I am having a starter issue. When I depress the foot starter I get a few seconds of stater and then none. Wait a moment and I get a few more. Twice now after a few tries I get normal operation and the motor starts easily as usual. So I am looking for a plan of attack. I am thinking of removing the stater and having a good look and/or attempting some of the repairs described in the shop manual. However I am looking for advise. Is my thinking correct, the foot plunger does two things: one, engages the stater pinion gear and two, turns on he electricity to have stater motor rotate. So there is no solenoid? My system has been converted to 12 volts but I am unsure if anything was done to the starter. If it is 12v and has been working does that mean the starter was updated or can it run 6 or 12v? Thanks in advance for tips.
you are correct there is no solenoid and everything i have been taught about electricity there is no need to update the starter when switching from 6v to 12v. The wires for 6v are bigger so they handle 12v fine.that said like all starters, it should be operated in bursts not long, continuous drags. now for the problem, i am not sure why it is doing that. grabbing at straws maybe the brushes are getting bad contact or maybe the linkage is binding up a little so you're not full depression on the switch so when everything vibrates the switch opens. Does it happen every time now or sometimes it works right and sometimes it does this?
Denis, the 6 volt starter works fine with 12 volt as long as it fires right up. If you have to spin it for any length of time, expect to buy the 12 volt starter. One thing you might check is if your starter has a stainless band around it close to the end nearest the radiator. If so, it's probably a 6 volt. Good luck!
starter I do have a band so it must be a 6v. The current symptom is it tries to spin 1 - 2 seconds but stops. I think I will get a 12v new one. Thanks, Denis
Starter Fun Denis ; Be aware that the 6 volt starter has different teeth than does the 12 volt starter so you cannot just slap on a 12 volt one . If you take the old starter carefully apart , you'll find it is all nasty & dirty inside , clean it carefully and gently , replace the brushes and gently wire brush the copper bars where the bushes ride , right now they're black but once brushed they'll turn copper color again , rarely is it necessary to have any Machine Work done ~ put a little bit of grease in the bushings and re - assemble it , hand polish the copper contact on the outside where the switch makes contact and either clean & polish the switch's contacts or replace it as new ones are not expensive . I use a toothbrush sized wire brush with brass bristles , about $1 @ most Hardware Stores . Re - assemble and it should be fine for many more years to come . Whatever choice you decide , DO NOT part with your old , worn out starter until your truck is once again starting & running fine . You have been warned ! .
oK REBUILD/CLEANUP Thanks for the info, so I am going to attempt to clean and restore the starter. Attached are some pics of it dirty and cleaned up a bit. It has a model number of 1107108 and I found one source that suggests it is a 52 era 6 volt. I will use Nate's guidance and the shop manual to guide me through this and I will document it in pictures. Nate / anyone where do I get new brushes? I am going to go at this very methodically and appreciate any and all feedback.
rebuild kit Found a rebuild kit at http://www.chevsofthe40s.com/detail/9342/Chevrolet_STARTER_REBUILD_KIT_BRUSHES_BUSHINGS.html $50 includes "Starter Rebuild Kit. W/ brushes, bushings (18 pcs)." Anyone think this is a good idea or have another source for starter parts?
Parts I'd just replace the brushes & switch as necessary , is it needs bushings , all of that can be ordered from your local NAPA FLAPS , I know I've posted the P/N's before , look in older stater posts or I'll dig out the catalog & re post to - morrow . Work carefully and don't worry if it's beyond repair , then just exchange it but those tags are getting very hard to find so i never let go of cores like you have there ~ think : it's 60 years old and still worked until recently...
starter parts I have searched the older posts and cannot find part numbers, if you can look them up I would appreciate it.
Starter Parts I hope this comes up the next time some one searches for it...... These are all NAPA Echlin part numbers Brushes : R500 , R503 , R514 Spring for brushes : SP6 Starter switch : ST11 Commutator end bushing : 4200 , 4310 Drive end bushing : 4265 ,4310 , 5336 For a fully rebuilt NAPA starter : NAE 73500 I hope this helps .
Starter is apart but worried OK starter came apart easily. You can see one coil looks expanded and obviously rubbed. I need to find my multimeter to test the armature. Do you think it is salvageable?
does it look like the field coils are damaged? I didnt have any luck finding any local automotive electrical shops that still rewound armatures but I am a little rural. I think i knew of a place but it was kinda far out of the way and Napa was closer. My only "tip" is i had to take the felt washers out of the starter i got from napa, because they prevented the starter from disengaging from the flywheel. Someone way smarter will probably tell you different, maybe my case was special, all i know is i blew up a starter.
This one looks nastier on the inside than the one Ken & I pulled off of his '50 last month. I'm pretty sure that commutator is toast. Does anyone still have a "growler"?
rebuild starter Yep it is toast. I found a listing for a couple of auto electric shops here in CT and will call later to see if they can rewind. Denis
I know our master would have loved for me to rework/rebuild my 6 volt starter, but after I took mine apart and saw how fried things were, I just decided time and dollars were better spent on a new 12 volt. Mine came from our host. Now, if it doesn't rust up solid while it's waiting for me to use it, that will be great!
Tired Starter Now you guys will understand (?) why I like taking things apart & servicing them before they stop working entirely . The commutator on that looks pretty good , the armature windings OTOH , I'd have to see it in person but remember : folks are still tossing these in the trash bin every day just because they're 6 volt so don't panic , just work slowly & carefully , you'll find a junker starter out there for $5.00 that has just what you need . Time to get busy with the various brushes , cleaning and de - rusting , I bet it'll be fine one you repair or replace the armature . Obviously it was dry for years & simply ground itself to death . This , IMO , is a very good thread indeed *if* you follow through with the job .
Think I found a shop I am bringing the starter to an auto electric shop with hopes of them rewinding. Denis
Armature being rewound Update on starter. My son-in-law who is an engine builder and mini-stock racer told me about a shop near us that can rebuild starters. He said the guy was good but his shop was a bit messy. Well that is an understatement. If there ever is a show about automotive hoarders, this shop must be on the first show. It was hard to walk down the stairs into the shop because of the parts laying around. The owner was pretty sure he had a good armature and that we could get my starter rebuilt. I have never seen so many hulks of electrical equipment in one place. I am hoping he is eccentric but counting on the fact that my son in law says his work is good, we shall see.
