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Slow Starter


Lloyd
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My starter is turning over real slow. I have not tried to start the engine yet but when Im ready I dont beleive it will catch as slow as its turning.

I have a new battery from Oreillys - 6v farm and tractor - 650 max CCA, new battery cables from Berbaum's and a rebuilt starter off eBay.

Its a 1939 Plymouth P8 original engine was a 201 but I now have a 1950 218 in it that has been bored and stroked with a 230 crank. The engine turns over easy enough with a breaker bar.

 

I took the rebuilt starter off and put the original back on and it actually does better but I still do not believe it is turning over fast enough to start.

I tested starter draw while cranking and it shows 180-195 amps (original starter). Dont know what to take from that although I think it may be a little high.

Connections are all clean and tight, max volt drop I saw was -.3 at ground to frame. Cleaned that up and now its gone as well.

 

I guess I'm asking where to go from here? I have thought about getting the original starter for the engine since it is a 218 from a 1950 plymouth. But that starter is different. For one thing the 1939 original has a switch mounted on the starter activated by a pedal in the car. 1950 has an external solenoid which means I would have to change the ignition switch or get a push button start - something to run an ignition start wire to the solenoid. Im just thinking that the 1950 starter for a 218 may have more torque than the original starter which was for a 201. Would that be true?

 

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new cables yes,  but are they of the correct 0 or 00 guage needed for 6 volt operation..amperage is low for a 6 volt starter..

Well I was thinking since I got them from Bernbaums for a 1939 they would send the ones I needed. I read enough posts on here to know wire gauge will cause an issue.

How can I check them?

 

6 volt starters turn slower than newer 12 volt starters. Why don't you try to start the engine with the starter you have before assuming it won't work? It may work fine.

 

I did read that these cars turn over slow but this just seems like its to slow. Maybe I can get a video and upload it.

post-6384-0-45094400-1438432932_thumb.jpg

Edited by Lloyd
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A rebuilt engine+6 volts=slower than normal cranking even for a 6 volt system. That will probably get better when you do start it and run it in a little bit.

I wondered about that, I still have a problem hooking up the exhaust pipe to the manifold. I will need to get someone to make me a new pipe from the muffler to the manifold. Other than that the oil line from the block to the filter does not want to fit. Get that straight, put in some gas and it should start.

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A rebuilt engine+6 volts=slower than normal cranking even for a 6 volt system. That will probably get better when you do start it and run it in a little bit.

 

Well I took care of a few loose strings, put some gas in it and she started up. I guess these engines do turn over really slow. As slow as it was I would never had thought but she cranked up and ran.

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it is interesting the difference between modern 12 and the older starters...6 volt no load is 68 amps at 4000 rpm and loaded current draw to the tune of 280 to 335 amps and the modern 12 volt Dakota starter will be some 85 amps at 3750 unloaded and 180-220 amps loaded..

 

do yourself the favor of doing a voltage drop test...just because they are new cables is not a guarantee that they will carried the required current...the problem with the connections are not usually visible tot he naked eye..also starter solenoids will transfer metal and burn away due to arcing over the years..the loss of metal makes for less pressure on the contacts that will result in poor current flow..

Edited by Plymouthy Adams
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it is interesting the difference between modern 12 and the older starters...6 volt no load is 68 amps at 4000 rpm and loaded current draw to the tune of 280 to 335 amps and the modern 12 volt Dakota starter will be some 85 amps at 3750 unloaded and 180-220 amps loaded..

 

do yourself the favor of doing a voltage drop test...just because they are new cables is not a guarantee that they will carried the required current...the problem with the connections are not usually visible tot he naked eye..also starter solenoids will transfer metal and burn away due to arcing over the years..the loss of metal makes for less pressure on the contacts that will result in poor current flow..

A voltage drop test will tell me if I am losing volts at any connection, usually means a poor connection. But what does a voltage drop test have to do with making sure the cables will carry the amps?

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