Update on Ford Starter....

After some of the comments to my original post, I decided to go out and have another look at the starter. teddy52food suggested I take off the brush band and cover and try pushing in on the lever to see if the starter would spin. Bingo. After doing this, it seems to have somehow freed things up and now with no other changes, I put it together and it will throw out the drive gear and spin right up just using jumper cables to the battery. I did lube things up a bit, so hopefully when I get a chance I will try putting it on and give it a go. I do plan on pulling the plugs on the engine and shooting some ATF in the cylinders, and might take the suggestion of pulling the valve cover and have a look as well as dribbling in some oil down the push rods, etc. Can't hurt. I really do not have much info on this engine. I purchased it from the estate of the original owner (grandkids were selling off two generations of items, including this old truck). I grew up in the area, and knew the truck when it was purchased new from a dealer about 4 miles up the road in late 69. I would like to save the engine, and I enjoy the challenge of resurrecting something like this, but this one has been a challenge so far. The did not have a title, and it took me 9 months to finally obtain a title for it. The old saying of just applying for a lost title, is nearly impossible unless you are the last registered owner or administrator of the estate (I was neither, and the truck was not placed into the estate, but the sold it anyhow).

Ron, talking about pushing the lever down on the starter jogged my memory a bit. There is a set of normally closed (I think) contacts hidden under the end of the lever. Not sure what they do, but if it acts up again, take a look at the contacts and the solder connection under them. They may have just been dirty and are now working.