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starter blues

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by ironhead49, Mar 18, 2010.

  1. ironhead49
    Joined: Sep 5, 2008
    Posts: 59

    ironhead49
    Member

    After I've drive my 51 chevy with a 235 for 30 mins. or so, and shut it off the starter doesn't want to roll the engine over. It seems like if I let it sit for 20 mins. or so it will go ahead and roll it over. Sure is a pain in the *** when I stop to get gas and I have to push start it to leave the gas station. I wondered if it could be a weak solenoid, the batt. is reading 6.13 volts so I know the batt. is good and charged. It is still a 6 volt system. Any help would be appreciated guys. Thanks
     
  2. Hnstray
    Joined: Aug 23, 2009
    Posts: 12,357

    Hnstray
    Member
    from Quincy, IL

    Make sure you have GOOD ground connections. Battery to engine, engine to frame, body to frame.............the most operative in this scenario is engine/starter to batt.

    Ray
     
  3. ironhead49
    Joined: Sep 5, 2008
    Posts: 59

    ironhead49
    Member

    That is another thing I thought I should do, is to put a ground strap from the motor to the frame. I didn't think about one from the frame to the body.
     
  4. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 35,977

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    There is a good chance that the bushings are pretty well worn in the starter letting the armature drag.

    The NAPA parts numbers are
    ECH 4200 Commutator end
    ECH 4265 Drive end.

    The brushes are
    ECH R503

    those three items should be under 10.00 at any NAPA store and it isn't that difficult to pull the starter apart, change the pieces and re***emble it.

    You have to take the starter apart and take out the bushings and drive or press in the new ones, put a small dab of grease on them and after you replace the brushes and shine up the commutator with a piece of sandpaper, re***emble the starter and put it back on.

    Or pay the price the want at th store for a rebuilt starter.

    And as the others said, make sure that all of your cables and connections are good. I've seen a lot of guys have what they thought was starter trouble when the problem was a loose or poor ground connection between the ground cable and the engine.
     
  5. ironhead49
    Joined: Sep 5, 2008
    Posts: 59

    ironhead49
    Member

    I had to put 2 starters together to make 1 after the previous owner burnt the original with it hooked to 12 volts and cranked the piss out of it. So I've been in it before, I'm glad to see that Napa has these parts man and thanks for the info guys. Rod on!!
     
  6. five1cadiman
    Joined: Nov 28, 2009
    Posts: 92

    five1cadiman
    Member
    from downey ca

    i had that same problem once i wrapped my coil in heat wrap and rebuilt my generator i got rid of that proble rite away.(i also have a 6vlt)
     
  7. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 35,977

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I think those same bushings and brushes cover about 40 years worth of Delco starters so they should be fairly easy to come by.

    I take an old flat tip screwdriver and grind one side of it so it is rounded and then sharpen the tip to use as a chisel to cut the bushing so I can pull it out with a needle nose. The one I liked best was about a quarter of an inch wide when I started reworking it.

    I use an old kingpin as a punch to drive them back in as I have never bought a bushing driver set to do it with. It's more tap them in then drive them though.
     
  8. CyaNide
    Joined: Mar 2, 2006
    Posts: 296

    CyaNide
    Member
    from Texas

    Does the starter get hot? Might just need to make a heat shield.

    CN
     
  9. holeshot
    Joined: Sep 18, 2009
    Posts: 1,519

    holeshot
    BANNED
    from Waxahachie

    IRONHEAD...NAPA. has the best rebuilt starters i've deen. after 5 other rebuilt starters from other auto parts. i got mine from napa. and it was for a 300 c.i. ford. it's time for a GOOD starter. O and their rebuilt by DELCO...POP.
     
  10. tommy
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 14,756

    tommy
    Member Emeritus

    One thing to do is clean every mechanical connection in the starting system cables. The battery ground cable should run directly to the engine block. Remove the cable and sand or wire brush the connections. Same on the pos cable. Dirty connections increase the resistance. The added heat of the warm engine can take it over the edge until it cools back down again.

    The cables should be 6V cables which are a lot heavier than 12V replacement cables at the parts store.

    You should not have to add a bunch of grounds and heat shields. You just need to get the system back to the way it was when it left the factory.
     
  11. blackmopar
    Joined: Nov 21, 2006
    Posts: 481

    blackmopar
    Member
    from fallbrook

    chevys solenoids are notorious for being affected by heat. Install a ford remote solenoid n ya should be good to go
     
  12. ironhead49
    Joined: Sep 5, 2008
    Posts: 59

    ironhead49
    Member

    My sarter doesn't feel hot to the touch after I've drove it for awhile. There was not a ground cable from the motor to the frame on the old 216, but I wasn't sure if there needed to be one or not. I will clean the block and the cable real good, could be some fresh paint under the cable where it bolts to the block. I am running 6 volt cables, the starter acted the same way when I had the 216 in it. Does Napa sell the solenoid or just a complete rebuilt starter?
     
  13. bobss396
    Joined: Aug 27, 2008
    Posts: 18,740

    bobss396
    Member

    While I CAN rebuild my own starters, I have been taking mine to a good local auto rebuilder and letting them do it instead. I talk it over with them, tell them what I want, we agree on the price. Then I get my starter back, it works, has a warranty and I have spent my money once.

    Bob
     
  14. TagMan
    Joined: Dec 12, 2002
    Posts: 6,355

    TagMan
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I had a similar problem on a 235 in my '37 coupe years ago. Stop for gas and it wouldn't turn over. Push the car and pop the clutch and it'd start right up. Once the engine cooled down for 15 minute or so with the hood up, the starter would turn the engine over and start the engine up with no problem. I found out the coil was bad. I changed the coil and never had another problem.

    Also, if the timing is advanced too far, it'll affect the starting on a hot engine.
     
  15. ironhead49
    Joined: Sep 5, 2008
    Posts: 59

    ironhead49
    Member

    Why would a bad coil drag the starter down? I wonder if Napa sells 6 volt coils that would work on my car? I'll check Monday when I pick up my new bushings and brushes.
     
  16. tlundberg
    Joined: May 30, 2008
    Posts: 124

    tlundberg
    Member
    from Arma Ks

    this is a notoriuos problem with 6 volts and a major reason many of us convert to 12 volt. easy fix

    tim
     
  17. bigdog
    Joined: Oct 30, 2002
    Posts: 808

    bigdog
    Member

    Delco no longer rebuilds or manufactures anything. It's just a brand name put on parts sourced from other suppliers.
     

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