Starter Problems

B

Bob Leonard

Junior Member
I have another thread going under the title, "Getting my A back on the road-three questions." It's simply a conversation about my attempts to get my 1931 Deluxe Roadster back in service after 13 years. I have had a lot of great suggestions and some great general recommendations. I now have a specific problem that needs its own thread with its own topic.

After working on a lot of issues, I was able actually to try to start the car. There was no response to the starter pedal. I have put in a new, fully-charged battery, but the starter did not budge or even make a sound.

I noticed that the ground cable was really rusted, so I ordered a new one, in case I was not getting a good connection. I installed it, and still no response. Since the negative terminal of the battery is directly connected to the starter and since I now have a very good ground on the positive side, there almost has to be something wrong with the starter. If so, I hope that its the switch ($35) rather than the starter (rebuilt for $200). I haver read the very detailed five pages or so that Les Andrews devotes to the starter, but, while I can remove and install basic parts, that is a little beyond my comfort level.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me to try before I remove the starter and send the core in for a rebuilt exchange? Is there an easy way to test the switch? Is there a tip that old hands know about ferreting out starter problems?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks, Bob
 
Assuming good battery and good connections.... remove the starter switch, ( 4 screws hold it to he body of the starter) and hold the live cable direct to the copper button on the starter. If still no response I would suspect either (1) starter bendix jammed on flywheel ( but you would normally hear a clunk) or (2) duff starter
 
Also, make sure that the locations where your ground cables are attached are cleaned down to bare metal. No paint, no grease.
 
If you do the test that John Buckley talked about in post # 3 and no response from the starter then do the following: Take the ring on the end of the starter off and squirt some spray light lubricant in there. Then take each brush and pull them away from the commutator about 1/16 inch and let them snap back in position. Then try the test again.

After sitting for a while, the brushes will sometimes get stuck and not contact the commutator. If the starter still fails the test then take it out of the car and turn the shaft with the Bendix and try the test again with jumper cables on the bench. If it still fails then it will have to be taken apart and fixed.
 
As Talwrench states. I have a regular driver that had a stuck bendix. The symptoms were exactly as you describe. No noise, no start, no nothing! Put the car in high gear and then rock it back and forth. If you hear a pop it's the bendix releasing. It will then start. Worked for me.


If this fails, I'd go with some multi-meter circuit checking and then the starter bench check.
 
old31 said:
Also, make sure that the locations where your ground cables are attached are cleaned down to bare metal. No paint, no grease.
Click to expand...
In addition to this, make sure that where the starter bolts to the engine that you scrape away the paint from the engine and starter so there is bare metal to metal contact. The path to ground on the starter is through the body of the starter to the engine block to the frame.
 
Thanks for all of the great advice. It's getting ready to be really cold here and I have a lot to do at work this week, so it will probably be the weekend (at least) before I get a chance to try this. I'll probably do the easy things first (check for a good ground and test without the switch).

If none of that works, I'll have to remove and test the starter, but I know absolutely nothing about starters. With all of your help and Les Andrews, of course, I might just be able to do this.

One thing that I will not be able to do is rock the car back and forth as she is up on jacks right now, and I don't want to get her down until I have the engine running.

Thanks again.
 
Since it's up on jack stands, try and turn the motor with the crank, if it doesn't move most likely you have stuck Bendix.
If you do a "bench test" on the starter. place the starter on the floor and hold it with your foot. Connect jumper cables, one to the mounting plate of starter other cable, touch to the copper button on starter. You will see sparks, but it should spin up to 2000-4000 rpm.
Good luck
 
While bench testing, check to see that the outboard end of the shaft is "concentric" with the rotation. If the shaft is bent (i.e. turns "circles" around it self at the outboard end) then the starter is more likely to jamb up.

The shaft/armature CAN be removed and "straightened" in a press. I did it once by removing the bendix and holding the starter body in a vise - and a four foot piece of 3/4 inch pipe, but that is not a recommended expedient as you may break the starter case.

Mine didn't break but my Dad reminded me of the possibility.

Joe K
 
My question is does the engine turn over ? It maybe that the engine is frozen with rust . I would pull the plugs and turn the engine over.
 
Does anyone have good information on re-building an original 6v starter motor to be suitable with 12 Volts - my existing starter motor moves the ring gear forward on the flywheel
 
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