Help!! Big Spark! No starter turn over!
 

Ok all, the "5 hour install" of the replacement automatic transmission has taken all of 2 weeks. We're on the last leg with the replacement trans already bolted up, torque converter bolted up, everything ready to go.

Rehookup the battery terminals. Move key to on position and here the fuel pump kick in. Try for the starter to turn over the engine and the starter doesn't turn. I here the fuel pump get a little softer (im thinking there is definately an amp draw that causes the fuel pump to lose voltage.)

The starter does not engage at all. At first I though it was I had the two starter cables backwards (where they bolt to the solenoid>) So I replace them opposite I had them and still no luck. I use a volte meter to assure voltage to the starter, voltage ok.

Which wire goes where on the solenoid, and does it make a difference?

Also, I know there are a couple of things we missed on the install. there is a 6ish-10 gauge wire with an O type connector that is hanging just above the driver side bell housing (near the oil filter mount). I tried holding it to ground, but when reattatching the battery terminal I got *big* spark and smoke. Its definately un-fused and im thinking it is a posetive (didn't check with voltmeter--couldn't reach it) Are their any thick gauge wires near the bell housing that has the O (bolt type connector) that would be posetive, or for that matter negative??

During the install we also:

* Replaced fuel filter
* Replaced oil filter
* Replaced driverside door handle (and removed lock mech electronics (would the sec. system stop the starter?))
* Replaced clutch fan with efan
* Replaced stock intake with cold air intake
* Filled trans with BnM trick shift Dextron III
* Replaced stock tranny cooler lines with "custom" copper tubing. (after finding we pinched a cooler line and were splling about 5 qts of $6/qt tranny fluid everywhere!)
* Refilled trans with cheap Penzoil Dextron III
* Filled motor with Castrol GTX 20w50
* Drained and filled Rear dif with 50w70 gear lube.

Any ideas?? Thanks!!

Down to almost nothing, its almost all done but I can't get it to start, and where does that last wire bolt too? Its sitting, like i said, just above, or adjacent to the driverside bell housing next to the oil filter.

And the starter has power/voltage. Wich side does the posetive wire bolt to on the starter, the mazda book shows (i think) bolting ot the far driverside. Where it is bolted now. But no start.

Any ideas or comments, thanks all!!

BTW thats to a 90 GTU automatic transmission (save the flame, im working on parts to get the conversion, im trying rightnow to get my transportation back!!)

Sounds like a ground to me, I saw the same thing but on my turbo and grounded it. No sparks for me, no ill effects that Ive seen. Maybe that was your only good engine ground? *shrug* Have you verified the starter works and is not seized or have a broken solenoid?

Starter was off the old transmission and, although probably stock (wich would be running 136k-ish miles,) I have never had a problem with it.

Coincidentaly, I can't here the starter engage at all. Not even the *click* to pop-up the...turney thing..ey...yeah

Pull it off and get a set of jumper cables. Connect the negative cable from the battery to where neg goes on the starter. Then get a screw driver, connect pos to battery and to the screw driver. Then jump the pos term on the starter. It will either turn on or it wont.

I feel like an idiot-- I thought the starter was grounded on its own means (through the bolts that hold it to the transmission?) There are only two posts on the starter soleniod, one which goes to the posetive, and one wich goes to the starter itself?

Starter has a sensor that will keep it from working if the tranny is not in "P" or "N" position. If not connected it will not work. It might also be "stuck", tapping it with a hammer gets it going sometimes.

That o-ring could possibly have been the wire for the alternator.

Oh hey, thought I should add some closure. I took the starter in to find that reducer gears were... how do i say... basicaly destroyed. the starter was fried pretty badly, and smelled a bit of burnt eletronics.

Ordered a new lifetime warrantee starter, installed it a day later and have been up and running since 4/14/03. Sorry for not posting the closure note. Thanks for all the help!