Many of you have heard me tell how I have owned my '40 since 1963 and it has 400,000 + miles on it and is still driven frequently. The last couple of years it has taken increasingly longer to start, regardless of summer or winter. It just took more and more turns of the starter to start the engine. I, of course, put the cause on ethanol. Multiple checks of ignition and fuel, and I do mean multiple and could find nothing wrong. Even installed battery cables the size of light pole guy wires (Tiny knows what I mean) still no improvement.
Finally, pulled the starter off and had it checked. Stayed there while the guy took it apart. It was incredibly dirty inside and the brushes had worn down to nubs. He cleaned it up, trued up the armature, installed and seated new brushes, changed me $45 and I was out the door. He did not change the bearing or bushing, Gene, the Chevy starting formula of two pats and starts immediately works again, no pats after first start. No more long grinding. That starter has never been replaced in 82 years. The starter really looked good on the outside. The "Old Chevy" is a Senior and has won Preservation several times.
The only conclusion I could make was that the starter was drawing so much current weakening the spark so much that a precise fuel/air ratio had to exist before it would ignite. What I could not believe is that the bearing and bushing were still serviceable. But, they are only 82 years old.
I learned, again, there is always one more thing to check. That starter never gave the least indication (by sound) that it was dragging. So, if some of you have hard starters you might want to take a peek at your starter.
Hope this helps someone who has a hard starter.
Last edited by Mike Deeter; 11/21/22 09:50 AM. Reason: error
