Hello,
I have a replacement starter in my '68 - 427.
Cold it turns over rapidly and fires the engine.
Once it gets hot it sounds like its struggling.
It always fires up(so far) just sounds like its having difficulty spinning.
It does spin just much slower.
I'm sure it is a heating issue?
What can I do?
Thanks,
Marshal

 

Many posts on "bb heat soak".
1. Make sure your grounds are super. There is one from the battery to the frame in the rear. clean off connector, brush off the frame area to bare metal and bolt with a star washer.

2. There is a ground from the engine block to the frame right by the starter. Do the same thing. If the ground is old and cracked - pop for a new one at the auto store. Just maybe it is gone.

3. Make sure the heat shield is installed between the starter and the exhaust manifold or header. There was one with the origional build. Look in the AIM manual at the pics.

4. If you changed the starter, ck the gap of the meshed gears with the tool that should have come with a new starter along with some shims. The tool looks like a piece of large wire. Shim if needed. Eliminates excess drag when hot.


5. If all is ok and you don't want to swap in another stock starter, get a small high torque starter. 99 times out of a 100 this gets rid of the heat soak problem.

Here is a link on Amazon to examples, copy and paste in browser.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...+chevy&x=0&y=0


I know, been there and replaced stater with a mini and problem solved finally.

 

HI GUY AND GALS
Sorry for hijacking this thread, but this site has changed so much since the last time I logged in it's hard to find anything,But I need Help,so here goes. I was trying to get my dash lites working and must have shorted something, cause now I've got nothing, when I turn the key I get absolutely nothing and I was hoping someone here could tell me haw I can mickey mouse it , or run a jump from the battery to the starter to get it to start, After i shorted it. I still had a working starter then i kept messing with it and all the sudden, nada, and I 'm really going crazy trying to get the juice back to the starter. It's a 73-350. can't find any horn relay or fusible links, just some heavily soldered connections in the heavy red wire in the engine compartment, if these are the fusible links , the wires are not melted like you would expect , if the link is blown ,the wires on either side of the solder joint look good and normal. hope somebody can help me out here with this nitemare.
TIA
The wiring in this car has been a constant problem since I bought it 6/7 years ago but this never happened before and I'm going nuts here.
thanks again in advance
Rich

 

73 red vette: to avoid confusion why dont you start your own thread

Marshall135: what is your initial timing set for, too advanced will cause hard starting when hot

 

Can't figure out how to do it.
won't start, totally dead.

 

On the left side near the top of the screen it says "New Thread"

 

It used to say somewhere "start new thread" but can't find that now

 

heres the link

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/newt...=newthread&f=3

 

Not on my screen there isn't

 

It's on the top or bottom of the thread listing page, not the individual thread pages.
Link

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-tech-performance-3/

 

BigVette,MelWff,
thanks for the responses.
Some how post got ambushed with another request but no problem we will work with him too

So to recap for homework: check timing, check cited grounds, check for heat shield in place.
All else fails high torque starter option.
Does the high torque starter bolt up just like the stock one?
It looks different without a nose cone
Thanks

PS: 73 red vette, you may have directly shorted out your batterry depending how old a battery it is. Shorted out a harley dresser starter one time and immediately killed the battery. I mean direct to Dead, No jump no nothin'
new battery was the only option.
Check 4 12 volts at battery 1st. No juice go directly to Napa.
12 volts present start working from the cables forward to the starter.
Sometimes you wiggle or move a battery cable and magically the car comes alive
Let us know
Marshal

 

I was talking about the GM or Delco like starters that have a nose cone. Click on the Amazon link and the 2nd or 3rd ones down the page. If all the grounds are there, the shield and the gap of the gears is ok, then you probably just have a bum starter. You could buy 10 at the local auto store and maybe 3 might work without heatsoak bind. That is why I recommened the high torque mini's. I talk from experience on a 454. Tried 3 from Auto Zone and none wsorked. Ordered the mini one and pow ... cranks over that beast well.

 

BigVette1,
Ok, that makes sense sorry; I'm simple minded

Thanks I'll start cheap 1st with your rec. and if need be replace the starter with a high torque 1.
I'm at a dissadvantage with the current starter and shimming 4 proper spacing. It was already in the car when I bought it this past Aug.
Is there a way to check from scratch?
Thanks again,
Marshal

 

73RedVette...

Back out of a specific post to the top of the Forum section in which you wish to post (ie, Tech, General, etc.). Then you will find the "NEW POST" button at the beginning of that section.

 

Are there any shims being used currently?
If it's starting good cold, without any odd noises, your shimming is probably fine.

 

Agreed...

Are there any shims being used currently?
If it's starting good cold, without any odd noises, your shimming is probably fine

If the grounds are there, factory shield is there, the battery is ok, there is full battery voltage at the starter (13.8-14.2 vdc when running) you just have the dreaded BBC hotsoak issue. The resistance of the starter winding and/or solenoid just go way up when hot and slow to crank sets in.

You can try different Gm starters (22-25lbs) that cost maybe $60-80 or pop for a mini at about $90 (maybe 8lbs). Makes a real difference laying on your back holding the starter with one hand and putting in a bolt with the other. Whatever you do ---- if you change out starters wipe off the wires on the solenoid take digital pictures or make a diagram of what color goes where. Trust me I am talking from frustrated experience in all issues.

 

marshal, if your starter is original or just plain old, you be best to just replace it. I got a stock OEM rebuild at auto part store with a lifetime warranty for $50. I would rather have a high torque mini starter, but they are quite a bit more $$. It turns my fat engine no problem. So far no heat soak problems, only because its probably new.

 

If your starter is original to the car, have it rebuild by someone that knows starters, or if you don't care about being original, buy the warranty starter.

 

Folks,
thanks for the additional input.
Car starts fine no strange noises cold so maybe last owner did the job right.
So no worries than about shims etc....
As soon as it stops raining I'm going to check the things you all directed me to do.
I will make notes as to what wire came off of where.
Nothing like shorting out a new component right out of the box.
I've learned over the years via the hard way; take off one of them battery terminals.
Then you re-energize the vehicle & the new item isn't being installed while vehicle is energized. I know I explained that goofy but those that know what I mean know what I mean.
Just got to touch the frame while hot wire live and pretty sparks for all to see.
So, I probably suffer from heat soak and more than likely will go for the hi torque starter but will rule out cheaper fixes offered first.
Marshal

 

fwiw I just bought a nice 3hp mini starter from DB Electric.
It cost $89 and will crank up to 15:1 compression engines. Fit like a glove with plenty of clearance and I didn't even use any shims.