The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Hot starter a no go

Short of replacement, is there a solution for a starter/solenoid that is refusing to engage/turn motor after the engine is run for a time? After a cool off period everything is fine. I set the gear spacing with a paper clip years ago. Connections were checked and found clean and good, Chevy 350.

Usually the sign of a dragging starter. Replace or rebuild. There are tests that others will post.🛠

It is much more simple to replace starter and solenoid once removed. You are going to remove them. One of them or both is failing. Testing may tell you which one. So what? You still will buy both.

Provided you don't have a hydraulic locked motor, bad ignition wiring/components or BAD BATTERY......... it's the solenoid/starter combo.

Resistance causes heat, heat causes resistance, both = voltage drop, heat soak and so on.

Some 350 parts are too cheap to diagnose further.

I've always done the ford or Chevy relay trick on Chevy V8's. Starters/solenoids last longer. One big cable to starter, no small wires to get "hot" from exhaust. Cable to starter is not "live". Easier to wire all the battery feeds.
Mount on inner fender up high, attach ignition wires to small terminals. No more hot starts!!!!

If the solenoid is refusing to engage the drive (maybe just a slight click) the brushes aren't contacting the armature properly. John's van had that problem at homecoming, but the rest of the starter was worn/tired/rusty enough that he chose to go with a new (not rebuilt) replacement starter.
Jerry

Thanks all. NSRA South is in town so I’ll be there later this morning. I going to “bite the bullet” and purchase a hi-torque light weight ‘Power Master’. I like the idea of being able to ‘clock’ them.

Please consider the remote relay. Glad to explain further on PM if desired. Points or HEI compatible.

Bartamos, At first I couldn’t figure out what you were trying to do with the extra solenoid. A picture is worth a thousand words. Moving the contractor out of the heat by adding the copper strap is a neat trick. I have 1/8” copper sheets laying around to form the ball on the electrode when tig welding aluminum. Thanks for the tip.

I flattened a 3/8 copper pipe. O'Reilly's starter "switch" 2SS3 or equivalent.

If the brushes are bad, adding a Ford switch won't help a thing.
Jerry

Yes, agreed. This is after he "bites the bullet". In my opinion, this a is a great idea (not mine) for anyone with a hard to start SBC or BBC....or to prevent a future problem. As I said, easier access, to wiring, only one big cable down to starter. This cable is only hot when starting. Keeps heat off of the starter wires when mounted up on inner fender in "cool breeze".

Agreed, and a new starter is in the works. “Power Master” was located here years ago and still maintains a small office here. They were at the show this weekend and said I could pick one up at the facility which is just down the road. Thanks for your input as always.

The round track racing guys like those Powerrmaster starters because they have a big gear reduction and they're able to crank high compression engines reliably. They're also lighter weight than an OEM starter where every ounce counts toward total vehicle weight. The starter is basically a Japanese import motor with a dedicated gear reduction drive that adapts it to a Chevy engine block. The downside is fairly short life- - - - -making a little guy do a big guy's job. Here's an alternative if you don't want a full size starter motor for some reason- - - -somewhere around the 2000 model year, Chevy started using a permanent magnet starter motor that was smaller in diameter and lighter weight than the big motor with wire-wound field coils they had been using since the mid-1950's. You can buy 2 or 3 of those starters for the cost of one Powermaster.
Jerry