I have a 77' Caddy Deville with a 425. I recently had some problems starting the car. I charged the battery - headlights and horn work. It appears that I'm getting full power to the Solenoid, but I replaced it just in case. The starter is still not engaging.

Is there anything else I should look at before I put the new Starter and Solenoid in? Bare with me, I'm technically a Ford (Mustang) man, hence the reason I bought a Solenoid by itself - thinking it was standalone. You should have seen my face when I realized the Solenoid piggybacked the Starter, lol. :rant2:

Thank you,

Jon

You should have battery Voltage at the starter S terminal with the ignition switch in the start position. When replacing the starter be sure to use the little bracket which connects the rear of the starter to the engine block. Shims are not normally used on these models.

I had the old starter and solenoid tested before I purchased the new ones. AutoZone says they both check out fine. They suggested wiring or cables. I have a multimeter, but I’m not sure what kind of current I’m looking for and where. To be honest, I’m not even sure I wired the solenoid back right.

There currently isn’t anything connected to the R (relay?) post on the solenoid and another post on the starter. In fact the only thing electrically connecting the solenoid to the starter is this screw with a copper tube over it. I can’t seem to find a place to purchase a manual or a wiring diagram.

:confused:

Autozone only does a no load test.

How does it act? Does the starter spin but not move the engine? Does it just click?

That copper tube is the connection.
You should have battery cable(s) to the large post and a wire to the s terminal. What did it have when you took it apart?