The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Starter going out?

This just started this past week, I push the foot starter and it's dead, the only thing that shows there is juice in the battery is the gas gauge works and the amp gauge shows discharge when you hit the stomper button. This is not an every time occurance, but the first time it happened I thought dead battery. Tried it again and it started right up. Sometimes I have to hit button 15-20 times, sometimes first try. Is starter going bad? Newly rebuilt engine,248, new cables and battery,12v conversion with 6v starter for 30+ years, so starter wouldn't surprise me. Thanks

Are the contacts burnt on the starter switch that is mounted atop the starter? Do you have good connections to the starter and from the dash switch? Is the foot pedal depressing all the way? Have you tried to manually depress the starter switch (while the transmission is in neutral and ignition off) from the engine side?

There are other reasons that could contribute to non starting, but I would check these out first.

I'd check the cables first, make sure they're clean and tight.

From what you described my first thoughts are the switch on the starter and or the contact on the starter case. You get an arc between those two contacts every time you crank the motor. They eventually wear out. Take the two screws out that hold the switch on and see if either contact has "dished" out, to the point of making no contact. If this is the problem, the switch is an easy fix, the post on the starter is soldered into the field coils on the inside and requires that the starter come completely apart.

Check the ground. More often than anything the groung is overlooked!

There are bushings in each end of the starter, when they get worn, the starter acts like it is working too hard, try replacing the bushings if the above make no changes. Starter rebuilders often do not replace those bushings.

If there's an open circuit in one of the armature windings that connect to the commutator bars at the end of the armature, when that circuit stops under one of the brushes the armature won't turn when the stomp switch is pushed. There's about a 1:30 chance of that happening, so it will be intermittent. Take the back off the starter and look for a burned commutator bar, or even badly worn brushes that don't make good contact with the armature.
Jerry

Cleaned all the connections on starter and ign. switch, got in, hit button, fired right up. Shut it off, fired right up, and again. Went for a drive to drop off used oil, wouldn't start. Stomped and stomped, finnaly fired. Haven't removed starter yet, but that looks like next move. Thanks for responses, will keep you up dated.

Removed starter yesterday and sent it to Rapid City for a rebuild. I know it is the same starter since 1975 and I'm guessing it is probably the original one, so it is more likely due for a rebuild. After it fired right up after cleaning connections I thought I had it whipped, not so much. I did notice that when I turned the key on the amp gauge would drop a bit, like it always did, but when I stomped on the starter, the gauge would move slightly to the charge side, not to the middle of gauge, just a small jump in that direction. I'll know more next week.

Got the starter back from rapid city today, just got it back on the truck, and it works great. Total rebuild, should be good for another 56 years, thanks for the help.

rbs56,

Does "Rapid City" have a website?
Have you used their services before?

Thanks,

This is a funny subject. I have my own thread on this subject - since I was having trouble. My problem was with the solenoid. I spoke with the starter and generator repair in Richardson Texas and they assured me that these starters last and are made with good metal. Maybe my brushes need replacing - I may do that later.

I replaced my solenoid and now the truck fires right up and has a lot better juice through the wiring.

I wish you the best with your rebuild

Sorry, rapid city, south dakota , I don't know who did the work, but looks like new, and starts better than it ever has. Never spun better

I may need a starter rebuild. When cold it turns over quick and happy but when warm - not so quick and happy.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Check the voltage at the battery terminals during cranking. If it drops noticeably on a hot start, have someone use a load tester to drop the voltage to the same point and see what the current draw is. There's two possibilities for high current- - - -a dragging starter armature or a tight engine. You might try to turn the engine over by hand by grabbing the fan blades and turning it to check for tightness, but that's not a very definitive test. It's also possible the battery just isn't up to cranking a hot engine effectively.
Jerry

Battery.

This is interesting. In the past I have been told the battery is bad. I use it because I drive the truck sparingly. I also bought and use a battery tender.

So, the battery could start a cold engine but struggle on a warm engine?

Thank you for the information

Yes, a cold engine has pistons that have not expanded to their usual running clearance in the cylinders, rings have not "grown" due to heat expansion, and a few other parts will not be expanded to their hot-running clearances. It might take as much as 25% more effort to turn a warmed-up engine as a cold one. On the other hand, cold oil will have more drag than warmed-up lube, but that's really only a concern in very cold weather.
Jerry

I guess buying a new battery would be best if I want to drive my truck.

thanks Jerry. This is a great help

My battery checked out good at both NAPA and O'Reilly's - so, not the battery. I plan to get a new ground strap from the engine to the frame. I remember using an old one. Maybe, that is the problem and cheaper than a battery.

Make sure the ground strap is big enough to carry the current. There are two different sizes of the flat braided ones- - -use the big one, especially if you're cranking with a 6 volt battery. There should be a maximum of 1/10 volt drop at each connection, and NO voltage loss from one end of the cable or ground strap to the other. This can be measured while the engine is cranking by putting the leads from a voltmeter at each end of the conductor, or touching the cable terminal with one test lead, and the frame, battery post, or terminal stud that it's attached to with the other. The meter will show how much voltage is being consumed pushing the current across the connection. On 6V systems the maximum voltage drop per connection is 1/10 volt, or 2/10 volt on a 12 volt system.
Jerry

Thanks Jerry. I bought a new big braided one (12 inch) last night at NAPA. I do hope that is the problem. We shall see

Dennis,

Did the braided cable from NAPA indicate the gauge/gage?

I am not sure. I will have to check the box and let you know