Puzzling starter trouble...

[gordr]

quote:Originally posted by studeclunker

Well, took the starter out and had it tested at FLAPS; tested fine.
Loosened the tranny; didn't work.
Removed the tranny; didn't work.
There is a fellow with a good reputation in the area who rebuilds electrical parts. He's my next stop. Other than that, I may have to replace the starter. I'm pretty sure that is'nt the problem... sigh.[V]

Lotsa Larks!
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
Ron Smith

Have you established that the engine CAN be turned by hand? A Stude V8 in good condition can normally be turned over quite easily by pushing down on a blade of the fan at about the 2:00 position as you pull upward on the stretch of fan belt between the crank pulley and the generator. I do this all the time. If the engine can't be turned this way, it may be seized, or perhaps there is interference between some part of the clutch/flywheel assembly and the bellhousing.

When you are dealing with an engine-tranny pair that has just been assembled, and doesn't readily turn, be very suspicious of either incompatible parts or foreign objects.

You didn't by any chance install a diaphragm clutch?

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

[Dwain G.]

I still think you have an electrical problem. If the engine was seized I think it would torque over noticeably with a good cranking system. Do the battery cables get hot at all?
Next theory......the engine was in your wagon before. Did it run at that time? Have you ever heard it run since you bought it from L.S.? Could the cylinders have been filled with oil? Remove the spark plugs and try the starter then.

Dwain G.

[studeclunker]

Dwain, if the starter is bad, is'nt that an electrical problem? Sorry,
Yes the cables get hot.
I took the motor out of the wagon because it dropped the drive shaft (bad u-joint) and I decided that that year of Lark isn't my cup of tea.
Motor ran previously.
Drove it for a year and a half.

Lotsa Larks!
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
Ron Smith

[gordr]

quote:Originally posted by studeclunker

Dwain, if the starter is bad, is'nt that an electrical problem? Sorry,
Yes the cables get hot.
I took the motor out of the wagon because it dropped the drive shaft (bad u-joint) and I decided that that year of Lark isn't my cup of tea.
Motor ran previously.
Drove it for a year and a half.

Lotsa Larks!
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
Ron Smith

Ron, if the starter works out of the car, and engages the flywheel when it is installed, but won't turn the engine, AND the cables get hot when an a cranking attempt is made, that tells me in no uncertain terms that the engine is either locked up, or that the starter is dragging when it's under load.

Any electric motor, including a starter, will pull a very heavy current if stalled. It's perfectly normal for the cables to get hot in such a circumstance.

Seeing as you have another starter on hand, why not try that?

One possibility that comes to mind is that one or more of the bushings that support the starter's armature are badly worn, typically the drive end bushing, which can cause the armature to drag on the pole pieces when it engages the ring gear. A knowledgable tech at the FLAPS should have checked for that, though. If you remove the starter, look for radial movement of the drive end of the shaft in its bushing. If you can move it visibly by hand either side to side or up and down, the bushing is shot.

I would be tempted to simply take the extra starter in to an auto electrical rebuild shop and have it rebuilt. Around here, it costs about a hundred bucks. Then you have a known good unit to install. But I would sure as heck verify that the engine can be hand-turned readily before laying out money on a starter rebuild.

You could also order new starter bushings from one of the Stude vendors, and install them yourself. Hardest part of the job is removing the starter drive so that you can change the intermediate bushing. If you've never done that little chore before, it can make the $100 rebuild start to look cheap.

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands