You guys were so helpful last time (see ‘ATF and the older truck’) figured I’d give it another shot. 1975 Chevy K10 Pickup. Supposed to be a Silverado but most of the Silverado-ish do-dads on the inside are long gone. Teenaged son drove it to school. After school it would not start. “No, Dad,” …

First thing to try is remove the battery cables and clean them (the cables and battery posts)…then reattach. If that doesn’t solve problem…then it could be a fuzable link or the ignition switch.

I agree, check your cables as Mike said. May even need to replace them…especially if original ones!

I’d start by having the battery tested. It may have shorted out. If the battery checks out fine and all the fuses are good I’d start suspecting a bad ignition switch.

The fusible links are down on the starter attached to the same stud as the positive battery cable. That would be what I would suspect if indeed the battery is good and connections are clean.

If I remember correctly there are 2 wires coming off the battery positive post. One large that goes to the starter and one small that goes to a relay. Make sure the small wire is making connection and that the relay is good. But I haven’t worked on a 70’s chevy in about 30 yrs.

"The only other thing I can think of try tapping the starter. If it starts replace it. " I recall that trick from a beater-mobile I bought after my divorce. Whacked that sucker with a crowbar for two months until I could afford a rebuilt starter. Ramen or a starter … eating won out. Took the cab…

Sounds like a fusible link problem as previously mentioned; possibly contributed to by the tinfoil fuse problem.

Maybe , just maybe, before Mom arrived, another student tried to “jump” the truck and cables may have been hooked up backwards…Now we are back to the fusible link problem for SURE…See Pete Peters post…

Caddyman - hooking up the cables wrong for a jump would blow the fusible links?

The Older Truck Won't Start

Maintenance/Repairs

oldbodyman March 16, 2012, 2:35am 7

I with FordMan1959 on this. My sister had a Buick SkyLark that had a battery that shorted out. It would not take a jump. Drove me nuts. I replaced the cables and starter. The battery showed charged and load tested on the low side. It just would not work the starter.
The only other thing I can think of try tapping the starter. If it starts replace it.

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The Older Truck Won't Start

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