Starter relay?

I have owned my 88 for about two years now. It is my daily driver. For the last 18 months or so, I have a problem with it starting. It is very intermittent and I have not been able to associate it with any concurrent factors (ie. rain, cold weather, hot weather, etc.). Basically, what happens is, I will turn the key over and all I hear is a click. It does not sound like the starter is trying to engage or anything, just a "click" each time I turn the key. This just happens out of the blue and occurs every 15-20 starts or so. In addition, the volt-meter on my dash, when this occurs, reads about 11.4
If I just walk away from it and let it sit for 20-30 minutes and then turn the key over, it fires right up. A gentleman I recently met, who claims to be a mechanic, feels certain it is the starter relay. What do you think? Like I said previously, this has been going on for at least 18 months.
Thanks!
Bill  

i take it that your car has the gear reduction starter...

they when used on millions of other cars have a small problem...

if you look at the end of the starter... there is a cover over the end of the solenoid with 3 screws holding it down.. that is covering the solenoid disc...

the copper disc makes contact with 2 L shaped copper terminals to power the starter... it also pushes the pinion gear out before it makes contact...

do to the amount of current flowing through...  one contact wears more than the other... this causes the washer in the middle to have to rock slightly to make contacts with both sides...  so the starter just clicks...    a really annoying thing..

i seem to recall that there is a starter relay in this system.. i could not find a relay for the starter in the parts lists..  they might call it something else...

i have fixed dozens of gear reduction starters with a solenoid contact kit from one of the chain stores...


Type: Gear Reduction Starter Repair Kit
Brand: Dorman - HELP! - Carded  # 02349  
Replace the contacts-not the starter, kit contains 1 narrow contact, 1 wide contact, 1 left contact, 1 right contact, 2 bolts, 2 square insulators, 2 round insulators, 2 hex nuts, 2 curved washers, and 2 o-rings
 
i don't know if this kit will have the proper contacts.. as there are a few more but i bet it will work...

there are also aftermarket heat shields for the gear reduction starters...
if yours is not already equipped..
Mr. Gasket / Solenoid - Heat Shield-Part Number: 3678
For your 1988 Chevrolet Corvette 5.7L FI 8cyl

you don't have to take the motor apart... just the starter off the car...  the 3 phillips screws out and the side posts off the solenoid housing after you take the end off and the plunger and disc out..   they do have to be level when you replace them...  you can usually get away without changing the disc in the middle.. as now the sides are level...   it will contact both evenly for a bunch more years...

you do have to understand.. that when you change these and put them back together..  you have to do it right.. get the spacers and insulators in the right position..   or you will seriously let the smoke out of the wires...

you can also test the starter off the car.. but the worn contacts will not show up... only takes about 2 minutes to get the end cover off when the starter is off the car... it also takes a Pozidrive screwdriver..   a phillips screw driver usually rounds out the cross ... i loosen them with a tiny pair of vice grips from the side if they are tight..   if the cross starts to pull out.. you can tap the end of the screw with a tiny ball pein hammer..   then drive the phillips screw driver tip in to make a new shape...


i still have not found a direct part number for the starter interrupt relay.. it is also controlled by the antitheft system...

so when it fails to start.. look over and see if the antitheft light is flashing..   you might have an ignition cylinder problem with the pellet in the key looses contact with the wiring...    you might try a small shot of wd 40 into the lock cylinder.. work the key in and out a few times.. then another shot and start rotating the switch..  on off on off...

there is a 4 minute lock out when the circuit is open and the key is on...  or the wrong key is inserted... this might explain why you can walk away and come back and it works...