87 Georgie Boy will not start

[stfrsc]

Trying to turn 454 engine over and all I get is 1 click from sarter relay above the alternator? Any help would be great, this is going on 2 weeks with 2 new starters, new battery, wires burning, checking and cleaning connections etc, etc

[nvs4602]

Originally Posted by stfrsc

Trying to turn 454 engine over and all I get is 1 click from sarter relay above the alternator? Any help would be great, this is going on 2 weeks with 2 new starters, new battery, wires burning, checking and cleaning connections etc, etc

Can you put a socket on the pulley of the engine crankshaft, and turn the engine over by hand to make sure its not froze? It's either that or the transmission is locked up.

[murphylawe]

Howdy... I know this can drive ya nuts.

1. Since you have replaced the starter X2 you should get a socket on the crank and give it a twist to see if the motor is seized.

2. Crank in neutral...

3. If none of this helps you are down to Chase & Replace... EVERYTHING from the battery to the starter, alternator, and ground wires. I replaced all of my wiring with 2/0 and copper lugs and used a grinder to clean the grounding points.

Yes, I know it is overkill... but I do not like to revisit problems and you would be surprised at the garbage wiring jobs I have replaced.

[stfrsc]

It was running and driving fine, up until I started having issues with the starter and needed to use emergency start quite a bit, a seized engine sounds a bit extreme?

[stfrsc]

Yeah the wiring in this rv is a nightmare, I'm thinking it's something with a connection

[stfrsc]

Both starters worked fine when I installed them, then the 1st one the bendix was bad so I took it back and got another under warranty. The 2nd started up just fine 3 times, then sat for 2 days and I'm now in this position.

[murphylawe]

I recently had a similar issue... in the end it was bad grounding wire that actually got hot enough to melt.

I replaced everything... no more problems.

[stfrsc]

Was the relay just above the alternator just clicking? I have been going over all the wiring I can get to, but I'm in michigan and can only get out in the cold for so long at a time. I'm going out in a few to recheck the starter wires and what grounds I can find, I'll see if that helps thanks.

[BA-in-Mich]

check for a bad ground strap between the engine and the frame.

[Jim18655]

Use a set of jumper cables to ground the engine to the frame to check for a bad engine ground.

[BA-in-Mich]

That solenoid on top I believe is for emergency starting. If the main engine battery goes dead there is a push button on the dash to switch over to the coach battery for starting. The solenoid on top of the starter is what should be kicking in to turn the starter.

[Chaffeekid]

I had an Air Conditioner Compressor lock up and prevent the engine from turning over. One way to check all accessories, if it is a serpentine belt, remove it and see if the engine will turn over.
Hope this helps.

[stfrsc]

Thanks for all the input everyone! I'm checking out all the wires and grounds and have found a few issues and am cleaning them up now. As of right now I'm cleaning up a lot of rusted connections on the battery isolator and what looks like another solenoid type thing with what looks like ignition and starter markings and wires going to the starter. This thing has really been cobbled over the years and I'm slowly getting it sorted out, I'll post my solutions when I get it started.

[Brob]

What model Georgie Boy do you have?
I have a 1987 Georgie Boy Encounter Thirty-six, and I have gutted it down to the framing. I have been through most of the wiring, and I must say some of it seems haphazard. I have been unable to find much in the way of documentation so I have been metering, tracing, and labeling the wires as I move through the project.

I have the majority of chassis wiring in working order, but I do still have some work to do on the house/chassis relay area.