VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Electrical - 6 volt Starter Troubleshooting

One of my winter projects is to remove and check the starter on my '37 Master coupe after I quit driving it for the year. (We have had decent weather the last few weeks so I have been using it most days.)

Anyway, I am having more frequent problems with the starter drive dis-engaging after it just begins to turn the engine over and before the engine starts. The starter does continue to turn. After a few more tries the drive will catch and the engine starts just fine.

The problem use to happen only when the car was hot so I blamed it on the fact that I am running a total of abut 15 degrees BTDC initial advance. Now it seems more random and sometimes happens when the engine is cold.

Based on my search of older posts here are things I need to check.
- Good ground and cable connections to the starter
- Condition of the contacts in the starter switch
- Battery voltage while cranking
- Easy movement of the starter drive in the housing and on the shaft
- Condition of the teeth on the drive and flywheel

Any other area I need to check?

Thanks,

Sounds like the one way clutch part of the starter drive is getting bad.

X2. If it were bad connections it would crank slow rather than disengage.

Thanks Tiny and Denny,

That sure seems likely give how much the starter has been used over all the years. I assume the fix is to replace the drive.

The starter cranks just fine. I paid a lot of attention to creating a good electrical circuit when I got the car back on the road. I made sure all the connections were clean and tight. Plus both cables are 2/0.

I would do a complete rebuild -brushes-bushings-commutator clean up etc. I would guess the in and out situation is caused by problems with the spring and/or attaching bolts.

i will go with the 1 way clutch slipping.
Tony

Hi Tony,

Thanks for the confirmation that it is probably in the drive. The starter was rebuilt electrically a few years ago and there are no indications of electrical problems.