| flatheadfan | -- 07-08-2018 @ 9:05 AM |
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My '36 has had a history of rolling over the engine but not fast enough to start. I added additional grounds and changed the cables to a 1/0. Same. I changed the starter switch (NOS). No change I changed the battery to a new lead type and then to an Optima. Still had starting problems. I changed the starter (NOS). Same old problem. Yesterday, I pulled up the floorboard and checked the floor starting switch. The starting side of the switch shows a badly burnt terminal. On the other end ( starter pole), there is no damage. The starter switch was a new old stock. The engine is a '37 with 4100 miles on the rebuild. I am open to some ideas. This is major frustrating. Tom This message was edited by flatheadfan on 7-8-18 @ 9:07 AM
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| flatheadfan | -- 07-08-2018 @ 9:06 AM |
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Another picture
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| carcrazy | -- 07-08-2018 @ 10:20 AM |
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It looks like your starter is drawing way too much current for some reason. The cable shown looks too small for a 6V system. There may be a direct short somewhere between your starter switch and your starter motor or something inside the starter is shorting out.
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| TomO | -- 07-08-2018 @ 10:37 AM |
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WOW, your starter circuit was drawing a lot of current. I am not sure that I correctly understand your description of the problem. If the burnt connector is from the battery, either it was loose or the starter switch has high resistance. If the burnt connector was from the starter, the starter needs repair. In either case the switch needs to be replaced or repaired. You can use a voltage drop test to check for high resistance in the starter circuit. Use the search feature of this web site to find one of my posts with the procedure. Tom
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| flatheadfan | -- 07-09-2018 @ 5:22 AM |
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Maybe this will help. Note enclosed picture. The damaged eyelet is on the floor switch. The clean eyelet is on the starter stud. Same 1/0 cable, opposite ends. Bad floor switch?
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| 40cpe | -- 07-09-2018 @ 5:55 AM |
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It looks to me like heat caused the damage, either a loose connection at the switch, the eyelet not bonded well to the cable, or the contact in the switch is bad.
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| TomO | -- 07-09-2018 @ 8:42 AM |
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Now that you have explained better, I would say that you had a bad connection at the starter switch. This could be because of a loose connection or corrosion in the cable connection. You will have to repair or replace the starter switch and the cable. Make sure that you use a lock washer on the connections to the starter switch. Check the voltage drop between the battery and the starter after repairing the damaged parts. Connect the black lead (COM) of your meter to the battery NEG terminal and the red lead (POS) of the meter to the terminal on the starter. Operate the starter switch with the ignition off and read the meter. It should read 0.4 volts or less. If it reads more, move the red lead closer to the battery by 1 connection (at the starter switch cable connection to the starter) and repeat the test. The meter should now read 0.3 volts or lower. If the reading is higher, move the red lead to the battery side of the starter switch and repeat the test. the meter should now read 0.2 volts or lower. If it is higher, replace the battery cable and repeat the test at the starter. If the voltage changes more than 0.1volt when you move the red lead, replace the component that was tested. Tom
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| supereal | -- 07-09-2018 @ 10:29 AM |
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Tom: It is likely that the starter is starving the coil preventing enough, or any usable, spark to start the car. Anything less than three volts is insufficient. That is why we devised the "quick start" application years ago. The burnt terminal on the starter switch is probably showing the site of the trouble. That shows a high resistance between the switch and the starter, either in the switch itself, or either end of the cable from the switch to the starter motor from a poorly crimped terminal. Just because it was NOS doesn't mean it isn't defective. Once you have that problem fixed, place a jumper wire between the ends of the resistor on the fire wall to increase the power to the coil. If that doesn't produce starting, place a jumper between the battery and the coil, but don't forget to remove the jumpers when finished. The under floor starter switches are subject to road moisture and dirt, and most fail sometime. It is also a safe bet that there is a poor connection somewhere between the ignition switch and the coil. In that case, if the above suggestions do produce starting, my next suspicion is that the ignition terminal inside the switch has worn a path that prevents adequate contact.
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| flatheadfan | -- 07-16-2018 @ 1:02 AM |
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Update- First, I would like to thank the responses to my starting problems. After pondering the suggestions it seemed apparent that I was dealing with some sort of high resistance somewhere in my starting system. So, I started by rebuilding or replacing everything from the foot switch to the starter. That also included new custom made 1/0 cables. Every possible ground surface the starter contacted with was stripped of paint and cleaned to base metal. Beyond that, every cable routing was inspected for "kinks." After everything was done it was time to see if anything had changed. PRESTO! The engine started up like a new car!! I am back on the road again! Again, thanks for the help. Tom
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| TomO | -- 07-16-2018 @ 6:30 AM |
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I am glad that your problem is resolved, but I urge you to do the voltage drop test that I described in my previous post. This will give you a benchmark to use if you have slow starter problems again. Tom
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