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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Starter Engages But Doesn't Turn Engine

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Discussion Topic: Starter Engages But Doesn't Turn Engine

39Fordfan

09-22-2023 @ 12:22 PM

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Posts: 191
Joined: Oct 2009

On my '39 Deluxe the starter engages when I push the button but doesn't turn the engine. This has been coming for awhile. I thought possibly if I bumped the engine a bit with the crank starter I might be able to get the electric starter to bump past it's sticking point, to no avail.

I only recently found a crank that fits the car and the car had a broken ratchet nut inside of the fan which I was able to replace. Before I replaced that ratchet nut even if I'd of had a crank it wouldn't have worked. I'm young enough that I've never crank started anything and was a bit scared of it but it started right up, and my thumbs, hands and arms are no worse for the wear, heehee.

What is your procedure in this case? Do you simply pull the starter and clean it up, look for wear and put it back in? Or do you pull it and have it bench tested and possibly have it rewound, etc?

I've never had to do a starter on a flathead, anything special I need to know about pulling and repairing it? Thanks!

This message was edited by 39Fordfan on 9-22-23 @ 5:37 PM

carcrazy

09-22-2023 @ 2:12 PM

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The first thing I would do is make sure that the starter is securely and squarely bolted to the engine and that the mounting bolts are tight. There is a small bracket that fits under the head of the inboard mounting bolt that mounts to the adjacent engine oil pan mounting bolt. This bracket is there to help support the starter motor and prevent it from getting cocked at an angle. If the starter is not mounted squarely to the engine, it will not turn properly once it engages with the flywheel ring gear.

Starters draw a lot of current so make sure all of your electrical connections between the starter motor, starter solenoid and battery are clean and tight.

Make sure all of the ground paths between the engine and the battery are clean and secure.

Make sure your battery is fully charged and has enough power available to crank the engine.

If you still can't get the starter to crank the engine, remove the starter from the engine and take the starter apart.

Flathead starters are easy to work on and the parts required to repair them are readily available.

Check the four brushes to make sure they make good contact with the commutator and that the brush springs are properly located and applying pressure to the brushes.

If the brushes are too worn or the springs are broken they can be replaced with new units.

Check to see that the starter armature rotates freely within the starter and that the support bearings/bushings are good and provide proper lateral support. Look for signs of the armature contacting the field coils.

If the commutator has deep grooves or missing segments, you will have to be replace the armature. If it just has minor wear and/or scratches, you can dress it with fine sandpaper and undercut the mica between the segments with a broken hacksaw blade.

If you think that the work required to get your starter functioning properly is beyond your capabilities, you can take it to a repair shop and have it professionally rebuilt.

This message was edited by carcrazy on 9-22-23 @ 2:16 PM

39Fordfan

09-22-2023 @ 5:45 PM

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@carcrazy.

Thank-you very much for taking the time to write your very detailed post about this issue. I really appreciate it.

It's been a while since I pulled the various ground paths apart and made sure they were all clean. I never thought to actually check and see if the starter is squarely secured to the engine and that the mounting bolts are tight. I will start going through your list and see what I can find out before I pull the starter out. I will keep you posted on my progress and see if I have more questions about it.

Thanks again!

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