Things have been going really well post engine re-seal but ran into a little electrical setback. When the engine is cool everything cranks over just fine. When the engine is warm the starter is slow to turn over and now won't turn over at all. Lights even start to dim, etc. You might be inclined to think it is a weak battery or failing alternator but both check out fine once everything starts.
The cables to the solenoid and the solenoid get really hot and I even saw the solenoid smoking a little in these "warm start" scenarios. The three likely candidates currently are the solenoid, wires, or starter. The solenoid is $20, starter is about $80, and new cables/connectors will run about $30.
Other considerations include there might be a small exhaust leak on the passenger side manifold which might be causing warm exhaust air to go blow on the starter. This would mean even changing all these other parts the problem could persist. There are heat shields which run about $30 which could help. Also, a poor ground connection could also cause some issues and is worth re-checking all the connections.
I already have a spare solenoid laying around, came with the truck, so I'm going to try it first and see what happens. If the new one and the cables get warm then I know that the problem is the wiring or starter. Changing the wiring without seeing a change will confirm an issue with the starter.
Normally I would just change all the parts in one go and be done with it. However, I want to be able to provide more in depth diagnostic information for readers. Stay tuned.
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