Originally Posted by robsjeep

A failing solenoid can also cause these symptoms you have. If you measure the voltage drop across the solenoid, i.e. the voltage that the starter is getting during cranking, you thenhave tested the solenoid. You got nine volts at battery while cranking, but the next question is, did you get nine volts at the starter motor or not?
It used to be common to replace only one or the other , starter or solenoid after testing to see which one was bad, as often one was still good. This is how the solenoid was tested, read the drop across it or calculate that drop by subtracting the starter motor input voltage from that of solenoid input voltage while cranking. the drop across the cables and its connects can also be evaluated this way, to test cables, read the voltage between positive battery terminal and the positive input on the solenoid while cranking, you want a very low drop, if high drop voltage is found, the cables and connectors are suspect.
You test the negative side by measuring the drop from the negative battery post and the grounded case of the starter motor during cranking. if that is a bad high value, then look into the ground connections from battery to starter for the problem.

Only after you read directly or calculate from indirect measure the actual voltage delievered ACROSS the starter during cranking should you determined if starter is bad or not given the symptoms you are experiencing.

So first step is read the voltage while cranking of starter motor positive terminal ( the fat wire, not the skinny solenoid switch wire) across to the fat ground wire at starter. Reading this voltage at the battery is no substitute as bad cables or connections can give a false reading that the starter is bad.

If the voltage at the starter is good, then that means battery, the power connections, and cables are excellent.

Also, a weak key switch voltage, the skinny wire at solenoid that triggers the solenoid, can cause the solenoid to not slam closed with the required force to make a good electric contact to supply the starter motor with power. so if you find poor voltage across the starter, make sure your solenoid trigger i.e. key switch voltage is up to the stuff.

Originally Posted by ElMartillo

Great info, and thank you, but you will notice from my OP that I am getting an indicated 11.5 volts at the battery while cranking.

Cheers!

Originally Posted by robsjeep

The next step is to see what voltage is at the starter whilst cranking. If you got a bad connection, cable or solenoid, then you can have considerably less volts at the starter motor than what is at the battery while cranking. If the voltage while cranking at starter is very close to that of at the battery while cranking, then that means those cables, connections, solenoid etc.. between the battery and the starter, are good. If the voltage is considerably lower at starter than battery while cranking, that means one or more of the cables, connections, solenoid are faulty.

Good luck!