I just finished installing the motor back in a 2003 outback sport.

ej251 - New Rings, re-honed cylinders, new rod and crank bearings etc..
Automatic trans.
Engine rotated by hand (well wrench) with everything connected

When I went to start the car for the first time, the starter clicked once and then nothing happened.

The battery is fully charged and works fine.
I had the starter tested and it works just fine.
There was only 1 ground wire that was disconnected prior to the swap, and that's been installed correctly (off the battery cables to the starter).
From close inspection it looks like everything has been plugged in and is good to go

people at the parts store suggested a ground problem, but i can't think of anything else that I disconnected. I have gone through the engine bay a few times and I can't see anything out of place or missing

What could be wrong? Any ideas?

Thanks in advance; I need to get this thing running

 

so only clicks once? and just dead silence after?

 

After the first click when you tried to turn it over it doesnt do anything... does it click once everytime you try and start it? Or it just clicked that one and only time?

 

It was basically just one click when I turned the key. It sounded like the starter is trying to do something, but it only clicked that one time. It clicks everytime.


I actually figured out what the problem was. The torque converter wasnt lined up properly with the output shaft on the transmission (not sure how I was able to do that) and so the engine was not able to spin at all. Im going to work on it now to get it done right

 

Well hopefully that was your problem. Good luck with it and let us know how it turns out

 

pain in the ***, but I got it. something was just not aligned correctly so the starter could not engage. Dropping the engine back in tomorrow morning

 

congrats