folks, i have a 02 wrangler 4.0........i think i need a new starter..due to it going click.........click...etc when i turn the key. O'Reillys tested it and said i need a new one. i bought a rebuild for 74.00 and put it on. same symptoms as prior to the purchase. my buddy checked with a meter and i'm getting 12v at the starter.......is it possible that i got a bad rebuild? one thing more, this morning i tried to tighten the nut on my starter cable on the starter and i (of course you idiot!) got an arc because i didn't disconnect the battery.immediately after is when i started getting the clicking sound....I don't know what else to do..................we also hooked the starter in question up to my charger on "engine start" the solenoid engaged and the gear spun but didn't seem like it was going quite strong enough. is it possible that i messed something else up or just bad luck with a rebuild?

Well I was going to say check the solenoid but it sounds like you did that. go get another starter and see what happens, also I can't recall but I think when I put my new one on I had to make sure it matched up with the Flywheel teeth, but I could be thinking of when I did it on my CJ.. too many jeeps to many parts..LOL

I still think it could be the solenoid. I doubt it's a matter of teeth not matching. Almost certainly something would touch the ring gear little bit and you'd get a grinding of some sort or at the minimum hear a whirring of the starter instead of just a solenoid click. Also be sure you have good ground.

Another thought... is your buddy sure about the 12V at the starter? If you have a bad lead preventing the full 12V, but out of the Jeep on the bench there was a good connection, that could explain why it works on the bench and not in the vehicle.

A little late but here's my take. Clean your battery terminals. Make sure the starter lead is good and tight. Charge the battery overnight. Try it out. A couple things to comment on also. Using your charger on the start engine option will not give enough cranking amps go wrench the starter out of your hands, like it should on a fully charged battery. This may be a stretch but bear with me. When you try to start the jeep, and all you hear is a click, the starter is engaging, but may not have enough amperage to turn the engine. You will still have 12 volts with no load, but not the amperage required. Your troubles may very well be dirty terminals, poor ground, poor connection on the starter or most likely a dead battery.