starter issue

[donaldderby]

Good evening y'all,
I have a weird problem any time it drops more then 20 degrees between day and night when i go to start my 77 f250 6.6l (points ignition) in the morning i get a CLICK and everything goes out (gauges, lights, interior lights etc) I wait 20 seconds and everything goes back on. At that point it will either start or preform the earlier issue. This only happens first thing in the morning. Any ideas?

 

[fatherdoug]

Sounds like a ground issue. Might check the cable connection from the negative terminal of the battery to the front of the block. '77 6.6 with points? Is this an earlier 6.6 motor or something you've adapted?

 

[donaldderby]

Thanks for the response. The ground cable is new and heavier than stock. The ends are properly crimped, soldered and heat shrink. The engine is out of a 72 grand torino, fresh rebuild i got lucky and scored for 350 with a spare transmission. The thing thats weird is its almost like it has a main circuit breaker somewhere that pops and then resets.

 

[fatherdoug]

New is good! What I was trying to say is check the connection to the block(connection is clean and bolt is tight?)

Might also check the ground strap at the back of the engine.

 

[donaldderby]

Yessir when i swapped the motor i cleaned both mounting surfaces and replaced both the ground wire and ground strap just because i was there. Also I put jumpers on the neg terminal and hooked up to the engine just in case. On the p/s fender there is what appears to be an old style horn relay with three wires hooked to it and the power wire feeding that runs threw a 1X3/4 rectangle with two terminals. and then the wire of the relay looking thing goes to the power in side of the starter solinoid. I have never seen that before.

 

[fatherdoug]

Sounds like you have that covered, then. Don't know about the "relay"???

 

[Evan's f250]

I would start by cleaning the battery terminals with some light sandpaper or whatever. If that doesn't help, I'd check the battery. I've had batteries that would start the car, 5 min later be dead as a door nail, then start again later. Changed the battery & all was well.

 

[m78]

Try (carefully) bypassing the starter solenoid. It might be getting weak and failing in the very cold.

 

[BuzzGun79]

^^^ My thinking as well.

 

[Mil1ion]

Yessir when i swapped the motor i cleaned both mounting surfaces and replaced both the ground wire and ground strap just because i was there. Also I put jumpers on the neg terminal and hooked up to the engine just in case. On the p/s fender there is what appears to be an old style horn relay with three wires hooked to it and the power wire feeding that runs threw a 1X3/4 rectangle with two terminals. and then the wire of the relay looking thing goes to the power in side of the starter solinoid. I have never seen that before.

Photos please.

You could be describing a couple of things .
Points distributor......why and not a breaker less dizzy?
Is that thing you describe made of ceramic material?

Best thing is photos.

Starter relays ( Solenoids) are known for this issue!.