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I know my timing is off becuase when i turn it off it sputters and back fires, but after driving it to work the other day it ran fine but when i tried to start it up afterwards it wouldnt even turn over. The battery has juice, but it wont turn over....doesnt even try to. I can here the starter making noise and i have a feeling its bad, but its only a year or so old. If the starter is bad any ideas what might be cause it to burn up because the previous owner put one in about a year before that as well. Also the alternator has been replaced twice. Any help would be great thx.

Getting good starters and alternators is a crapshoot nowadays. Tearing down the starter to see what exactly went wrong can point you in the direction of your problem. Advanced timing can put an extra load on the starter but i doubt it can kill it. If the advanced timing is that far out, you'll have problems driving the truck.

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Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

If it clicks but won't crank over, that is usually the solenoid. I've gone through a bunch of stock LUV starters over the years and I think I've only had one where the starter motor failed. Most of the ones I've had go out on me would start by clicking once every so often and then cranking on the next try. Even at the worst I could usually get the truck started by clicking the key to start repeatedly until it cranked, so you might try that and see what you find.

I have to say though, before you blame the starter make absolutely sure it isn't the battery or cables. Clean the connectors on the battery and the cables, and I think I'd get the battery load tested. It could read 12V or better on a voltmeter but not be able to put out enough amps to turn over a motor. If nothing else I'd want to see it start up another rig before I believed it was fine. Pulling the starter is a pain in the hindparts, and if it was me I'd be checking out everything else real well first

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95 Isuzu Trooper Daily Driver
86 Isuzu Trooper reliable backup
77 LUV 2wd stock beltway blaster (resting)
79 4x4 LUV project: 2.6L, 5spd, 31s (eventually)

MEPR: Man, my 4x4 makes all other LUVs look good

well it has been doing what you said how it would click then turn over...did that for a while now that i think about it, but it would always turn over until last week. Got a new starter on order from autozone it was only like 40 dollars so im pretty happy about that...i just need to figure out why they keep frying. I know i have some bad electrical. When i bought the truck it was from a drug user out in the country. He had parted most of it out so its been a real mess trying to get all the original parts back in it. If i ever get enough money ill just replace the engine and get a new wiring harness...i know it will be hell to do but the end result will be great.

Good starters cost more but last longer,check the soleniod it is probably what is bad.

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1978 pro street step/side 455Buick, 4sp,4.11s, 31/18.5s

I found a setup in a junk yard once that solved my clicking problem forever. Get an extra solenoid and wire the normal start wire to it. Then, run a hot lead off the battery through the new solenoid and to the starter's solenoid.

The stock L UV solenoid needs a LOT of current to work, but external solenoids seem to need less to work.

-DK