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#26 |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Mesa, AZ
Posts: 26
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Re: Eating Starter Solenoids
I ran a ~2 gauge ground straight from one of the two starter bolts to the frame
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#27 |
its all about the +6 inches
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Hilliard Ohio
Posts: 2,693
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Re: Eating Starter Solenoids
while the way your coil and starter are wired is not correct, this is not your problem at all.
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#28 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Southeast Missouri
Posts: 2,436
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Re: Eating Starter Solenoids
Point distributors have 12 volts as long as the key is in the start mode and once it starts the voltage is dropped down to 9v via the restistor wire.
Hei distributors work best with 12v. Old farmers hook a heavy ground wire to one of the starter mounting bolts. I have done it on many tractors.
__________________
'67 Chevy C-20 short stepper - build complete, 454/SM-465. '75 C-30 Single Cab DRW-350 small block/NP-435. '77 GMC-6500 Dump Truck, 427 Tall Deck. '92 GMC K-3500 Duallie, 454/4L80E. |
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#29 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Burlingame, CA
Posts: 96
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Re: Eating Starter Solenoids
I guess I'm at the point where I need straighten out the wiring and then try several the above. Solenoid/starter brand recommendations are welcome.
If you were a betting man, would you think bad ground (all my block to firewall ground straps are in place), or would you guess this is due to crappy solenoids, or maybe even crappy starters?
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1972 Cheyenne Super 10 LWB 1965 Nova SS Evening Orchid 1967 Nova Wagon Factory Disc (1 of 565), 327/PG 1964 Ford Fairlane 500 HT 1962 Nash Metropolitan Convertible (Wife's car) |
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#30 |
its all about the +6 inches
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Hilliard Ohio
Posts: 2,693
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Re: Eating Starter Solenoids
Assuming your ground cable is in good condition, and tightly bolted to the engine on a fairly clean paint free spot (honestly, it doesn't need to be on a perfectly clean spot) then your ground path is perfectly fine, and all the other grounds (including your starter to frame cable) won't matter at all on this issue. They will help the rest of the truck, but not this one issue.
I tend to lean towards crappy starter assemblys. Parts sore starters, to include NAPA reman'd ones, flat out suck these days. I would recomend a ministarter |
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#31 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Burlingame, CA
Posts: 96
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Re: Eating Starter Solenoids
Okay. Thanks Longhorn. I respect your input.
A ministarter once cured another problem I had with a 1970 Monte Carlo SS454 I owned. The slight kick back from the big block would break regular starters left and right. I finally fixed the problem once and for all when I switched to a ministarter. Much easier to install, too. My last observation (clue?) is that the solenoid end of my purple wire is pretty cooked. The wire casing has turned brown, brittle and cracked for the last two inches. Could that be creating a problem?
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1972 Cheyenne Super 10 LWB 1965 Nova SS Evening Orchid 1967 Nova Wagon Factory Disc (1 of 565), 327/PG 1964 Ford Fairlane 500 HT 1962 Nash Metropolitan Convertible (Wife's car) |
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#32 |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Mesa, AZ
Posts: 26
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Re: Eating Starter Solenoids
Could your truck possibly be running lean? If its lean your exhaust manifolds could be getting red hot and no matter what else you fix on the starter wiring you will still keep cooking them. Do you experience a surge while you are cruising at a constant speed, this would indicate a lean condition.
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#33 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Burlingame, CA
Posts: 96
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Re: Eating Starter Solenoids
Quote:
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1972 Cheyenne Super 10 LWB 1965 Nova SS Evening Orchid 1967 Nova Wagon Factory Disc (1 of 565), 327/PG 1964 Ford Fairlane 500 HT 1962 Nash Metropolitan Convertible (Wife's car) |
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#34 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Burlingame, CA
Posts: 96
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Re: Eating Starter Solenoids
Follow up and final analysis:
Longhorn was dead on, and Hotroddr helped. To rule everything else but the starter out, I replaced all the incorrect and cooked wiring with a new wiring harness, retuned the carb to address the added heat from the lean burn situation and replaced the solenoid and cracked exhaust manifold. The occasional click of the solenoid remained. With everything else straightened out, it had to be the starter, just as Longhorn said. This time, instead of another NAPA starter, I installed a Powermaster 3510 OEM style, high torque starter and solenoid combo from a speed shop, and I got rid of the heat shield. Knock on wood, no more failed solenoids due to arcing at the disc. In fact the truck turns over effortlessly in a manner never realized with the NAPA starters. ![]() ![]() Conclusion: I can no longer count on regular old parts store replacement starters. NAPA is still my first choice, but I don't mind saying I'm disappointed because with this latest experience combined with a couple of other similar ones, it seems their quality is going the way of the other newer chain stores. Pretty sad as they are one of the last of the old school stores.
__________________
1972 Cheyenne Super 10 LWB 1965 Nova SS Evening Orchid 1967 Nova Wagon Factory Disc (1 of 565), 327/PG 1964 Ford Fairlane 500 HT 1962 Nash Metropolitan Convertible (Wife's car) |
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