Starter issue?

[nail pounder]

This morning my daughter and I took our 58 grocery getter for coffee and a test drive. We got it good and hot, ran it around for an hour or so to see if any new problems would surface. All went well, but when we got home and shut it down then tried to start it back up it wouldn't crank over, nothing, no click, nada. I tried to jump the solenoid then the jumper box but still nothing. I figured starter got hot, it's old and I'd probably just need to replace it. I left it until this evening thinking it would start after cooling, still nothing, first tried a jumper box then decided to push start it. Fired right up, and now it seems to start every time(6-7times). Here's the statistics, 235, 3spd, new clutch/ring gear etc, batt with truck off is 12.5a, truck running still about 12.5- 12.7(generator or alternator conversation is on the to-do list). I'm still thinking starter but anyone else had this experience?

[mr48chev]

If it were mine I'd pull it off and pull it apart and check the bushings and brushes plus the general condition of the starter and solenoid.

The problem with generators has always been that they don't usually put out much of a charge until the rpm level is up a bit.

[nail pounder]

Good suggestion, do you think the hot starting issue is related to my generator's charging ability or lack thereof? It seems like I should've been able to jump start it if it was just low on juice right? When I bought the truck it didn't seem to be charging so I followed the polarizing procedure on the voltage reg. It seems to just keep it consistently at 12.5(not running). Bottom line is both are original or at least 20-30yrs old so a rebuild couldn't hurt I suppose.

[HUSSEY]

Carry a hammer with you. Next time it won't start, have someone hold the key over while you tap the starter with the hammer. Like mr48chev eluded to above, probably bushes. The hammer tapping trick allows the brushes to find a connection and get it spinning.

[Speedbumpauto]

I'm voting for the starter drive being hung up in the flywheel. The solenoid can't pull in into position, the return spring isn't strong enough to move it back and it's not far enough in to make contact with the switch in the solenoid so you have an electrical open. When you push started it, as soon as the flywheel moved it freed up the starter drive. You probably could have put the trans in high gear and rocked the truck back and forth. You would have heard a click when the starter came loose and then it would have started just fine. Used to happen to vehicles on an occasional basis with the above being the accepted fix.

[joe70]

my money is on speedbumpauto prognosis. Old trucks very cranky, no pun intened

[nail pounder]

Thanks for the responses and explanation. That makes sense speedbump, that's what I was looking for. I do better knowing the reasoning behind a solution. My daughter reminded me that it happened once before when it wasn't hot, it cranked slow then nothing, but after a few minutes it did crank over and started.

[mr48chev]

A low battery will sometimes let the starter do as Speedbump said and stick the drive in the flywheel and then nothing turns. When you push start or coast start the spinning flywheel kicks the drive back out just as starting normally would.

Still you have to have a pretty well fully charged battery, starter in good shape including solenoid and drive and good connections or a real good hill to park on to do a coast start.

[nail pounder]

Yeah, the possibility of push starting the grocery getter after Sunday morning breakfast didn't seem like a lot of fun so it's back in our garage. I'll look into the starter and generator this week. Thanks for the help!