Yes, but even if the grounds are in the proper locations, which doesn't mean they can carry current, if a ground wire is bolted to a location that has paint on it, or the ground eyelet is not good, you will get strange symptoms like this. If there is power to both wires on the starter and the starter solenoid is not clicking to engage the starter motor, it sounds like you are missing an engine ground. A test light hooked to battery negative, then touching the engine block will tell you if the block lacks a ground. Because power is already at the starter, providing a ground with a test light to the engine block will light it up.
Or you can try just hooking some jumper cables from battery negative to the block and to the body, providing a temporary ground, if it comes to life, you know what the issue is.
Does this new engine even turn over by hand?
Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024 AT 8:28 PM