PT won't start

[J_J]

After reading all the post about starters and solenoid, I see no reason for a second solenoid. If you are getting low voltage to the solenoid on the starter, then the voltage loss is up stream, meaning thin gage wire, starter switch, or a neutral start switch. I had similar problems on my 1445, which has the Ford 4 cyl engine. I could start it by jumping the terminals with a screw driver, and also with an external starter switch. I replaced the start switch with a push button switch , and installed new wire from the switch back to the starter, bypassing the neutral start switch. Have any of you put a volt meter on the starter switch and the starter terminal and tried to start. How about a resistance check from the 12v source through the start switch to the start terminal, on the solenoid, with the battery disconnected? You might have a weak starter or low battery, or weak solenoid. We used to tear those starter solenoid apart and turn those big copper washers around and sand down the pitted areas. You should be able to hook up the solenoid and when 12v is applied, you should hear a good loud click, and if you have a meter hooked up, the voltage on the 12v out terminal on the solenoid should be the same as the battery voltage.

If you really want to fire that solenoid with it's own power supply, then you could use a small motorcycle battery to power just the solenoid or some other accessory and run a new wire, a relay, and a switch to activate the relay.