88 F150 electrical issue???? WTF!!

[1fast4]

Ok, sooooo I have an 88 F150 w/ a 302
Yesterday after redoing the timing cover to fix an oil leak, this damn truck did something VERY odd and I can't figure it out.

It did it once before also.

So while it was idleing in park letting all the air out of the cooling system it was idleing fine no issues. Temp was good and all was well.
Then the RPM's slowly started to go down. And it shut off.

Now here is the issue: go to restart and it dies. Try to restart again and dead to the world. No lights, no radio, no nothing. Check battery and full 12+ volts.
Let it sit for a while and turn key to ON: lights work, radio works, everything ok. Go to start, "click" and DEAD again. Nothing works at all.
Let it sit overnight and try it this am before work. Exact same. Lights come on, radio works, dome light on, and when I turn the key it shuts down.

Full voltage coming off the starter solenoid, battery good & full voltage.

Any ideas and what and where to check are GREATLY appreciated!

Also checked fuse box and all fuses are good.

Thanks in advance!!!

[dee]

Check your grounds.

[1fast4]

Their all solid. I started tracing things when it did it.
It acts like it has circuit breaker on it when everything goes dead. Odd part is when it sits for a while its like it resets or reenergizes enough to work accessories and electrical.
Then when I turn the key it goes completely dead again.

I will recheck grounds Again for the ????th time but I can't find and loose, burnt, damaged, broken so far.

Thanks for the input though, anything is appreciated.

[dee]

Have you had the starter tested?

[1fast4]

Have you had the starter tested?

No I haven't. It just did this yesterday. Never had an issue with it before.
I will try disconnecting it and try the key Nd see if it goes dead again so I can either eleminate or pinpoint the starter as a possibility.

[91CoupeMike]

Ground to the side of the timing cover.

[BlueCoupeRedVert]

Ground to the side of the timing cover.

That's what I was just thinking..

[1fast4]

Ground to the side of the timing cover.

?????????

As in missing or add one??
Right now it's grounded where it always has been since I picked it up in Nov to the top mounting bolt on the Alt from the battery.

[1fast4]

OK, so doing a little research and I "think" I might have found something?
The ONLY ground off the battery is to the motor, top mounting bolt to the Alt.
I will have to check routing from the starter ground to see where it goes.

Found a couple posts online about similar issues. Either bad starter, as Dee suggested, or ground issue with the starter.

Will hopefully have time tomorrow to jack with it and see.

Any other thoughts and suggestions are still welcomed and appreciated.

[jyro]

this

make sure you clean the battery terminals too

[00pooterSS]

If it clicks and kills all the electrical it's a bad connection at the battery, next time it does it have someone sit in the truck holding the key in start while you pull on the battery cables at the battery. I've seen it a hundred times, it makes a good enough connection to turn the lights on but as soon as you hit the starter it breaks the connetion completely.