Well, after a rearend swap, total interior switch out, and major engine swap and install, I got down to the starter. I bolted and wired it in. I connected the ground strap to the battery, and ::whirrrrrr::. The damn starter motor turns on, and the solenoid doesn't engage. Somewhere I must have skipped the relay and the switch in the ignition. I don't understand why. I have the positive terminal on the positive spot on the starter, and well, that should be it, correct? During a........mishap that involved electricity and fire, I think I burned out my original starter. So i figured, well ****, might as well just get the other starter. I switched an engine from a 95 5.0 to a 95 5.0. The only thing I could come up with why this bad boy won't work, is that there are two different setups for the starter. One was with 2 connectors (the ground strap and positive) and the other with the 2 connectors and a slip on connector for what I think is the relay for the solenoid. Does anyone know if the 95s had a differing starter/wiring harness? Has anyone has a similar problem? If this isn't the problem, where should I start looking?

 

To get the starter working all you need to do is have power and ground to it. When you turn the key your ignition switch sends 12v to your starter solenoid on the fender, which in turn jumps the large wires on each side of it (one goes to the + battery and the other to the starter) As long as the starter is grounded properly (tightened good to the block, and a ground strap from the engine to the firewall) and the battery is grounded and charged there is nothing keeping the starter from engaging other that the starter being bad.

 

sounds like a bad stater to me, if its spinning but not engaging your wirng is most likely right