The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay 235 starter and ignition

When cranking the engine over it seems the starter takes a lot of current away from the coil. The engine usually starts when I release the starter. Any ideas?

Please always state year and model of truck in every post.

1951 3100 with 1954 235 key start. usually only starts up on release of the key. What do you think?

6 volt or 12 volt system?
Usually only? or only?....starts upon release.
So you have an aftermarket "V8" ignition switch? No foot stomp? no bush button? You have the spring loaded key switch? Electric solenoid starter? Please give more specific info and answer each question, so we can figure this out without a bunch of guesses. What year is the motor? Been starting fine, just suddenly began this problem? Did you do some wiring recently? Change some parts? What's the history of this? Automatic transmission with solenoid starter? 1954 had foot stomp mostly.

I am thinking there is a bypass system here and a miswired ignition switch. No juice to coil during cranking, only juice to coil at "run". But I think a 51/54 6V would have no bypass system. So I'm trying to extract info from you to see if hybrid.

1954 235, spring loaded ignition switch, only starts when ignition switch released. I have not changed anything to do with wiring. It's my daily driver. everything is the same as it has been for the 22yrs I have owned it. I'm getting to old to spend much time trouble shooting. Thank You for any info

I understand your frustration and I'm with you on this. You will need to read above and answer all the questions or I can not help you. I am not there. I'm at my house. I can't see it. It is probably simple once I understand what you have. There are several questions in my last post. Please answer each one. I have not asked you to trouble shoot. I am trying to do it for you.

I am guessing (which I hate to do) that you have a 6V system with a coil that needs no external resistor. I'm guessing the motor may be a car motor with an electric solenoid and a spring loaded V8 ignition switch. I'm guessing the switch, or it's wiring, no longer has a circuit for energizing the coil during crank (far clockwise position of switch). It still does have connection to the coil when switch released ("on"/"run" position of switch). I'm guessing motor is still cranking a little (momentum) when switch released and coil is then fired to start motor sometimes. Arm chair guess: Bad ignition switch, loose wire, broken wire. solenoid "R" circuit.

If the system is 12V now, different guess. Will adjust opinion if and when I get more info. Nice to have Msrs. Lederman and HotRod Jerry's opinion and anyone else.

Without someone making some very important voltage measurements, (specifically the voltage available at the ignition switch side of the ignition coil primary winding during cranking), it's going to be impossible to give you any meaningful advice. One loose or dirty connection resulting in a voltage loss to the coil, or a high resistance contact inside the ignition switch can cause the symptoms you're getting. Even a too-small battery cable can reduce the voltage available to the starter and cause voltage drop at the coil. Making broad generalizations about what's wrong simply won't work. Either go to the effort to do some diagnosis yourself, or pay somebody who knows what he's doing to do it for you. We're not magicians here.
Jerry