Attempted to start the Roadrunner today.... warm it etc. While trying to start it stuck in the start position regardless of key position. Had to jump out and pull battery cable. Also continued to try and start with clutch out as well....

Starter relay?? Ignition switch? How to test starter relay...?

ign switch would be my first thought (mainly cuz it didn't act up till you switched the key on). regarding the relay pull the yellow wire terminal off of the relay & jump 12V to its male terminal on the relay to crank it then remove the jumper & see if it stops cranking. I'm assuming that it has a clutch pedal ground to make you start it in neutral, that is strange that it too is inop. it would have to be grounding the black wire on the relay (+fire to the yellow wire) for it to be cranking unless the starter relay is stuck closed. keep us posted

Go under the hood...
And check the lever position for the reverse lockout mechanism
Even though likely U removed the linkage mechanism if the lever on the column itself moves upward, the key is locked and can't be removed...

Just my $0.02...

Being you stated it would crank with the clutch pedal released I assume you have a clutch pedal switch. If correct it is either the relay or starter solenoid. Take the wire that goes to the starter relay off. This would be the smaller wire that goes to the starter. If it still cranks when the battery cable is on then the problem is in the starter.

So....Disconnected the from starter to relay...and it would not crank when battery connected. Then....just reconnected it...and did not crank either...and car started and shut off fine. Flaky relay.....?

Good source for quality relay??

Could be the relay. That's the easiest and cheapest item to try. Low voltage can cause odd problems and contact fusing. Was it cranking normal or slow?

Probably the back up light switch. I've had it happen several times, LOL Just

I'm with Nitrousn on this one

they're actually a very dependable item. alot of stuff is made overseas now but I bet with any of em from a store that it'll work OK for you

Picking one up at Napa tomorrow

Had a relay fail like that in my GTS way back in 1983...

Look and make sure the two wires at the starter aren't touching each other where they bolt onto the starter.

I have had that happen on 3 occasions.

One was a starter solenoid (on the starter) stuck and wouldn't disengage. My Challenger had the ignition switch come apart inside the column and just by bad luck made a connection from the starter wire to the power wire. The third was a Ford, and the relay on the fender got stuck.

[quote] So....Disconnected the from starter to relay...and it would not crank when battery connected. Then....just reconnected it...and did not crank either...and car started and shut off fine. Flaky relay.....?[/ quote]

Could be a starter or relay.

Hope it helps

Well changed the relay and all i good so far.. Took a 20 mile drive across town to the only NAPA that showed the manual transmission relay in stock....to find they are miss labeled....the "manual transmission" one did not have the connection for the clutch safety switch...... the auto trans one does... that one was in stock at my location...1 mile away....

Cars with the clutch safety switch use the same relay as an auto. The "manual trans" relay has the "G" terminal grounded to the case of the relay. I'd bypass the clutch safety switch anyway. They're hard on the crankshaft thrust bearing.

What year car? The clutch switch didn't start till 70.

How could a switch mounted to my clutch pedal be hard on crankshaft thrust bearing?? Its a dumb little spring switch...?

70 RR just trying to go correct and NM.....

Because it forces you to put the clutch in while starting when the thrust bearing has no lube on it.

Ah....thks