The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay starter gets stuck

my starter on a 54' 3100 keeps getting stuck i tryed greasing it and wd-40 niether worked im out of ideas

gvictor4- Welcome to the 'bolt

I don't know what you mean about getting 'stuck' (plus, I wouldn't know how to fix it ). My starter gives a nasty grinding/crunching sound once in awhile & I need to look into it.

Someone will come around soon, I'm sure & maybe I'll find out what to do too

This is the best place to be & has the nicest and smartest folks.

Sabrina

It probably has a dead spot on the armature if I am guessing right. So it will probably need replacement, otherwise, if you would describe stuck a bit more that would help.

Does it usually turn the engine over? Does it make a grinding noise? Does it spin without engaging the flywheel?

Stuck when hot could be vapor lock - when the starter is weak and can't turn the engine over against compression or pre-ignition.

So if you would, tell us more?

the pedal gets stuck then i have to turn the ignition off before it burns my starter

sounds like you've got a broken/missing return spring, or something's binding

Bill

return spring sounds good didnt know it supposed to have one ill check that but were does it go on the foot pedal or the starter? i think it get stuck at the starter couse i have to get a screwdriver to knock it loose, but i dont remember ever seeing a spring there

When was the last time you serviced it? Make sure that your brushes and armiture are okay.

You may want to check the grease in the bearings. I use Chaisaw Chain grease. Works like a champ.

Victor - the shop manual will be your best investment if you plan on keeping your truck any length of time and actually using it - covers everything and has lots of good pics - here's a page from an earlier one that shows what yours should look like - if you don't see the spring pictured, you need one!

Bill

Mine used to do that too. The button on the starter would stick down and the starter would not shut off. You might need to replace the contact switch on the top of the starter. Easy to do. Mine was new, so I fixed it with a generous application of silicone spray. It works fine now.

George

if you have a foot start ,,there is a return spring on the linkage to the starter at the starter...doc

As these guys have already elaborated, there is a return spring for the pedal linkage in the floor. and there is also a heavy short spring on the starter contact button, mounted on top of the starter itself. that button is pushed by the pedal and linkage. the pedal may return but the button may not spring back, leaving the starter contact energized. Disconnect the battery and have someone push the starter pedal and watch the starter closely and see whats not springing back. The pedal linkage also controls the drive gear that turns the flywheel. Hope all this helps.

is there any way to put a regular starter in there that starts with the tun of a key only. if it will be more practical or if it will work better once i change to a 12 volt system

All you need to change to key start is a key-start ignition switch, a starter and solenoid from a passenger car and one wire. Most of us like the foot stomp starter on the older trucks. One advantage to the foot stomp is that you can turn the engine over without starting it if you wish.

I'll make you a deal for the foot stomp linkage if you change it to a key start.

Ted

52 Ted - What part of the linkage you looking for?
I may have what you need. Email me direct gwells46@pacbell.net.

George

Everything you've heard so far is correct, and from the sound of it your problem is either the return spring in the push-button on the top of the starter motor housing or the pedal linkage spring located at the starter motor.

There is one more spring, and that is the internal one in the starter motor that returns the armature and internal starter drive linkage when you take your foot off the pedal. All three springs are necessary to return the armature, puch button and foot pedal linkage to rest.

If you can't fix it with one of the first two springs (or by cleaning and lubricating a little on the foot pedal linkage or the push-button contactor), then look internally on the starter motor.

As you are working on the "hot" electrical stuff, be sure to disconnect the negative battery terminal.

I just reread everything in this thread and noticed that gvictor4 stated that he had to turn off the ignition to keep from burning up his starter. Turning off the ignition should have no effect on the starter unless it is the spinning engine keeping the starter engaged.

i could be wrong but i thought that if you went to a key start on a 54 you had to change the fly wheel because the teeth do not match up? i put an engine from a 62 pickup that was key start and in my 54 and had to keep the fly wheel from the 54 in order to keep the foot start. but i have slept since then and i could definitely be wrong.

The six volt cars and trucks had different flywheels from the twelve volt cars and trucks. Foot start was available in trucks with either six or twelve volt up to about 1958 and solenoid start was used for cars of the same years.