Hey guys, I'm having one hell of a morning...

'96 D1, 5-speed, approx 123k...all maintenance is current, but the truck 'was ridden hard and put away' wet by the previous owner(s)...

Background info: So around 6:05am I get this call from the wife, who is on her way to work, and has decided that now is a good time to scream at me. Apparently her Toyota's alternator quit this morning, so she took her '96 D1 ("Crazy Red"). After a quick stop at Starbucks (where her window refused to go down), she stalled the truck out in an intersection where it sat until a guy stopped and gave her a push. She got AAA to tow it home and took my D2 (along with my tools and electrical bag *banghead*), so I started poking at the D1...

When I turn the key, everything lights up and comes on, I can even hear the starter spin (sounds like a small vacuum cleaner), but it doesn't sound like it's engaging the fly wheel. I'm wondering if either the alternator quit, not giving the starter solenoid enough juice, or if the starter somehow stuck and tore itself up (draining the battery in the process...hopefully not wrecking the fly wheel in the process...).

So here's the questions:
1. Any creative suggestions for how to test the alternator before the wife comes home with my tool and electrical bag (i.e.- my multimeter)?
2. Does my thought about the starter solenoid make sense? As I understand it the gear on the starter moves forward to engage the fly wheel when the solenoid flips on. Would low voltage allow the starter to spin (it sounds like it's spinning fast), but not engage? I'm not hearing the click of the solenoid...
3. I have a spare starter, but is the Alternator from a '95 D1 interchangeable with an alternator from a '96 D1? How about with a D2? (I have both a '95 D1 and a '00 D2 parts truck.)

 

Starter is the same for almost everything. D1 and D2 do not share an alternator.

 

Gotcha on the D1 vs D2 thing, but how about alternators between '95 versus '96 D1's? That would be Lucas versus GEMs...

 

I think the size of the pulley is slightly different between GEMS and 14CUX serpentine alternators but I have to check. If you have both, you can swap pulleys if they're different, From an electrical standpoint they should be the same.

 

If the starter is spinning but not cranking the engine then the bendix is probably gunked up and not sliding far enough to engage the flywheel.

I think the alternators are the same, but if one pulley is smaller on the '95 that's not a problem, in fact I consider it good as it gives you a bit higher amps at given engine RPM. The downside is that your tach will be off a little.
If it's the other way 'round, swap the pulley's as suggested by Paul.

 

Sorry for your headache from hell this morning!! However I must admit that the way you say "around 6:05 am i get a call from the wife.... has decided now is a good time to scream at me.." is pretty funny! Be sure to not let SWMBO see this or she will certainly scream at you again!
Good luck.
What about the battery?? Is it putting out enough? Perhaps putting a charger on it, or taking it to auto zone where they can test it.

 

The battery should be good, but until my tools come home (with the wife) I'm pretty much S.O.L. FWIW, I did try the battery from her Toyota, with no different results. (The battery from the Toyota, which admittedly may be no better off than the one from the D1, is a relatively new battery.)

When she gets back, I'm going to pull the D1 with my D2 and try to catch it in gear to get it off the street and into my driveway, then (since I have another starter anyway), I'll try to swap that and see if it fixes anything. Once the wife is home, I'll have her run the alternator down to my local parts store to be checked and pull the one from my '95 if necessary...

 

awesome way to start the day.... good luck man

 

Fixed. Apparently, the starter solenoid died in the engaged position and burned out the starter wile draining the battery faster than it cold recharge. Battery and Alternator checked out OK. Swapped the starter and all is good.

Now, off to the NELRC "The Annual" at Rausch Creek...