Thread: starts hard

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My friends 1929 Chevy with a 350 SB cranks really hard after running it a few miles and stopping for a while. Just barely starts. Car is not running hot at all. Any suggestions? Thanks OH, it has a new starter.

Has this been ok and this just started? Do you have headers on it? How close are they to the starter?

Sounds like the headers/exhaust might be too close to the starter. You can wrap the header in that area, wrap the starter or put on a starter/solinoid shield. Some cars had solinoid shields on them from the factory.

The car has roadster headers. Not close to the starter. Was thinking of trying to cover starter anyway just to see. Timing is perfect everything seems OK. Just weird. Thanks

What do you mean by "...cranks really hard..."? Do you mean it cranks very slow and labored, like a weak battery would cause? Is it a relatively new engine, or long in the tooth?

Make up some new positive and negative battery cables from #4 welding cable. Add some grounds, engine to frame, frame to body, body to negative battery post.

Yeah, like a weak battery. It starts just fine. Motor has about 50,000 on it. Has new cables. Thanks

What I meant was it starts fine the first time.

Do like tech says, your positive cable is too small gauge.

Where is the battery? In the back? If so Tech is right and the car wants a bigger positive cable running to the starter from the battery. 2 gauge, like you get in a lot of the "kits" is to small. I would suggest at least a 1/0 CABLE.
Do this as a test. Once the car is driven a while shut it off and restart. Put a hand on the cable after you do the restart. IF it is warm or hot to the touch it is too small and is impeding flow to the starter.
I ALWAYS suggest going too big on charging and starting circuits rather then too small. 1/0 cable for starter and grounds and at least 8ga for charging circuits.
And make absolutely certain the grounds are making good contact! Any paint or chrome or rust will inhibit the ground so make sure all paint and rust is ground away prior to bolting the ground lugs on.
Mark

Can we get some more info about the system as installed? First, is this a problem that has just come about, like Bug asked initially, or has it been there from the get go with this car? Fiberglass body or steel? Where is the battery located, what size is your positive cable and where does it terminate? Describe your ground circuit from the battery onward, size and termination point. Describe any other ground cables that are installed to complete the circuits for things other than starting. Is the starter solenoid the traditional starter mount? At 50,000 miles the engine should be fine, so we're chasing an electrical issue.

Borrow or buy an inductive amp gauge and see how much draw the starter has, when cold and when hot!!!! If it's a poor reman, bad case, or a import when the starter case gets hot the case can spread open, messing up the clearances inside the starter! IMO, knowing what the starter draws should be your first check..,.....

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Borrow or buy an inductive amp gauge and see how much draw the starter has, when cold and when hot!!!! If it's a poor reman, bad case, or a import when the starter case gets hot the case can spread open, messing up the clearances inside the starter! IMO, knowing what the starter draws should be your first check..,.....

Can't disagree with Dave's suggestion, which is why Bug asked initially in post #2 if it was previously OK and this problem just started. There're lots of crappy replacement parts out there today....

When I read this thread, Tech's comment was the first thing to enter my mine. I had a friend with a Merc lead sled that did the same thing and heavier cables solved his problem. Good Luck and let us know what the solution turns out to be.
Em

Do not mistake comparing #4 welding cable to a similarly sized battery cable. Welding cable has a zillion little wires in it, unlike cheezy over-the-counter battery cables.

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He hasn't been back since he posted #7 above.....