Hope you can help, cuz i am going broke!
My 86 keeps frying starter relays. I have gone thru half a dozen in the last couple of months, and I cant figure out why.
First sign of a problem was about 6 months ago. I got in, hit the key, and all the lights and everything came on, but no start. I could hear the relay clicking, so I figured it was the starter itself. I pulled it, and swapped in another starter that I had,(not a new one), and still the same problem.
Put the test light on it, and was not getting any power to the solenoid on the starter. Bought a new relay, and it fired right up
Now, FYI, the relay I am talking about is labled "engine relay" in the block on the drv fenderwell. All the parts stores in my area list a 5 pole relay that wont fit in the socket. The one I have is 6 poles. I had to have one of them cross reference the part # on the relay itself to get me the right one.
Anyway, it worked fine for 4-5 months, and then it did the same thing again. I knew where to go this time, and I put in a new relay, and it started right up.
That one only lasted a week. At that time I went thru all of the wiring from key to relay, and from relay to battery and starter. No shorts that I can find.
next relay lasted another week. I re-checked everything, and replaced both battery terminals.(corroded, and didnt tighten enough), topped off the water in the battery, also.
Next relay gave me 4 starts.
Next one, 2 starts.
So there it sits, while I drive my 60 mile round trip commute in my suburban with a big block. Needless to say, it is almost cheaper to buy a relay everyday!!!
Any ideas? Anything in that circuit that I am overlooking?
help me please!!

Well, not much interest in this i guess but anyway....
I think i may have fixed the troop last night.
With this last relay, I got kinda lucky. It didnt just blow, and stop working. It was buzzing.
I had my wife attempt to start it, while I just looked at stuff. After a few seconds of cranking it, I saw some smoke come out from below the fuse block, and at the same time the wife said that it started smoking in the cab from under the dash.
So now I knew that the problem was between the fuseblock and the cab, not between the fuseblock and starter.
So I took off the fuse block, and there it was. The wire from the clutch switch to that relay was all melted. I looked under the dash, and the power and ground from that switch were melted together. I cut the wiring harness apart, pulled that wire out and replaced it.
That had to be the problem. I didnt see it earlier when i looked at the wiring because before, the relay would just blow, and there was no more current. The wire never got hot enough to show any signs. Since it didnt completely blow this time, it had the chance to heat up while she was cranking it, so it was obvious which wire had the short.
I'll pick up another relay tomorrow, and see if it lasts this time.