my 70 charger won't start

[70charger_boy]

Ok, so my I just bought my 70 charger and it was running alright.  Yesterday, I tried to start it up and all I got was a click.  The starter wouldn't engage.  I checked the fuses and they were fine.  I bypassed the starter relay with a screw driver, nothing.  The wires on the starter are alright.  I took the starter off and put power to it and it works.  SO, Is my motor blown?

[Blakcharger440]

Is the battery fully charged with good connections?

[70charger_boy]

yeah i had the jumper cables on the car when i was trying to start it.  The wipers and lights work

[Ghoste]

Wipers and lights work without jumpers on the car?

[rt green]

clean your battery conections. if that dont do it, check your battery. make SURE its good. then go from there

[70charger_boy]

the wipers work with jumpers off the car. 

[terrible one]

As others are leaning towards, it sounds like a bad battery connection or dead battery.

[472 R/T SE]

If the ol' screwdriver trick doesn't work, that makes me think it's not your nuetral saftey switch.  I would get under it and check anyways.    '70 was the first year for it IIRC.

[SeattleCharger]

Isn't there a selenoid?   

[firefighter3931]

Check your battery cables and specificly the neg ground.


Ron

[70charger_boy]

where is the neutral safety switch located?  That might be it

[Plumcrazy]

where is the neutral safety switch located?  That might be it

If you bypassed the starter relay by jumping the two larger wires and it didn't crank then the problem is not the neutral safety switch.

[SeattleCharger]

Did they not invent starter selenoids yet in 1970?   On the fender side of engine compartment maybe?     

[Ghoste]

I think you may be talking about the starter relay which he's already jumped.  That's where it is located.

[resq302]

I have, on a rare occasion, had to jump a really dead battery with two booster boxes.   The battery was basically sitting for 3 mos without having a trickle charger on it or being started when my dads el camino was out in the AACA museum.  If the battery is really really dead this would be the case.  Try to charge the battery for a day or two on full charge, not a trickle charge and see if that fixes the problem.  It almost sounds like your battery has a warped plate or something that is killing it.

[Back N Black]

It could also be a bad engine to body ground, take the negative side of your booster cables and connect one end to the engine and the other end to a good ground on the body.
I have had this happen on a couple of occasions (chevy's of course).

[Rayzor]

Kinda far fetched here, but can you turn the motor over with a bar to make sure it is not locked up? A leaking gasket could water lock your motor and hitting it with the starter could bend a rod or bust a piston. just thought I would throw that out there.

[Blakcharger440]

If possible try a battery that is known to be good as the one you may have may not start your car under load.

[70charger_boy]

ok I pulled out the starter again and noticed that the shaft just goes up and the gear doesn't spin, so am i correct in saying it needs a rebuilt?

[Chryco Psycho]

the contact ring inside the starter is causeing the problem so yes rebuild or replace it , i woudl install a mini starter from a Magnum engine Dodge truck

[70charger_boy]

thanks alot guys for all your help