Intermittant starter failure, Work or break! Pick one! Options

[ammason]

So my 73 2.0L has an issue, but I can't track it down... 95% of the time it's great, but every once in a while, it just won't start. I have power - headlights, radio, etc; and if I push start it it starts up just fine, but 1 parking job out of 20 leaves me with nothing. No solenoid engaging, nothing but the dash lights coming on to let me know I have no oil pressure.

The five or six times this has happened I've been without a multimeter and have needed to get somewhere, so I've just pushed and gone, but it's damned annoying and one of these day's I'll get myself into a situation I can't get out of.

Yesterday I had to push start it in reverse in a parking lot while blocking up traffic. It's a helluva way to impress the chicks, let me tell you...

I'll do my best to test it when it happens next, but am I describing typical symptoms of a part needing to be replaced? Ignition switch? Solenoid? Bueller?

Thanks!

Aaron

[Rand]

I ruled out the solenoid in less than a minute with the old screwdriver trick. (Along with the connections, battery, and ground strap, which could all cause this symptom). It's worth a quick test to see if it cranks when you short between main power terminal and ignition switch terminal. (From red arrow to green in photo below.) Make sure the car is in neutral first of course.

(IMG:http://www.4nets.com/baldwinpowersports/images/starterscrewdriver.jpg)