Slow start ZO6 LS7. Solution!
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Racer
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 378
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From: Kailua Kona Hawaii
Slow start ZO6 LS7. Solution!
2011, ZO6: I have for several months been experiencing slow starts. Erungh, erungh, erungh and then finally the engine fires. I tried a standard new battery. No improvement. Tried an Odyssey AGM but still no improvement. My local vette guy replaced the starter. This helped some. But on frequent occasions, the car went back to its old three or four turnovers before the engine would fire.
Solution: After watching the attached video on YouTube, I bought a Powermaster high torque mini starter. We installed it yesterday. Wow! The Zo6 cranks and fires on the first try every time. I have tried it hot and cold. I am duly impressed. There will be a starter heat shield added soon,
So far, this engine definitely loves the Powermaster. I am greatly relieved to have this problem apparently solved. Hope this helps someone. Powermaster 9509
Solution: After watching the attached video on YouTube, I bought a Powermaster high torque mini starter. We installed it yesterday. Wow! The Zo6 cranks and fires on the first try every time. I have tried it hot and cold. I am duly impressed. There will be a starter heat shield added soon,
So far, this engine definitely loves the Powermaster. I am greatly relieved to have this problem apparently solved. Hope this helps someone. Powermaster 9509
Last edited by LTVN68; Aug 2, 2018 at 01:41 PM.
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Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 68
Likes: 12
2011, ZO6: I have for several months been experiencing slow starts. Erungh, erungh, erungh and then finally the engine fires. I tried a standard new battery. No improvement. Tried an Odyssey AGM but still no improvement. My local vette guy replaced the starter. This helped some. But on frequent occasions, the car went back to its old three or four turnovers before the engine would fire.
Solution: After watching the attached video on YouTube, I bought a Powermaster high torque mini starter. We installed it yesterday. Wow! The Zo6 cranks and fires on the first try every time. I have tried it hot and cold. I am duly impressed. There will be a starter heat shield added soon,
So far, this engine definitely loves the Powermaster. I am greatly relieved to have this problem apparently solved. Hope this helps someone.
Powermaster High Torque Mini Starter (Camaro)
Solution: After watching the attached video on YouTube, I bought a Powermaster high torque mini starter. We installed it yesterday. Wow! The Zo6 cranks and fires on the first try every time. I have tried it hot and cold. I am duly impressed. There will be a starter heat shield added soon,
So far, this engine definitely loves the Powermaster. I am greatly relieved to have this problem apparently solved. Hope this helps someone.
Powermaster High Torque Mini Starter (Camaro)
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Joined: Dec 2013
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Likes: 3,631
You did not state the mileage on the old starter, but would bank that had you just pulled the old starter apart to clean and relube it, may replaced the starter solenoid for $20 while you had it apart, and made sure that when its was bolted back in place, make sure it has a good ground to the bell housing/main positive connector.
As for starter motors, what really kills the is the bad ground to the bell housing to start with, which cause more heat through the armature wires, and can get to the point that you burn out a set of coil windings by keep running the start when it time to pull it apart to clean and lube it isntead. Also, with this much draw on the start, put a huge drain on the rest of the modules, and why even with the motor cranking, the spark releated modules don't have enough power to control the spark correctly to start with.
As for high torque starter, if you have bumped the displacement of the motor, or increases the compression ratio, then yes on the needed for a high torque starter to begin with. But for a stock LS7, oem starter will work fine if cleaned and relubed as needed isntead.
As for starter motors, what really kills the is the bad ground to the bell housing to start with, which cause more heat through the armature wires, and can get to the point that you burn out a set of coil windings by keep running the start when it time to pull it apart to clean and lube it isntead. Also, with this much draw on the start, put a huge drain on the rest of the modules, and why even with the motor cranking, the spark releated modules don't have enough power to control the spark correctly to start with.
As for high torque starter, if you have bumped the displacement of the motor, or increases the compression ratio, then yes on the needed for a high torque starter to begin with. But for a stock LS7, oem starter will work fine if cleaned and relubed as needed isntead.
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 10,468
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From: Wayne Township WI
Not being very mechanically inclined & living rural I'd be difficult finding someone (I trust) to remove/lube a starter.
Doesn't 'sound' too complex and probably a good first step for slow starts.
Just had a cam/heads/tune on my 60K LS7 & experienced a couple sluggish starts, in spite of always tendered & 2 yo Delco.
Cam? Battery? Starter?
IF this becomes an issue might try the Optima first, obviously it fits Z06.
VS headache locating someone capable & willing to rebuild a starter, a good choice.
Doesn't 'sound' too complex and probably a good first step for slow starts.
Just had a cam/heads/tune on my 60K LS7 & experienced a couple sluggish starts, in spite of always tendered & 2 yo Delco.
Cam? Battery? Starter?
IF this becomes an issue might try the Optima first, obviously it fits Z06.
VS headache locating someone capable & willing to rebuild a starter, a good choice.
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Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 12,504
Likes: 3,631
The biggest problem I see with the this generation of lads, it the inability to wrench on their own cars to start with.
Hence if you took auto shop in high school, the first thing you learn is how to rebuilt a starter your first week of class.
For the rest of us, dad just handed you the starter to rebuild as a lad much younger than that, while you went to get him another beer as he was working on the rest of the Kart instead.
Hence both timed events, and you better not take too long on either the starter rebuild, or getting him another beer in the first place .
Hence if you took auto shop in high school, the first thing you learn is how to rebuilt a starter your first week of class.
For the rest of us, dad just handed you the starter to rebuild as a lad much younger than that, while you went to get him another beer as he was working on the rest of the Kart instead.
Hence both timed events, and you better not take too long on either the starter rebuild, or getting him another beer in the first place .
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 378
Likes: 20
From: Kailua Kona Hawaii
You did not state the mileage on the old starter, but would bank that had you just pulled the old starter apart to clean and relube it, may replaced the starter solenoid for $20 while you had it apart, and made sure that when its was bolted back in place, make sure it has a good ground to the bell housing/main positive connector.
As for starter motors, what really kills the is the bad ground to the bell housing to start with, which cause more heat through the armature wires, and can get to the point that you burn out a set of coil windings by keep running the start when it time to pull it apart to clean and lube it isntead. Also, with this much draw on the start, put a huge drain on the rest of the modules, and why even with the motor cranking, the spark releated modules don't have enough power to control the spark correctly to start with.
As for high torque starter, if you have bumped the displacement of the motor, or increases the compression ratio, then yes on the needed for a high torque starter to begin with. But for a stock LS7, oem starter will work fine if cleaned and relubed as needed isntead.
As for starter motors, what really kills the is the bad ground to the bell housing to start with, which cause more heat through the armature wires, and can get to the point that you burn out a set of coil windings by keep running the start when it time to pull it apart to clean and lube it isntead. Also, with this much draw on the start, put a huge drain on the rest of the modules, and why even with the motor cranking, the spark releated modules don't have enough power to control the spark correctly to start with.
As for high torque starter, if you have bumped the displacement of the motor, or increases the compression ratio, then yes on the needed for a high torque starter to begin with. But for a stock LS7, oem starter will work fine if cleaned and relubed as needed isntead.
