starter/battery issues....i need some advice ASAP

[ctToyBoy]

I have a 1994 4x4 pickup w/the 3.0L V6 engine and 135,000 miles on it.  After installing my downey headers, I put my battery back in and tried to start the engine....no good.   So I hooked it up to a smalll battery charger and let it charge slowly(2 amps) all nihgt.  It still wouldn't start, so I put the charger on engine start mode and tried to start it.  No good, but this time I get a fast-paced clicking noise from the vicinity of the starter motor.  I called two mechanics and got the oppostie answers AS USUAL.  1 said buy a new starter motor, and the other said it sounded like a battery problem.  The starter motor has never had a problem (the contacts needed cleaning after a particularly muddy trail ride) and the connections appear intact and secure....I'm at a loss and really don't want to buy a new starter unless I'm positive it's the problem....anyone have any suggestions

[brainlessfool]

starters are usely basic, chack batt. volts, 12.8+ is ok and then check with lights on again, 12.2+ is ok. now check batt volts at the batt conn. on the starter. with in .3 of batt. volts? if so ok, now check ground from starter to frame, put one end of the metter on the body of the starter and the other on the frame, have someone try to crank the eng. shold be under about 1volt, if not fix the ground. just for a test try hooking one end of a jumper wire to the eng and the other to the neg. post of the batt. makes for a good ground check. more than likly its something that you did wrong when you did the headers.

[ctToyBoy]

hey...thanks for the advice....turns out that the positive terminal ring wasn't clamping hard enough to make 360 degrees of contact with the battery post, even when fully tightened, so I replaced the terminal ring and heard my exhaustless(only for today) headers rumble to life.  Like having a race car in my driveway.