BBC starter

What do you mean by “kill the power” ? Does the volt meter go to zero.

Generally it s/b click on solenoid or if starter or solenoid is shorted ……. Some smoke.

No, nothing is generally no current getting to solenoid.

Yes, volt meter goes to zero until I let off the starter button. There is no click or other noise. If I then smack the starter with a hammer it will work. I understand that this is the brushes, is that correct?

Most likely the relay/soleniod contact disk

johnsongrass1 said:

Most likely the relay/soleniod contact disk

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Yep, I agree.

If it was brushes you would hear the solenoid and bendix slam the gear into the flexplate, but then no spin.

Solenoid trips first, then starter motor spins when solenoid is pulled fully in to make contact internally.

if no solenoid “click” starter may not be issue. See the starter does nothing till the solenoid pulls in then actuated the starter. Gotta be solenoid or before it in wires, starter switch, or battery cables. You have full 12.7 volts on battery? No voltage as you say. I’d start at battery and ring everything out before replacing anything.

While you have starter on bench apply 12 volts and rule it out. Check w/meter for any shorts on starter first.

The chrome piece is just stuck - probably catching the underside of the brush holders. And the problem you describe if usually one or more of the brushes are stuck and not touching the commutator. I just repaired one of my mini starters the other week with the same exact problem. Moisture had gotten into it and two of the brushes were stuck and not touching. Solid klunk everytime I hit the starter button.

chasracer said:

Solid klunk everytime I hit the starter button.

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but that's not what the OP, Fang16 is describing, from his first post...

Fang16 said:

Sometimes the starter on my Big block won't do anything except kill the power. No click or anything

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Solenoid or wiring/switches problem. Not the starter motor itself.

Fang16 said:

Sometimes the starter on my Big block won't do anything except kill the power. No click or anything. I'm thinking all the brushes aren't contacting. I took it off to disassemble it but can't get the chrome cap off to look at the brushes. Is there a trick to removing the end cap or do I have more problems than I thought. I have all 4 bolts out of the end cap. View attachment 619436

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Sounds like a short. The starter wire; somewhere in the circuit(s) that involve the starter are shorting out. Had a similar situation. Turns out the wire from the start button was shorting to a cross rail under the dash. Would hit the button the the voltmeter needle would rapidly go to zero.

Brushes not contacting the comutator will not short out. It will be an open circuit and do nothing. It will not cause voltage drop because it is open. A dead short as described in reply #10 will drop the volt meter to nothing. By not having any activity on the solenoid (no click, smoke, or sparks) says the issue is before it in the switch, wiring, connections, or battery

Sounds like a bad battery cable connection or ground.

Pull the other (red) end off the front. Sometimes the front outer casing has a tab that holds the back on and needs to be rotated a bit to release it.