1950 Champion start issue after first drive

[Jersey2J]

Our '50 Champion (9G W3) starts just fine on the first start-up of the day. The process: Press and release the gas once; turn the key to engage the electric fuel pump; push the start button and give it some gas. The idle is perfect and off it'll go.

However, when we turn the car off, i.e., get out for gas, a quick jump into a store, it's a trick to start. Here's what happens: Press and release the gas once; turn the key to engage the electric fuel pump; push the start button. The starter gives what sounds like a half rotation and sticks. I push start again and another short rotation. Believe it or not, if I push the car a foot or two, then re-press the start button, the starter will rotate and... vroom it starts and off we go. Sometimes it'll take three attempts.

I've recharged the battery between rides, checked the charge and the water level, etc. I thought that perhaps the starter wasn't getting enough juice, but now I'm thinking that it's the starter.

Any thoughts on quick ways to rejuvenate the starter - or other red flags that point to another issue?

Thanks!

Jersey2J | Sacramento, CA
9G 1950 Studebaker Champion
W3 4-Door DeLuxe
Visit my Studebaker website. Updated often with Studebaker minutia - http://www.studebakerguide.com

[ROADRACELARK]

Double check your ignition timing. You may have it set on what the factory specs. call for, but with todays lousy gas, you might need to retard the timing a couple of degrees. This might be a trial and error method to acheive what you want. This is not uncommon with todays gas,especially when the weather is hot. Hope this helps.

Dan Miller
Atlanta, GA

[img=left]http://static.flickr.com/57/228744729_7aff5f0118_m.jpg[/img=left]
Road Racers turn left AND right.

[Roscomacaw]

You MUST HAVE the proper guage cables to handle the higher current of the 6 volt system. The two cables serving the battery and any intermediate cable (tween the solenoid and the starter - which there probably isn't on this '50) must be THE right guage AND with good, clean, tight connections on ALL ends of said cables.

Engine cool.... starter turns it easily cause it's relatively loose.
Engine hot..... starter strains to draw required current now that everything's tightened up by the engine having warmed. So if the current circuit isn't at it's optimum for conducting the requested amps, you're fuming and thinking the danged ol' starter's at fault!

BTW, you shouldn't have to push the gas pedal once to start when it's warm. That initial pedal push is simply to let the automatic choke set when the engine's cold. Once it's warmed up, the choke is gonna stay open.

Edit: You want at least "Single Ought"(0) or better yet, "Double Ought" (00) guage cables with nice, clean and tight connections everywhere!

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1963 Cruiser
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President two door

[Jersey2J]

Thanks for the tips thus far! We did replace the NEG battery cable, so I'll look there first.

Regards,
Jason

Jersey2J | Sacramento, CA
9G 1950 Studebaker Champion
W3 4-Door DeLuxe
Visit my Studebaker website. Updated often with Studebaker minutia - http://www.studebakerguide.com

[Edsel G. Tattooer]

It sounds a bit like like what I just dealt with. If you haven't looked at your starter in a while. And if your still running with the old field coils in it, It could be the coils are going bad. IE: they slightly swell (for lack of a better term) when you energize them. they might be making contact with the starter case. Thus making it turn slow or not at all. It's what was happening to me just a few weeks ago.

It is a easy thing to check if the casings of the wires is crumbling inside the starter. Then try placing an thin insulator of some sort between the field coils and the starter body. If that solves the issue get new coils installed.

Edsel

[Edsel G. Tattooer]

quote:Originally posted by Edsel G. Tattooer

It sounds a bit like like what I just dealt with. If you haven't looked at your starter in a while. And if your still running with the old field coils in it, It could be the coils are going bad. IE: they slightly swell (for lack of a better term) when you energize them. they might be making contact with the starter case. Thus making it turn slow or not at all. It's what was happening to me just a few weeks ago.

It is a easy thing to check if the casings of the wires is crumbling inside the starter. Then try placing an thin insulator of some sort between the field coils and the starter body. If that solves the issue get new coils installed.

Check out my posting called "freaking starter!"

Edsel

[Jersey2J]

Thanks so much for the feedback. We're thinking that the issue is with the coils. So, what's the best course of action for long term use? Do NOS field coils exist?

Jersey2J | Sacramento, CA
9G 1950 Studebaker Champion
W3 4-Door DeLuxe
Visit my Studebaker website. Updated often with Studebaker minutia - http://www.studebakerguide.com

[rkapteyn]

Replace the bushings on the armature shaft.
You can get front and backplates with the bushings installed.
What is happening is that the armature hangs up on the stator when it gets hot and expands.
When the bronze bushings wear the armature is no longer centered and it will hang up pn the coils or stator.
When you replace the complete back plate you also get new brushes.
I stock most of these parts.
Robert Kapteyn
studebaker@mac.com

[Edsel G. Tattooer]

I would not ever second guess Robert. He has more experience that I could ever wish for.

For me I found a good auto eletronics repair place in Minneapolis and they Just rebuilt the coils for me. Now it starts like it had a 12 volt system in it.

Please let us know what you found it to be.

Edsel

[Jersey2J]

Robert, I emailed you and look forward to connecting about those parts. Thanks!

Jersey2J | Sacramento, CA
9G 1950 Studebaker Champion
W3 4-Door DeLuxe
Visit my Studebaker website. Updated often with Studebaker minutia - http://www.studebakerguide.com