I recently converted my 54 chevy bel air to 12v. The car has sat since the late 1980s and this is the first time starting. I'm still using the 6v starter and solenoid. Whenever I crank the car the starter won't disengage. I've jumped the starter at the solenoid with the ign. switch wire disconnected and same problem. I've pulled the starter and solenoid teeth are good, (cleaned plunger and shaft and they're moving freely). I can get the car running and quickly disconnect the neg. battery cable and quickly reconnect it to disengage the starter and new the car running. What could my problem be? Bad solenoid?
Is your distributor or anything else connected to the solenoid? If so disconnect everything but the hot in and out and jumper the start and see what happens. It might be a bad solenoid. Sent from my XT1650 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Now that I think of it. There's a wire going to the battery side of the solenoid? Charging wire maybe? Could this have something to do with it? I won't have a chance to check it til tomorrow.
That wire might be tripping it. Try it again after disconnecting that wire. If I remember, that wire goes to your battery gauge? But might also be a exciter wire or something else. Either way might be backfeeding the solenoid. Sent from my XT1650 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Alright well I removed the ign. wire and wire going to ammeter from the solenoid. All that's on there is positive battery cable and copper jumper to the starter. Starter is still staying engaged until I disconnect battery. Can this be anything else other than a bad solenoid? Don't wanna buy a solenoid and have the same issue. Thanks in advance
This may sound much too simple, but, is there a spring on the plunger sending the bendix back to it's resting place when you get off the start button? Or is the ignition switch having problems?
Its not the ign switch ( I disconnected that).. spring on the solenoid plunger inside the solenoid or behind the cap? There wasn't one in the big solenoid plunger but I can't find a breakdown to see if I'm missing any parts. There is one on the one with the Cooper washer though
I believe there is an adjustment that can be made to the solenoid plunger rod; it can be shortened or lengthened to engage more or less with the flywheel. It's hidden under the boot on the solenoid. The 55-56 Chevrolet V-8 starters/solenoids also had that feature; always thought it was a good idea, but in 57 they changed to a non-adjustable plunger rod. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
I could be wrong, but from memory there is another winding in the solenoid which neutralises the main solenoids magnetic pull when the key is released, causing the solenoid to release.. So yeah, try another solenoid if you got one..
The 6v solenoid can be rebuilt, or some guys used the '55-'56 solenoid to slow down the engagement. The return spring is a mousetrap affair on the drive housing. Have you tried the unit on the bench ?
Alrighty so I pulled it off the car again and bench tested it. Starter still stays engaged and spinning. So a 55-56 solenoid is on order.
The Jalopy Journal
