VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 53 235 6cyl starting problems

My 235 starts reasonably good when cold. When hot it seems like the battery is low and will hardly turn over, and also turns over very slowly. Resulting in the battery running down quite readily.Motor runs well when running. Sometimes a boost doesn't seem to help turn the engine over much faster. This is a 6 volt system. Any help would be appreciated..C.J.

Assuming that your cables and connections to ground and starter are clean, the starter motor is the likely culprit.
Brushes worn down mean poorer contact with armature
Armature could be badly worn or even partly shorted out
Bearings worn will allow the armature windings to rub
field coils.
All these factors can contribute to the problem.
While a shop could check Amp draw during cranking
Starter disassembly will be required.
Tinker with it yourself or find a shop that can do rebuild
Then again,you can find rebuilt units online or FS, Chevs
of 40s
Good luck, Dan

Keep in mind when your engine is cold, the internal clearances are much larger (metal expands when hot). You didn't mention whether the engine has been rebuilt. If so, it's a bit tight until it gets broken in. Try switching to a lighter grade oil (10w-30,5w-30, 10w-40 etc) Lighter oil means she'll turn over a little easier. I notice mine behaves that way when hot but still starts. Make sure your battery is fully charged, and cable connections are clean and tight. Good luck.

Some probable causes;
Starter - as mentioned.
Too small of gauge of battery cables
Low battery capacity
Poor ground
starter switch or ignition switch if turn key type
timing advanced too far
the 1954 PowerGlide engine was equipped with a four field starter for greater power

You could try doing voltage drop tests across the connections and cables.
With a digital voltmeter connect the meter's red (positive) lead to the batteries positive post. Then connect the meter's black (negative) lead to the starter's main terminal. The terminal where the positive battery cable is connected to the starter solenoid.
The voltmeter should read zero or very close to it. Now have a helper crank the engine with the ignition; take a meter reading while it's cranking. The maximum voltage you should see is approx .25 volt. (1/4 volt).
What you're actually seeing is the amount of voltage being used up as it passes through the cable and connections.
Now if you had a reading of say 1.5 volts. that means all the starter has left is 4.5 volt to crank the engine; would seem like a weak battery.
You can do the same test for the car's negative cable by connecting the meter's pos lead to the engine block or the stater housing. Then the meter's neg lead to the negative battery post. Crank the engine; same approx voltages apply.
You can check parts of a circuit by moving the meter leads to different junction points; the voltage readings are only of the portion of the circuit between the meter leads.
For example when you tested the ground side with the meter connected to the starter housing and you got 2 volts. Now move the meter lead to the engine block and crank the engine. The voltage now is .25 of a volt. Now you know that the high resistance in the ground circuit is the starter to block connection. Pull the starter and clean the mounting surfaces of the starter and block.

Dan.

The best solution is to install the 4-pole starter from a '54 -- Chevgene touched on that in his reply.

That's the easiestr and simplest fix. The problem is that the '53's came with a cheap 2-pole starter -- no ooomph !~!

Put in 4 poles -- lotsa oomph -- hot or cold!

Will the 54 starter work on a 50 without any modifications.

Yes.

Thanks

I think he may merely need a new battery. Four poles instead of two with a bad battery will cure nothing. Instead, it will cause the same battery to play out even sooner.

Charlie

Usually the 1950 didn't have problems with the "weak" starter. For some reason it showed up on the 1952 Power Glide cars when they were new.
Is more common today on 1953 and 1954's probably due to them having the higher compression ratio.
In 1954 1107109 was the two field starter for sticks and 1108035 was the four field coil starter for Power Glides.

I have issues at times with slow cranking during 80 plus degree temperatures with my 51 power glide 235. I called my local starter, generator shop who still has an older gentlemen who comes in two days a week to work on the "classic" stuff. For $50 to $60 they will convert my two pole starter to a 4 pole starter. I do believe I will jump all over that

I had the same problems with our 54. I went to a 0000 cable and problem solved.

I use a 0000 cable on my '51 Chevy as well.

On my 53, I had my starter completely rebuilt from a reliable place. They put in new fields, bushings, brushes, springs etc., I also have 0000 cable, I have checked all of the connections, made sure they were clean, tight and I also used dielectric grease on all the connections, bypassed the ignition switch just in case it was that, the battery was checked and is in excellent condition, I have a new solenoid switch and it's a 4 pole starter. When cold turns over like a charm, no hesitation, very strong turning, couldn't ask for a better starting situation. When the car has been run and the engine is hot and turned off for a 1/2 to 1 hour. It barely turns over. The good thing (and lucky) is that the engine is well tuned, even though you think the starter won't turn the engine over once the engine fires up. It sounds like the battery is completely dead, but the battery is actually in excellent condition. Just that time when engine is warm that the problem exists and it's annoying because you really think that you are stuck. I have done every possible but the problem persists. Now I should note that although I have a 53, the engine numbers indicate that it is a 54 full pressure, and the head numbers indicate that it is a 56. That shouldn't have any effect on the starting.

Where is your timing set ?

You mention jump start..Is that with a 12 volt? My newly overhauled 51 olds didthe same as yours..Made a great date car...wouldn't start for about an hour.. at the time it was the starter

The "mixture" of parts should not cause a problem.
Thw 1962 head was sold as a replacement for 1953 235 engines.
As a note all 1953 Canadian cars had full prssure oiling.
Was the engine overhauled or rebuilt in the last 5000 miles?

The timing is set at 5 degrees advanced. Tried it a 0 degrees advanced, no difference. I have no idea when the engine was rebuilt, if rebuilt at all. I have owned the car 7 years and I have put on at least 10,000 miles in that period of time.

Don't see any options, other than starter motor or battery cables too small.

I have a friend and local region VCCA member that had the same problem with his 1953. Someone told him to replace the ignition switch...and he did. His 20 year problem was solved.
You could try jumping across the solenid terminals to eleminate the switch and see what happens.

Find yourself a good electrical man that knows how to use an ohm meter and check all connections both cold and hot. Do the same for amp draw when starting. Sounds like a bad connection or winding that is shorting out when hot.

If fhe has owned the car for 7 years and the problem is new then it has to be caused by something wearing out, ie: the starter.

Battery cable is 0000, the switch has been by passed, the only part not replaced on the starter was the armature, but it was tested on a growler and that didn't indicate any problems. The contacts on the armature (I am sure there is a name for it) where machine and cleaned. All contacts and ground connections where cleaned and dielectric grease was used in the connections.

Would be intresting to see what a know good operating starter would do.