56 Chevy Starter clicks - how can you check a bad ground cable? (SOLVED)

[ullearn]

The truck has been sitting for 10 years and in the process of getting it running again, I had some early luck, but now running into issues of it not turning over.  Here is what has been done:

- Old bad battery wouldn't take charge
- Cleaned terminals and mounting points
- New Battery
- Measured voltage at the starter and was getting 12.4 volts but was hard to find a ground
- Bench tested starter at auto parts and one solenoid remote post didn't work the other post spun the starter VERY fast rpm's
- New Starter mounted, still just clicks
- Measured voltage
- Ran secondary small wire from negative ground to starter mount, got the 12.4 volts easier measured
- Still just clicks when attempting to turn over
- Made sure (again) engine turns at the crank

I am leaning towards again a bad ground or ground cable, but just didn't know how to test for sure and where they should be mounted?  The current ground is mounted to the alternator mounting bracket.

Videos back from a few months ago when it was starting at first (notice the clicks though before the start).  Could it be the hot wiring causing it?

[bd]

• Connect the voltmeter across the battery posts.  Record the measured voltage while "cranking."
  
  
• Next, connect your voltmeter across the positive battery cable: (+) voltmeter lead to the positive battery connection and (-) voltmeter lead to the battery cable attachment stud at the starter.  Attempt to crank and record the resulting voltage drop.
  
  
• Perform the same procedure on the ground cable: (-) voltmeter lead to battery negative, (+) voltmeter lead to the ground cable terminal end at the block.  Record the 'cranking' voltage drop.
  
  
• Finally, connect your voltmeter between the ground cable terminal end at the block and the starter housing: (-) voltmeter lead to the ground cable terminal end, (+) voltmeter lead to the starter housing.  Record the cranking voltage drop.
  
  
• Post the measurements referring to tests 1, 2, 3, & 4, as above.

[rich weyand]

Alternatively, replace both battery cables on general principles.  We see it again and again on this forum.  The cables deteriorate internally.  When you measure voltage, they look good, but can't handle any current.  That's why bd says to measure voltages while cranking.  But if the cables are over 10 years old, just replace them and be done with it.

[ullearn]

After dorking with it this afternoon the good news is the problem is solved and hindsight it's always obvious to see the problem when it's fixed. 

I ran to the part store and grabbed a $7 ground cable and swapped it out, go to start and.... click.  So got frustrated and yanked the Positive now too and saw a good chunk of electrical tape wrapped further down on it.  At some point someone for an unknown reason decided it need an extension and decided to make it themselves.  Needless to say the extension connection had corroded over time and was the culprit of the non starting. 

The starter always read 12+ volts but just wasn't a strong enough connection for the load of the starter (hence the click).  After removing the extension, which the original cable was plenty long and cleaning up the terminal ends after the re-wire, bang fires every time!

Now I am just debating if I want to put the old starter back on seeing how the rebuilt one was only $35, hmmmm....

[bake74]

    Glad to hear it.