WhiteDiamond

My car never had the slow starter issue before the new ERL motor was put in. I now have the starter issue and nothing has changed it. I have checked all grounds, I replaced the starter, and the battery is putting out well over the 12V necessary(usually sitting around 13.5V).

Wondering if running an additional ground between the chassis and the block near the starter would help. Anyone try this? Anyway to tell if the stock cable has been damaged somehow: signs that may give away a break or damage through the insulation? This issue started with the new motor. Same headers re-installed as well. Headers on car for 2 years before new motor with no starter issue.

outhouse

Slow to start once warm, or always slow to start cold or hot engine?

WhiteDiamond

Slow to crank once warm. Not 100%, but more often than not when it is warm.

ConfusedGarage

New OEM starter or el cheapo? Also, did you replace the solenoid and all with the swap?

You shouldn't have to re-engineer the ground, stick with trying to source the problem. Are you certain all of the connections are clean? Best of luck, electrical demons are the most frustrating of all.

WhiteDiamond

1st try was one of the "cheap-o" alternatives that has pretty decent reviews in this forum. OEM starter was replaced by that one. No change. Pulled it to get at all the ground connections in the area and OEM starter, new one from GM at big money price, installed. Same issue.

outhouse

I tried rebuilding mine its a no go even with a new solenoid.


It is a combination of things due to head and cam change for me. Ive been told to check the timing advance on start up.


It starts up great cold, so I'm heading to high torque gear reduction starter. Its a common problem for many and I didn't have a bit until I rebuilt the top end heads/cam.


On 13's this can be a rod bearing issue, but you would also notice low oil pressure.

ConfusedGarage

Did you bump compression a ton? I raised mine half a point and it starts the same, but I suppose if someone went bonkers on compression it could start differently.

smitty1966

My car has headers and I killed one starter in about 12000 miles, then another in about 15,000 miles. Also noticed the cables were heat damaged, crumbling and brittle. Replaced them too and wrapped the starter and cables.

wjrive

Solved my starter problems with a new Power Master XS mini-starter
and Heat wrap.........Hopefully that will be a long term cure!


Willie

WhiteDiamond

This is what I am worried about. I only put a tad over 10K miles on the starter with the headers before I had the issue with cylinder #7 that led to the new motor. There is a school of thought that says wrapping the starter and cables only leads to them getting hot slower and then keeping that heat in longer....Thoughts?

My understanding is that most of the high torque starters don't fit on the LS7 with headers on it.

ATC399

Over 17K 13Z and it has slow started when warm since mile 7...

db2xpert

What's the clearance between the header tube and starter?

Insulate the starter, and wrap the header tube in that area.
I used a stick on reflective insulation, and wrapped the tube.

Fixed the same problem.
After I toasted one starter, and then had slow turning when hot.

Undy

I've got 104,000 miles on my Z with headers and the original stock, uninsulated starter. It still cranks like it did when new. I wouldn't suffer a ton of paranoia if your starter cranks fine. Just sayin'...

WhiteDiamond

I did have the headers Jet Hot ceramic coated during the recent engine installation. That was the only change made in terms of the starter-header area. The headers are the Pfadts and they are close, but not more so than other header systems I have seen.

Stater cranks fine on first start up, cold, then it gets a bit random once it gets warm. It always starts the car, but it is slow and even convincing of a dead battery at times....then it starts.....I definately has me a bit paranoid and I don't take the car places I used to(short errand type events with a nice drive to and from those places).

ratomicZ06

for starters, no pun intended , i started some of my winter projects today.

First was to heat protect my starter, but more importantly to check the connections and grounds in that facinity.

Starter has never been pulled to my knowledge, but BOTH the starter connections, battery and motor lugs, were just BARELY snug. The ground wires attached to the block just behind the starter motor was tight, but connections were NOT clean, they were corroded..

I cleaned up all connections with a wire brush, then refastened the grounds after wrapping them with heat wrap. I also wrapped the starter w heat wrap as well. i believe this is preventative, no problems starting in 2 years w kooks long tubes, ceramic coated.



i also squeezed silicone dielectric into all the connections in that area to keep out moisture.

So, if you have any starter issues, first thing id ck would be all the connections, including the batt terminals. i run into this simple stuff all the time in the marine industry.... poor connections .

double06

I would also check the terminal by the engine fuse box sometimes the cable gets loose there too.