accessories, pulled the key out= nothing. I ended up having to pop the clutch to kill it and disconnect the battery out of fear it would drain. I tried starting it again a few days later and now it won't start. No click, nothing. Is the ignition fried now too? (which I replaced in November) Or does this sound like an electrical problem i.e. faulty wiring etc?

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The first thing you should have done was to check the I terminal on the relay while the engine was running.
There are a lot of cheap Chinese electronic parts being sold.

Only Motorcraft or Standard parts are any good.

Mil1ion said:

The first thing you should have done was to check the I terminal on the relay while the engine was running.
There are a lot of cheap Chinese electronic parts being sold.

Only Motorcraft or Standard parts are any good.

Click to expand...

Ermmm...unless you buy NOS, chances are that the Motorcraft and Standard parts are both Chinese made.

The Chinese can make parts crappier, the same, or better as we can make here in NA....depends on what the manufacturer specifies.

Thank you for your quick response! I will check out those links. I modified my original post to clarify that the engine is a rebuild from an old truck of my dad's. Thanks again!

r2d2therc said:

Thank you for your quick response! I will check out those links. I modified my original post to clarify that the engine is a rebuild from an old truck of my dad's. Thanks again!

Click to expand...

NP...hope they help!

Let us know what you find

I had a similar issue with my Hog, I wound up replacing both the solenoid and the battery. Quite honestly I'm not sure what the actual issue was but have been told that low voltage can cause this symptom. It seemed to me to be more of an issue between the start relay and starter solenoid.

I'd check the relay, connections, and battery. I think my relay was sticking even though it was supposed to be new.

The starter relay is what others call a solenoid.
Perhaps you mean starter drive and bendix ?

They do hang up for various reasons

Well I guess my knowledge of proper terminology is lacking. The starter relay is on the fender by the battery correct?

Not sure what a starter drive is. A starter solenoid or bendix are basically the same but a bendix in a brand name part much like Crescent wrench. My electrical skills are not much, and I still don't understand how these symptoms actually fit together.

Somehow the starter would engage but not disengage (bendix issue) but how that pulls the relay in allowing it to continue without the keyswitch on I don't get. My truck would run without the key on, but may have been running with the starter engaged. I'm just not sure.

If this thread goes on I'm hoping to learn why.

Correct, the starter relay is on the fender next to the battery. The bendix is the gear that is pushed forward to engage the flywheel to start the engine when the ignition key is turned. When the key is released, the bendix should return to its normal dormant state. If the bendix did not disengage from the flywheel, you would hear it.