Engine: Starter issue.

[kmac530]

I decided to try and crank my motor over since everything checked out OK so far. I have an old deep cycle battery that still has most of a charge. Yes I know it is a 6V starter and my battery was a 12V but it was at about 10V now and we used to run 6V starters in bugs once we converted them to 12V all of the time.

I was not energizing the entire cars electrical system, just putting voltage right to the starter to get it to turn over. It didnt crank over or spin at first at all. After a few times of contacting the positive post it finally broke free and spun but too slow to throw out the bendix gear.

I thought maybe the battery was bad and just wouldn't turn it over. I pulled out the starter and cracked it open. It was full of crud like spider webs and bugs and just debris. Once I blew it all out it looked really good. The armature was a bit dirty but no rust. I used some 100 grit sand paper and scuffed up the armature, and the commutator even tho it looked good I just freshened it up a bit.

I took a fine wire brush and brushed up the brushes a bit just to knock off any old glaze. I looked inside and the magnets looked new with NO marks on them at all. There are obviously no bearings in the starter just bushings on the ends, I dont see thos being bad.

After blowing it all out and it looking new inside I put the armature back in and open the brushes so the arm/comm shaft drop in just fine. I put the nose cone on and everything looks great. I jump it to a good car and it still spins really slowly even tho it was connected to 12V battery.

What could go wrong?

[kmac530]

No ideas on what it could be?
Where can I find a starter new starter?

[Orestudeguy]

Did you check the bushings in the ends of the starter for wear?
I would take it to a good starter shop to have it tested and possibly have it rebuilt.

[kmac530]

I held the brushes open with 4 pieces of wire so that there was no pressure on the commutator and I wiggled the end cap and there was no substantial play at either end of the armature. Certainly not enough to make the armature contact the field coils and cause too much current draw.
I am going to take it into my auto parts store and test it on the load tester to see whats up.
Anyone know of a starter rebuilding shop in the so cal area?

[Alan]

There are a number of good shops around the Riverside Area and off the 10 and 60 Freeways. It has been so long that I have had any starters rebuilt that every time I go into one of the old shops the owners have either retired or they have been torn down and changed to a Jack in the Box. You just have to sniff around. Myself, I take a $85 mini-starter from a swap meet and make a new snout.

[warrlaw1]

Remind us, kmac, what year is your car? I know 55 6V starters had a problem with slow cranking. I had mine rebuilt twice with new bushings. Does the job with 00 cables.

[kmac530]

Im sorry warrlaw, 1952 2R10. But it is converted to a 232 V8. Not sure what the starter is. I was using 00 jumper cables to a 12v battery so it should whizz just fine. It is out of the truck so it is not even under a load, yet it wont spin fast enough to throw out the bendix.

[kmac530]

I like that idea Alan. You make a snout on a mill? or do you whittle it out of a chunk of aluminum? I am a drywaller not a machinist.
I am trying to look at early GM L6 starters, they had the same style of nose cone. My local AP store has ordered me one to compare the gear and the nose cone to see if it will bolt up. It will be the magnetic solenoid on the starter style {GM} rather than the remote solenoid and bendix drive, but that would be an easy conversion as long as the cone fits and the gear is the same.

[Alan]

Just the common SBC starter then grab a chunk of aluminum 5" in diam. and 3/4" thick and whittle away. Will have to dig up some pics. Couldn't find any in my photo bucket account.

[kmac530]

That sounds awesome. I like it.
I ordered a starter for an old 235 chevy to see how close it is. My local AP store are really cool. They will order stuff with no obligation, if it wont work, they send it back...very nice to have friends in certain places.

[Alan]

If you want to play around with old starters. Find a Cad. ambulance starter and put your Stude nose on it.

[kmac530]

A Caddy ambulance sounds almost as hard to find parts for as a Studebaker does....

[cultural infidel]

I was just asking about rebuilding starters on the HAMB. Locally it would cost me $75-90 min to have it rebuilt..... worst case I was told $160.

[kmac530]

Yeah that is the range I have found. This Chevy starter Im looking at is $35 bucks all rebuilt so if I can make it work that is a great route and more available.

[Alan]

I checked out my stuff and the starter that I am working on now is for a dual pocket scatershield for GM's. I used a piece of 5" X 1" barstock. For the Stude use a 5 1/2" X 3/4". The Cad. ambulance starters had 4 poles on the field and heavy wire. 2 bolts and the Stude nose just bolted on. There was a guy that did auto electrical out in Canoga Park, had a big Quonset Hut style building on Sherman Way. It is now a Storage Yard and the guy is long gone.