I have a GMC 350 Box Van (1994) - Just had a rebuilt engine put into it -

Was driving it today for apprx 5 min - Stopped at gas station - Came back out started it up...drove about 2 min more and it goes dead (while on the road). I coast into a parking lot....and I have nothing when I click the key over.....(seems like the battery is dead....but I have radio power still)...

I get a guy to jump me......the Van immeditely kicks over and starts for about 2 seconds (max)...and stalls.....Since this point I get nothing when I click the Key over (try and start it)...just a click, click sound with the engine not turing over at all....

I then go knock the starter.......Still nothing....I swap the battery out (thinking maybe I have a full short in it)....New battery Nothing....

I then take the stater out....take it over to AutoZone and they test it for me.....It seems to be running fine on their machine....

SO that is where I am at?......To dark to work on it any further tonight....

Engine has oil (but it is low...or at the "add mark" shall I say).

Can anyone give me some advice / tips / suggestions on what to do next (before shipping it off to a auto shop)......This thing is killing my small business....as I've dropped about $2500 into over that past 90 days.


Thanks to all for advice....

 

Wow. Sounds like a headache. Some are like that at times eh.
Any how.
Should turn over when key is turned.
Recent engine work? Could be a loose starter. I mean a bad connection between the starter and the engine. I had that once.
But that would not stop it in the mid travel.??
I seen a truck once that was a Chev and the solonoid was rattleing around in the shaft and it was connecting the batt to the starter when it wanted to and "shorting out" so the vehicle acted real funny at times and other times it worked great. Took a while to find that one. You said you had the starter checked but they might have missed the solonoid.
Im grabbing at straws. Im going now. Just thought I would run some ideas by you so you could think some tonight.
Good luck

 

I asked on the solonoid when he had it on the machine as well.....he said it appeared to look good........(he also suggested that sometimes they can test fine on the machine but still not work??).....

 

Hi again
OK
Lets think about this
Battery to cable to solonoid to starter to block and back to ground cable and to negative on battery.
You have a good battery so lets say we can eliminate that.
The starter has been checked and as far as we know it is good.
That leaves solonoid and cables.
The engine was recently out and in so I would suspect a poor connection on a cable. They can be tight but have crud not allowing the flow of electrons.
Do you know how to do a volt drop test??
Take the cables off and clean the contact areas very good and inspect the cable ends very well.
A volt drop test is where you put the Positive end of the voltmeter on the engine block and the negative on the negative of the battery. Try to start the truck. Voltage should be low. Lets say below 1 volt
The other test would be the positive of voltmeter on Positive post of battery and the negative lead to the starter positive on the solonoid. Should also be low voltage like below 1 volt. High voltage while cranking means a bad connection.
If unclear in my direction, sorry, get back to me and I will try to explain it better. Im going to sleep now

 

sounds like bad ground try putting a jumper from neg. batt to eng. block. if it starts clean eng. and body ground. like frankiee said dirty connection. let us know what u found.

 

It may be in your ignition gm's & fords a bad for it.
Requires you to remove the steering wheel and contact hub. then remove 1x tourque screw, ign. then should pull straight out.