The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Dang! Starts right up again!

Ok, time to celebrate!

Put a new battery in the old truck, and dang! if he doesn't start right up.

I had been fightin' with him for a couple of weeks, now. Sometimes, just didn't want to start in the respectable manner I expect.

You may recall that Mando and I did the "tune up" thing back in August and that made all the difference.

Then, just after Thanksgiving, soon as some colder weather (understand, we don't really have COLD weather here in Central Texas) set in, the old truck just started giving trouble bein' cranked up. Never failed to start, just a little slow on the git-go. Until this week.

Makes me mad at myself, 'cause I knew it was gonna happen. I'm less mad than I could be, though, bein' as he sat right there in the driveway, turned over a few times when I mashed the starter, then just decided that was enough, it ain't gonna happen.

The trouble with the '46's and their friends is that ya gotta take out the floor pan to replace the battery. Maybe that's why I put off doin' the job.

Yesterday was too dern cold to tackle a job like pulling the floor pan (or much else) in the driveway, but today--not a bad day for fiddlin' with an old stovebolt.

So, this afternoon, I went after 'Ol Blue with a vengeance. Success was met with success as I removed screws from the pan, pulled the whole shebang out of the way, disconnected the negative braided strand from the post, pulled off the positive cable from the stud on top of the starter, replaced all the necessary stuff, and smiled at the possibility of having a truck that would, once again, crank up on command.

I finished the last swallow of coffee (now cold), lit a smoke and climbed in behind the wheel. Lets see, been settin' a couple of days, so I tromped down on the footfeed a couple times and mashed the starter to give him a chance to demonstrate the fruits of my good work before replacing the pan.

I was rewarded by the notorious sound of a 216 coming to life.

Yes, there are a few things I like more than my ton and a half Chevy, but I can count every one on a few fingers. As I have been known to say, "....cowboy, it don't get no better!"

Hey Glenn!

Since I have the same kind of truck I could follow exactly what you were doing! It's good the old guy starts well again. Have you got some really good cables on that battery? I was having trouble with mine not wanting to spin the starter fast enough.
I got some welding cable and made two 30inch cables up. I attached the ground to the starter mount bolt and the positive to the connection on the starter. Boy, does she spin over now!! 6volts likes that heavy duty cable!

Seasons Best George

Gee, for a second I thought I was watching one of those MIller High Life commercials.
"There, just a little golden liquid to add to the patina of life"

I was having trouble keeping my '53 yard dog running so today I rewired the ignition. It had a jumper wire with a big clip at the starter and an alligator clip at the ballast resistor. Then a wire wrapped around the other end of the resistor running to a toggle switch on the dash with a couple of twisted splices in between. From the toggle switch there were a couple more twisted splices before getting to the coil. There was a squeeze terminal at the coil but the nut wasn't tight on it.
Now I have solid wires with terminals on all ends. Mucho bettero.

Jarge, I agree. The positive cable from the battery to the stud on top of the starter should be the heaviest wire possible, and as short as possible to limit the amount of resistance in the wiring.

I ALWAYS replace the cables when I change the battery. Just like the little battery in a smoke detector.

Can you imagine my mood if I ever went to all that effort and chose not to replace the cables? I just double-dog guarantee you that within a week I would have to go through the whole mess again and replace the cables anyway.

How cold is is cold down there? The past few mornings it's been only ten degrees up here in New England

It's been in the mid to high twentys here in Parker County. Expecting teens Sunday night. This crap is not normal for December here.

Supposed to be nice today and tomorrow, but it is fixin' to turn winter, and just in time for Christmas.

Weatherman says there isn't enough moisture in the air to do anything magical, but later in the week expected highs are gonna be in the 40's and lows a few nights in the teens.

Maybe kill all the bugs.