Turbo 4Runner start not disengaing

my 1986 turbo 4runner starts and runs a lil rough and it souns like the starter is staying engaged, I have replaced the starter 5 times!:banghead: when i disconnect the positive battery terminal while it is running the idle goes up and smooths out a lil, it still runs rough though. I bench tested the starter with all the wiring hooked up when i turn the key it engages and disengages just fine. Any ideas?

While the starter was still engaging, have you try to turn the key again? Mine is diong this every other time but manage to turn the key to start position then back to ACC then it will disengage, try that. What tranny do you have? Did you bought the right starter for your tranny? Mine was from an automatic tranny because I did a tranny swap and still ending up using the automatic tranny starter, I hope to get a starter that was for the manuel to see if it help, hope this mey solve your dilemma.

Based on what you wrote it sounds like the problem is in the Ignition switch and not the starter, and the 1st response sort of echoes that. I can't see the solenoid sticking on all of them.

But I've never heard of an igntion switch failing like that before (sticking in one position

Disconnecting the battery cable (at the positive terminal I assume) really shoudn't make a difference as the alternator is still pumping out current to the starter, but since the starter requires more current than the alternator can provide it must just stop running (although you'd think the engine would just die while the starter was sucking down all the available current).

If you have a manual tranny, have you tried the old push start trick?
Put the key in the RUN position, not START; have someone push you or drift downhill; push the clutch in, put it in 1st, then release the clutch.
If it starts up and runs normally it could help pin down the problem.