I have a 82 Fb that i have been working on. Its a 12A 5spd. Sometimes when you go to start it the starter will stay running even after the key is switched off any ideas what could be causing this? Thanks in advance

 

If I'm remembering right, there's a pole of sorts inside the solenoid. The juice from the ignition switch activates the pole, and the pole completes the connection in the starter, passing the brunt of the juice through it. It's supposed to spring back once it stops getting power from the ignition switch start position.

A few possibilities:
-something catching the pole keeping it from going back (you'd have to pull it apart to check)
-the pole "welding" itself to the contacts (i'd be surprised if it were this actually - there's a massive spark that *could* do it, but I can't see any reason it would ever return on it's own unless the point where it welded itself really heated up)
-problem in the ignition switch itself - if it's this, you could find out by climbing under when the starter's turning (and shouldn't be) and yanking the female spade connector plug.

Really the only time I've seen starters do this is in sub-zero temps when water gets in and freezes. In any case, I'd probably start by pulling apart the starter/solenoid and cleaning things up.

Good luck!

 

so, is the bendix kicking ot and engaging the drive gear on the flywheel or is the gear just turning without kicking out? does this happen as soon as the key is in the accessory position or after initial cranking?

 

Its kicking out and turning the engine over. Ill just go to start it sometimes like normal hold the ignition in the start position and then let go when it starts. But sometimes it just sits there and keeps spinning grinding against the flywheel when it starts. Ill turn the key to the off position and it will keep doing it till i pull the battery cable off and let it sit for a few minutes.

 

You seem to have a bad starter relay/solenoid; nothing more than that unless your ignition switch itself is bad. To check that part, remove the smaller wire (usually marked "S") from the starter and check for voltage; there should not be any. Leave the voltmeter connected to the wire and turn your ignition switch to "start". Nothing should happen except that there should be voltage on the "start" wire. ( The small "start" wire is the one that energizes the starter solenoid). Upon releasing the ignition switch from the start position, the voltage should disappear from the "start" wire. If it does, your starter solenoid is probably bad; if the voltage remains, your ignition switch is bad. Hope this provides a starting place :-)