Older vehicle starter question

[Sooner]

Got an old 72 jeep. Have a couple interested buyers out of province. Won't turn over, engine spins by hand, starter don't even click. Jacked up the jeep today, pulled the starter. Put it on the bench and hooked up the battery charger. This starter only has a positive post and grounds to the transmission case. Opened it up, see a broken wire way down(maybe that's the problem, maybe not), no way to fix.

Go to the parts jeep, pull it's starter, same thing, not a sound, not a click. Didn't open it up. On the bench it just sparks when i touch the ground. Not even a click like it wants to engage.

Shouldn't the starter engage on the bench if it was in good working order?

Solenoid is on the fender well beside the engine, should it even matter if its connected?

Thanks for any tips/info as this is out of my area of knowledge, don't really want to buy a starter if i'm selling it(but will if i have to or get it rebuilt). If i show the two guys it runs and drives like I told them it does. It will make the sale more appealing to them.

[wellpastcold]

I am totally not an expert mechanic. When I have tested a starter on the bench, I have always used a known good battery and booster cables. It is possible that your charger may not have enough output to turn over the starter.

[Sooner]

Originally Posted by wellpastcold

I am totally not an expert mechanic. When I have tested a starter on the bench, I have always used a known good battery and booster cables. It is possible that your charger may not have enough output to turn over the starter.

Ok, thanks, I will do that tonite.

When the starter was in the jeep, it did the same thing, not a peep. Even if i crawled under and jumped the positive post directly.

[Puma]

Most NAPA or Cambodian Tire stores will test it for free.

A charger would not have enough amps to engage the bendix gear, but enough to heat up and melt some wires ....

On some older jeeps, the solinoid closes, the Bendix gear extends, and only then provides contact for the starter motor to engage.

[avb3]

Sounds like your Bendix might be pooched.

[KnifeFan007]

Your starter should spin when doing a bench test.
Using a good battery and jumper cables, ground to the starter case and then touch the positive cable to the positive stud on the starter. It should spin or at the very least, shoot out the starter drive.
In your case where nothing is happening, it's most likely the remote mounted solinoid. You can try a couple things. You can jumper the solinoid from the positive cable on the soilinoid to the start wire (usually a small red wire ) or you can get underneath the truck and jumper it like a bench test.
If the starter works doing either one of these tests, it's most likely the solinoid. Good luck.

[winmag]

use a good battery and booster cables , charger will not hack it