here's the scenario. rebuilt motor '84 305. tried starting starting starting, wouldn't fire off, decided it was the fuel pump. replaced fuel pump and then jump into truck to turn on, well the lights go dark (off) and the bendix on the starter just sticks out, but doesn't turn. thought it was the battery, so i bypass the battery by jumping from my other truck straight to the new battery (4awg) positive and negative wires that are properly grounded. same thing...lights go off and starter WANTS to turn, but just stays stuck there. (i went under my truck w/remote starter and it does line up to the flexplate) keep in mind that the day before, it was turning over fine, just didn't stay running since my fuel pump was not pumping. well, take starter to get rebuilt, and when it was done, the tech tries to benchrun it and it wants to start, but stays stuck and his lights in his shoproom go DIMMM. i told him that's what it was doing to me. he messes with something inside and tests it and then it runs. bring it home and install it and try to start the truck again and IT WILL STILL NOT START. lights go all the way dim, then don't even come back on when i take the key out. the batter has 13.3V, the grounds and negative cable have cleaned grounding points (on motor bracket and frame) when i disconnected the cables and reconnected them to the battery, the lights never even came on. what the eff is up??? :whine: :whine: :confused:

i'm about to get rid of the SOB and just ride my new Z06. (that means, i'm going to bed to DREAM of one!!!) please, electrical gurus, HELPPPP!!!!

where oh where is there an EXTREME MAKEOVER TRUCK EDITION!!!! :c2:

is the engine locked-- hydrauliced --won't allow the starter to turn it. Pull all the plugs and try it? Pull coil wire first --so that you get no stray sparking.

try a different starter

Your problem is in the starter, IMO, and I would check/replace BOTH the solonoid, and the armature. It sounds like the armature is dragging, or, the contact disc inside the solonoid has a burnt spot on it.
A starter solonoid is very hard to diagnose, as that disc can be aligned up for a good shot of current to pass. Then sometime soon, be aligned for a "bad" spot to fail to pass the current. BTW, if you do replace the solonoid, don't scrimp, I did, once, and spent 4 hours under a Trans-Am trying to figure out why it wouldn't start. You want either a Delco, or a Standard Ignition NEW solonoid. A "rebuilt" solonoid is a joke.