> Kurtis, can you tell us a bit more about what happens when it won't crank
?
> Does the starter make any kind of noise ? Does the engine turn at all ?
If
> you have the lights on at the same time, do they dim ?
Randall, the starter does not make an unusual sounds... It sounds exactly
like a weak battery. Sometimes the engine will turn over a couple of time
and then just sort of hang. It's obvious that the starter is still getting
current... It just sounds like it doesn't have enough "umph" to get the
engine turned over.
I've haven't tried starting it with the lights on. I'll do that this
evening.
I do have an electric fan on the front of the radiator. Yesterday, while
the fan was still running after shutting off the engine, I did notice a
distinct pitch change in the fan while trying to start the car.
> No, "hot solenoid" is not a common problem. The solenoid is mounted well
> away from sources of heat (unlike most cars that have it mounted on the
> starter next to the exhaust).
> I'd check things like wear in the starter bushes (allowing the armature to
> drag on the pole pieces) and a centrifugal advance that is loose not
> returning to full retard when the engine is shut off.
Hmmm... I'll look at the centrifugal advance this evening as well, but a
timing issue would not create the symptoms I'm describing, would it?
> Also double-check the ground strap from the engine to the frame, it
> sometimes gets overlooked when installing an engine. If you painted the
> engine bay at the same time, make sure there is bare metal where the
battery
> ground strap bolts to the body. If you're not worried about strict
> originality, running a new ground strap from the battery directly to the
> engine is not a bad idea at all.
I've checked the ground strap (engine to frame), and it appears to be in
good condition. I didn't paint the engine bay when the engine was out, and
never removed the ground strap from the frame. Also, my current setup has
the ground strap from the battery running directly to the engine (that's the
way it was set up when I bought the car).
I'm going to try another battery this evening and see if that makes a
difference. I'm not convinced that the battery is not the culprit.
Thanks,
Kurtis J.
1963 TR4
Russellville, Arkansas
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