I have an old 1984 S1900 with the DT466 in it. It would periodically just click at the fuse box and click at the starter when turning the key. Other times, it would go ahead and fire off no problem at all - spin over fast and everything. When it would only click, a few turns of the key and it would fire right off - until it wouldn't do that anymore and just click at the fuse panel and not at the relay. I got tired of this, had one of my guys yank the starter, and then took it in to a rebuild place. They told me that it essentially would be a better deal to get a new starter with a newer design than the old clunker I had, so I went that route. It was a 30 pound lighter Delco Remy 39MT. After install, though, now I have NOTHING. No headlights, no horn, NOTHING. The installation instructions on the starter ( http://delcoremy.com/Documents/Star...ext=.pdf&_ga=1.138392373.489429118.1435703992 ) put me in their 'Category C' - a new starter with an attached magnetic switch (relay) replacing a starter without an attached magnetic switch (relay). My guy that pulled the old starter and did the install on this one says that the three large ring terminals that are still not hooked up weren't before, and that the one wire that the terminal end got yanked off of when the old starter came down has been attached to the solenoid. He put a new lug on this (perhaps) solenoid wire and attached it to the magnetic switch terminal pursuant to the directions. He also attached the 2/0 or better battery positive to the battery terminal on the starter and then transferred the 1/0 ground wire from the old starter that ran to the frame to the ground on the starter. It all seems right - the three large ring terminals indeed look crusty (like they weren't installed before), I have battery voltage at the battery (+) terminal on the starter, and the wiring is indeed as he indicated. I checked for voltage on the three unused wires with the large ring terminals and have none regardless of key position. I also, however, have no voltage coming to the switch terminal that the (supposed) solenoid wire was attached to regardless of key position. All fuses test out okay, but perhaps there is one somewhere that I am missing? Any ideas appreciated.
It sounds like you have some wiring issues besides the starter. Track the positive cable from the battery back to the fuse panel or distribution point. Use a test light or volt meter to see where you lose power. Leave the radio, or blower on so that you don't get thrown off by a very light connection, and you'll hear it if you knock the loose connection and the power comes back on.
I used a multimeter to verify that I had battery voltage at the B+ terminal at the starter. I've also cleaned up the grounds, notably the flat ground cable that attaches the starter ground to the frame. I also verified that I don't see voltage on what should be the old solenoid wire when the ignition key is turned to the start position - something that I expected to see (am I wrong about that?). I am wondering if an upstream relay of some sort is actually shot and the true culprit in all of this (and that I never actually had a starter issue at all), but I wouldn't think that that would explain why things like the headlights and horn don't work. The issue is not JUST that the starter doesn't engage, but also that no accessories of any kind work - no headlights, no horn, nothing.
Could be a relay, a fusible link, a loose connection... Won't know till you find it.
Sounds like you have a wire missing or in the wrong place, normally the power wire that feeds everything is on the same large lug that the battery positive cable attaches to on the starter.
sounds like corrosion/bad connection somewhere. maybe under the dash? Since you dont have B+ on the solenoid wire I would start following that back to see where you loose it. Ignition switch, then fuse block, maybe a relay somewhere. Not really familiar with the wiring particulars on that one. You said all the fuses test okay how were you testing them? visual inspection or with a test light. I have also seen more than one corroded terminal that the fuse leg plugs into. A wiring diagram and some pics would probably help.
If you have three large ring terminals from a harness near the starter and they look like they will fit where the positive battery cable connects, I would suggest that perhaps they need to go there, as they may supply power to the key switch and some auxiliaries. You might try ohming them to your key switch, or if you have a spare headlight around jumper one headlight terminal to B+ and the other to each one of the three loose ring terminals in turn, see if you don't get some response in terms of lights or gauges, etc. The headlight will pass some current but if you have a dead short to ground will simply light up instead of making smoke.
You were dead on, Lantraxco! One of the three large ring terminals provided power to the key switch, with the others providing power to the accessories. We are back up and running. Thanks a ton!
Glad you got her going! That comes from the "Been there, done that" file