New body and frame, now it won't start.

sjo426

New member
I am replacing the body and frame on my 78 CJ7. Today I pretty much got everything back together. Enough to see if the motor would turn.

Well turned the key and nothing. All the lights work but no motor action.
I did take a pair of pliers and put them across the solenoid and then it would try to start. I looked over my wiring and I couldn't find any wires that weren't plugged in so I am not really sure what happened.

Is this going to be something in my wiring that I have missed or does anyone have any ideas of where to start my troubleshooting.

Thanks
 
Well it is less that two months old. I replaced it and the coil about two months ago. But you never know.
 
RE: Baghdad Mosque Closings Spark Weapons Shortage

Crack in the battery cables? Could be they got tweaked during the body replacement.....but yeah, I'd start with the solenoid, too.
 

RE: cheap websites for yj models

you mention a new body, is it fiberglass? if so is everything properly grounded?
 
If your solenoid is mounted on the fender try running a wire from the bracket of the solenoid to a piece of metal that is grounded on the jeep. If its an auto make sure the wire that comes from the neutral saftey switch is connected to the solenoid.
 

RE: Looky at what I did!

sjo426 said:
No, the tub is steel. The fenders are fiberglass though.

Make sure you run a ground as described just above, but ground to the engine block and make sure the block is grounded to the frame and battery negative post too.

Try it.
 
RE: A day in the life ( you will regret opening this)

Just did the same on my 79... Good luck with everything. I would pull out a multimeter and start checking where in the circuit is bad. For instance, make sure the signal wire is 12V when you put the key in the start position. If you do, then the problem is probably the solenoid or ground. If you don't then work farther back to the column. By the way, if you have an auto, there will not be a wire to the neutral safety switch on a 78 as mentioned. At least there is not one on mine. I believe the TH400s were done differently than the 80+ autos.
 

New Body and Frame??? Not picking on you here, but wouldn't it have been better to just get a new Jeep?
 

redrooster said:
New Body and Frame??? Not picking on you here, but wouldn't it have been better to just get a new Jeep?

They don't sell new CJs anymore, and that's the whole nut. You have to be around old Jeeps awhile to understand the mystique of owning an old CJ :wink: .............and you own one.

New Jeeps smell good and are shiny but they just don't do it. Saving a piece of Americana one Jeep at a time.

Not picking on you either :wink:
 
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