Slow to turn over With Electric Start

O

omextreme

Junior Member
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When starting the '24 with the electric start the starter motor seems really weak like you would expect with a dead battery. On some presses of the start button the motor wont turn over at all, some times it will turn over 3-4 times slowly. The engine does start after a few tries. The battery is new and fully charged, new grounding strap and the Pos lead to starter is in good shape.

Is it normal for this car to have weak starter or should it be more similar to what i hear when i fire up one of my mid 60's car.

I can crank the car just fine by hand with 1-2 tries it just seems that the starter is probably worn out.

Thanks
Adam
 
Clean all the connections shiny also between starter motor and block mating surface or bolts to starter. Make sure the battery takes and holds a good charge. use 0 or 00 gauge wire and maybe a new ground strap. If things don't improve then I would say get the starter rebuilt.
 
Dont hesitate to pull the switch apart and clean up the burned contacts either. Also, being six volt, its gonna crank at half the speed that youre used to hearing. You can also try taking the dirt band off and washing the brush end with some brakeclean. Is it really oily looking?
If you feel the need to pull it off, MAKE SURE THAT YOU PULL THE BENDIX DRIVE OFF FIRST, or the MAG ring will get damaged! ws
 
You mentioned a new ground strap was installed. Is it at least 0 gauge or is it 2 gauge like a 12 volt cable?
 
OMEX... on the starter motor ground issue... the motor itself is grounded through the four mounting screws only. There is a gasket between the starter and the engine. A lot of the engine grounding is picked up through the front mount under the radiator. The U joint area is a poor ground due to the grease etc, and the other connection is the rear mounting frame bolts (poor conductor).
At a glance, the starter cable is as big as yer thumb, and the battery to frame ground is too, or a worn out braided cable; either way that connection to the frame is pretty critical for electrical performance... ws
 
OM,

After you have check all this and there still is an issue, I recommend loosening the nut that holds the stud that the battery cable hooks to on the starter. Once the nut is loose, try and wiggle the stud, if it moves a rebuild is in your future. If this stud is loose in the silver solder joint a lot of juice is lost before it gets to the starter.
 
Thanks for the ideas. The wire gauge is proper for 6v, Ill check the bolts (didnt know about the gasket between starter and engine) Ill also check the stud on the starter itself. If i do need a rebuild where is best?
 
Ok so new thought, I never noticed it since previously i started with the car wheels blocked. When starting on flat ground the car lurches ever so slightly forward when the engine turns over, maybe a .5" at a time. Dont see it on hand cranking since i am holding the car back. So ...
1. Does this mean my bands are to tight
2. would that be enough friction to make it slow to turn over on electric start.

thanks
 
With the brake lever all the way back, two things happen; the brakes (parking) are locked and the clutch plates are held in neutral. Try parking in high gear to squeeze the oil out of the clutches, that may help.
If hand cranking and NOT BLOCKED, dont get yer arse run over if it starts! On Andy's note about the loose post, thats also a dead on idea. After 100 years of hard starting, the solder connection may have gotten hot enought to break the joint. CAREFULLY remove the wire from the starter and try to remove the grommet. If its broken youll feel it wiggle. The OEM grommet slides in with the end off the motor so it may not lift off. If not, pull the cover band and stick your nose in there with a really good flashlight. See if it wiggles, and if it does, it needs fixin, plus some other stuff while youre in there.
On the clutch dragging deal, try pulling the plugs and use both starters (hand and elec) and see how much resistance there is. With no plugs and brakes set, I would guess that the speed would be about 1 turn per second or 60 rpm. FWIW... the 12 volt starter on my T cranks at about 175 rpm. Like it was a Ford pinto or some late model 4 banger.
On a fresh motor, I had to spin mine with a BIG 'OL Milwaukee drill to loosen it up. No plugs and plenty of oil in the holes. The video shows the effor on the drill! A fresh 6 volt starter is probably a bit slower with plugs in etc... ws

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2UPuhMxdWA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sL948Cak2I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucqfcW1hrTk
 
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