1929 Starter issue

I had a nice looking battery cable that was defective. Visually from the out side in looked great, all the connectors looked fine. Inside the insulation something was corroded. I could get the headlight to works but as soon as I hit the starter nothing. Changed the wire and all was well again. It could a similar for you.
 
I have the same issue but different symptoms. I was able to start my engine and ran it at idle for about 15 minutes. My alternator was able to charge the battery back to zero indication. Headlights were bright and the alternator would kick in to handle the load. I then shut the car off off and stepped away for about ten minutes. When I returned I could not re-start the engine. When I press the starter pedal, the starter would just whir, the ammeter does not deflect and the starter just continues to whir with no discharge indication in the ammeter. What can I do to fix this? Suggestions?
 
When you say the starter would just whir was it cranking the engine or the starter motor just running. If the engine was not turning over probably a broken bendix spring.
 
I suggest you get a few things ready to do this test before you actually do it. Have all of the terminals involved it running the starter exposed so you can feel their temperature immediately after trying to start it and getting nothing from it. If there is a dirty or poor connection somewhere along the line, it will get warm but cool again quite quickly so you'll need to be quick. I'd pay attention to both ends of the heavy cables. That is, the battery connections, the earth connection and the connection at the top of the starter and don't forget the contact inside the switch on top of the starter.
Another way of checking these connections is to have someone else press the starter button while you use a voltage meter to check the voltage across the connection. It should be zero or very close to it.
 
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While you have the starter out, clean real good the part of the starter that
mates into the bell housing. It can help ground as well. Sandpaper works
well with small wire brush.

Is your starter switch good? You can take it apart and clean up
in there as well. And clean up your starter bolts. Wired wheel them
and clean out the threads in the housing. Everything must be clean
and then the starter might be suspect.
 
The bendix spiral needs to be clean of oil, clean with brake clean or carb cleaner, a light coating of light weight oil (ATF or MMO ) , when you bench check the starter will shake worse then a out of balance clothes washer !
 
I had something similar happen. After removing the starter i could see what the problem was. It turned out that the ring gear had moved back enough that the starter would not engage.

I tapped the ring gear in place and tach welded it in place at 4 measured locations so that the flywheel would be somewhat balanced.
 
Thank all of you for the suggestions. From what has been advised, I think it best to pull the starter and check out the Bendix gear. More later....
 
This might sound odd, but when I redid the wiring harness on my 1929 A, i had a very similar problem. At the time I still had the 20-0-20 ammeter installed. and since I had already purchased a new Ammeter (12v conversion so it is 30-0-30) I decided to replace it, and that did the trick. Might want to look at that route as well.
 
My28Ford: Current flow through the starter circuit does not indicate on the ammeter due to the way the car is wired.

You say that the starter just whirs, which indicates the Bendix is not engaging, which means the engine is not turning over. Thus, the primary ignition points are not opening and closing, which is the negative twitch you are seeing when starting the engine under normal circumstances.

Kudos to you for paying attention to your ammeter. The ammeter is a Model A owners good friend in many ways, too many to explain on this thread.
 
as kids, sometimes not knowing what to do was the perfect solution! ie

sometimes when our A's giving us crank or start problems we (takes 2 for procedure) dragged over a 12-v battery and hooked up jumpers. one end left off. ground@batt. then other guy sets up to start and just before foot to starter pedal... "Now!"

and other put jumper end to 12-v grnd post. and spin she did!!!! :D

wth!! :p what did we know?? ...we was just kids!

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Before you remove the starter, beg, borrow, or purloin a spare 3/8-16 bolt about 1" or 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" long (not too long), cut off the head. After you've disconnected the battery, there's 3 bolts holding the starter on, remove the one (easiest to get to) at the top outer position, replace it with the bolt that you just decapitated. That bolt will support the starter while you remove the other 2 bolts. When re-installing the starter that bolt, AKA a stud, will support the started while you install the other 2 bolts.
 
Thats a good idea. If you can't get the bolts to start, that starter will get a little
heavy after a while.
 
I had a similar issue and it turned out to be the new starter switch. When depressed the contacts made no contact or just barely but not enough to spin the starter. Bent the copper spring strip a little and all was fine
 
One thing I haven't seen mentioned, what size cable do you have going to the starter? If you got 1 from an auto parts store made for 12 volt cars it is way too small. 6 volts pull much more current and the cable should be almost twice as big to carry it. Just an idea.
 
Ordsgt said:
I had a similar issue and it turned out to be the new starter switch. When depressed the contacts made no contact or just barely but not enough to spin the starter. Bent the copper spring strip a little and all was fine
Click to expand...

one basic premise to most, if not all, electrical systems... 'gotta have continuity!'

I think Ordsgt has the right idea!...

all ideas and suggestions aside, have you checked and proved the route of 'continuity'?

only takes a voltmeter ~
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