With a new battery, my van wouldn't start today. I can
hear the fuel pump, but no noise from the starter. I
pulled it out. I took jumper cables connected them to
my battery and touched them one to each of the large
bolts coming out of the solenoid. (the one that is
connected by a short wire directly to the starter was
rusty, so I sanded down to metal). No sound or motion.

Is this a convincing procedure to determine that my
starter is dead?

thanks,

doug