loose connection with coil packs might cause you to have problems with starting after truck has been running. you might not me getting Continuity to allow spark on start up.

 

But it ALWAYS starts with jumper cables

 

:was just talking to my grandpa he says it sounds like a starter problem. i know when it get cold here we have to hit the damn thing with a hammer so that it turns over

 

Tried the hammer trick one night, no change. It does the same thing in hot or cold weather

 

did you tap the Solenoid?

 

When you hook the jumper cables up, are you going on the battery or some other place? I still think there is some reason all the power is not getting there. For example, if you are grounding the jumper cable on the block, it could be a bad ground wire. I am still interested in how hot the wires and starter are getting.

 

On the battery. Thats why I thought possibly the alt wasn't chargin very good, so we put a new one on and still the same problem. Only after its been running though. First startup in the morning or after its sat for a couple hours after being driven, starts like a brand new vehicle

 

Mine did the same thing a few years ago and it was a bad batt cable. You've addressed that allready. I'd check the connection at the starter, had one at work last week that would randomly not start, turned out the stud on the starter solenoid was loose inside the starter.

 

Sounds like we just need to go over all the connections and make sure everything is tight? Can we all agree on that? I just really don't think the starter is bad. Sometimes it will fire right up, but 95% of the time after its been running, its very hard to start

 

So, how bout this...

We were in a hurry when we moved the battery to the bed. Just used a cheap cutoff switch. Reading some on it today, it's only rated for 20 continuous amps and 125 surge...Am I just reaching for straws or could that very well be the problem?