so i'm working on a 1951 styleline deluxe 216, 3 spd, 6 volts. i have replaced the selodid, had the starter rebuilt, new coil, complete tune up. also needed to replace the key switch and housing. the problem was i would get a click when i pushed the starter ****on most times and sometimes it would work and the car would start so i thought maybe the ****on. so i replaced that and still the same symptoms. i thought maybe a short in the wire so i changed all the wires in the ignition circut with the exception of the one from the starter ****on to the gauges and that is in tact. in addition, when i jump the stater poles, i get the same symptoms. if i disconnect everything except the hot from the battery to the starter, same problem. so is my new starter not good? is it possible that the rebuilders did something wrong? maybe didn't know it was 6 volts? i'm lost please help.
How did you end up with gauge power from the started ****on ? It doesn't work that way, power comes from ign. switch.
No Sir, The starter ****on is constant hot. Battery-Starter Solenoid- Starter ****on-Ammeter-Starter Solenoid... Every thing goes through the starter ****on. The starter ****on will turn over the starter whether the ignition switch is on or off. The only exception being automatic cars that had a neutral switch between the solenoid and the starter ****on. This is pretty universal for ****on start cars. I heard my '50 Ford Coupe crank over one day and found a bunch of yahoos in it, one was in the drivers seat mashing the ****on. I had the key in my pocket. They said they thought it was for sale. Manual cars will move off just the starter ****on if the car is in gear.
Was it doing this before the starter was rebuilt? As said check all connections. Make sure all grounds and connections are clean. Make sure the body and engine are properly grounded. 6V requires heavy primary leads, you need at least 2gauge (main cables). The stuff in the box stores is for Hondas and not suitable for even 12V American cars.
Your car came with one lousy ground strap on the battery to the fender install a ground to the ch***is, to the block from the battery then another ground from car body to frame use good wire don’t use the prepare ones from the parts places as they are underside for 6v and generally junk. get a multi meter and check for voltage drops can you use a set of jumper cables off the battery? find a good ground and jump the starter right from positive post? only about 3 wires in your engines electrical system, pretty easy to figure out with a multi meter what’s going on.
ok so here is what i have done. first, the car has had the same symptoms since i got it about a month ago and started messing with it. it starts but random & after clicking . i have replaced the battery ground to motor. its going to the thermostat housing and its a clean ground. is that a good place? also ch***is grounded to the bell housing. i'm using over the counter battery supply cables from my local auto parts store. should i use something else? if so what is a good gauge wire? as for multimeter tests, i have 6.5at the battery and starter. the wire from the ****on has about 6.1 at the ****on when pressed coming out to the starter but only 4.2 at the starter. i did replace this wire with a new one i believe its about a 6-8 ga but that did not help. so if it all goes through the gauges and i'm chasing a short, should i just pull the gauges and take a look? someone mentioned jumping the starter direct from the battery. is that to check the ground as i have 6.3 at the starters large post? anyways, thanks for the help ya'll!
To the head not T stat. The hot battery cable to the starter needs to be at least 2/0 not 2 gauge as I said above. The auto parts stores do not have that size. Tractor supply may have that size. I know they have ground straps. Your best bet is to have a cable made out of welding leads or order a reproduction from a supplier.
sorry for that last flub. and so.....after many hours of trying to find a short, which was preceded by many hours of trying to learn how to use a multi meter (thanks for the suggestion it was a good one) i never did find a short but i did track it down to the new starter/solenoid. turns out the case for the starter was the original 6 volt but someone changed the thing to 12 volts but never finished the swap in the cars electrical system. so when i dropped it off to the shop, i just figured they new it was a 6 volt, thats how they would rebuild it. when they rebuilt it they thought i wanted it to stay as a 12. very confusing but it is solved. thanks for the help ya'll
Thank you for posting. Many times people don't follow up with the results, so thanks. Somewhere out in net land is a skeleton locked in a '54 GMC. (bearclaw latches) We never did hear what happened.
Yep!..... Used to be dad's rifle till he p***ed away..... Then Mom told me to get it out of her house..... By the looks of things, to me it looks like it's never been fired and only dropped once.....
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