This weekend, I went out to fire the Elk, it wouldn't start, I pulled the plugs and they were flooded. I ended up charging my battery overnight,
(trickle) and put it back together and the starter would not turn the motor.
I finally jumped the poles and got it to engage.
after a few times at the key it went back to not turning the motor.
bad solonoid? bad bendix?
any help would be appreciated

When you say "it wouldn't start" I assume the starter motor was cranking the engine over normally and that only after you removed and reinstalled the sparkplugs did the engine stop cranking? I would have the battery fully charged and then load tested. If the battery is ok then do an entire diagnosis of the starting system--all cables and wires good with clean connections and the ignition switch delivering power to the starter solenoid in the crank position. If thats ok, then the starter motor is probably defective. With a good battery, ignition wires and switch and a good starter motor the engine should crank. If it cranks and won't start check for spark and fuel and repair as necessary.

Don't go to crazy without checking the ignition switch down low on the column(2 stud nuts/ rod from key ignition/ wire harness clip / check ease of operation because there is springs and ball bearings to give it the actuator opearation).....if you have tilt, you may want to try putting the steering wheel in it's lowest position to see if that makes any difference first(do you have a sloppy tilt column??).....I have had to replace the ignition switch in several Caminos and Malibus that had sat for a while for some spooky reason....They either wouldn't engage the starter at all or would not return to a position of "fire" / "on"after bumping the key to engage the starter.... Also, check your fusible links at the starter, make sure that any small wires leading to the terminal(+ & -) are connected or not brittle and take a look at the wires that run next to the block and between the exhaust and if you have a metal loom/protector bolted to the belhousing. unbolt it and make sure there are no cracked wires,etc...

I would try a fresh battery too just for the heck of it and watch the lights on the dash as you change the key positions.........

Hopefully, it won't be to bad or you already got it

the morning that it started, I hit the key switch and it would only click the solonoid, I recharged the battery, and re-installed. Still would not engage the starter fully, I hit it, NOTHING. I jumped the poles and got it to engage the flywheel. after a few turns it quit engaging and went back to clicking the solonoid. My question(s) would be because I have not had any problems with this starter (untill this last weekend) and I had the battery load tested and charged.
Any thoughts?

The only real way to test a starter is by taking it out and either jump the posts yourself and watch what happens, or run it down to AutoZone or Advance for a free test....

First try smacking it "while" someone turns the key for you..

with a test light you can check any fusible links or some people just remove them to test em.

I hate to sound morbid, but make sure the engine spins and is not locked-up(which I doubt too)but spinning it might move the flywheel in a better position for the actuator to work...and the actuator may not have retracted....

Lastly, check the ignition switch and rod! it may not be engaging the starter efficiently because the power to engage the selenoid goes through the ignition and without a good contact in the proper position it may not start or run consistanly and may have a short inside

If all else fails, disconnect the Alternator clip harness to rule out an internal short there or within that system....

If none of that works, close your eyes/snap your fingers/and say abracadabra or sell it to me:-P

SOLD

I think you have a bad starter.

abracadabra didn't work????

how much am I paying?

First born :lol:

Does that include shipping?:P

DID you check the ground on the block,frame,firewall to valve covers.

I reset the ground, straight to the block at the fuel pump.

And then?

It didn't particularly help, when I said that after a few minutes back at the key, it would not turn the motor. It acted like it was already engaged.
I have since bought a new starter, and had my Quad rebuilt. I will post the results as soon as I can

update.
today a friend and I rewired a lot of stuff and had it running as good as it ever has! we took it out he drove first, no problems.
I got in and took off, everything good for a few miles, noticed a slight loss of power, on the way back home it stalled but close enough to coast it around the intersection and into my driveway (small town)
I have thought of running a push button ignition and have the wires just waiting to be set to the starter.
while we were trying to start the motor again, the starter stuck in the start position, what would cause this?
Two questions I have is about the fusible links in the starting harness, If I keep the harness like it is supposesd to be, do they need to be on the big or little side of the starter solonoid?
If I put the push button in, do I just tie the fusible links up and away?
BTW, had starter tested, it showed ok.

how are your grounds?

Try and see (with the starter off) if it will turn the starter (rig it to the battery) then see if the celinoid will kick when power is put to it. That way you can trouble-shoot the prob.

~that's every thing my cousins' friends' dad's brother said. -- I just had to add that :-D

ground is set to the block at the fuel pump-rod holding bolt.
I had the starter tested today, tested strong.

I just got done putting the push button in but no power, when I put the fusible linksin, starter engages on its own and stays engaged. Acts like
a wire is where it is not supposed to be. Can anybody talk me through the wiring?

how about the battery cables?
are you getting power from the ignition switch to the solenoid?

last post.
I am guessing that the initial problem was a weak connection, fixed, then at the end had a full hot wire on the engage side of the stater.
fixed.
starts good now.