Hot Starting Issues (66 Buick Electra, 401)

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easyellis

Member
I'm having issues starting my car when it has been driven for a while and the engine is hot; no problems upon initial startup when cold or after driving and sitting for a while. After the engine is warm there is no problem with turning over, it just takes too long to start. The starting problem sounds like trying to start a car that is not timed properly; this isn't the issue though because the timing is on point. Can someone point me in the right direction to trouble shoot this issue or are you aware of any starter issues when the engine is hot? Thanks in Advance.
 
This behavior you are describing is not unusual when trying to crank a high-compression engine if it is hot. The cheap and easy fix is to retard the timing slightly. If that is not acceptable, a high-torque starter may solve your problem, assuming you don't already have one in there now.

The way to tell is to look at the small copper strap which sticks out of the starter case and connects to the solenoid. If it comes out of the reduced-diameter step toward the end of the case, you already have the high-torque version. If it comes out of the full-diameter part of the case, then you can swap starters and expect some improvement.

Another possibility is an aftermarket gear-reduction starter, but I don't know if any are made for the nailhead.

Ray
 
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Thanks Raycow, I will crawl up under and check if I already have the high-compression starter. Did not know that this issue is common on the nailheads, another tidbit of good information for me.
 
Sorry, I didn't mean to give the impression that this problem was more common to nailheads than other engines. I have run into it on other makes of large, high-compression engines as well.

Ray
 
raycow said:
Sorry, I didn't mean to give the impression that this problem was more common to nailheads than other engines. I have run into it on other makes of large, high-compression engines as well.


No hard feelings raycow, I did not read into anything you said. Again, I appreciate the info.
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65specialconvert said:
I've been selling them for years.:waving:
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Jamie, I apologize. I really didn't know if a gear-reduction starter existed or not, so when I googled it, I just posted the first listing that came up. Please post a link to your site so I will know better the next time someone asks.

Ray
 
No need to apologize Ray,i do keep a low profile,no website,you have to PM me.
In all fairness i will also tell you Tom Telesco sells them as well.
 
Additional Issuse with Starter

I began to hear this clicking sound intermittently when attempting to start my car; cycle the starter switch off to back on and it goes away. Last couple of days I notice that this event is happening more often. Test of the battery, alternator and cables check out fine. Yesterday, I had the car in the garage where it is darker, my son was starting so that I can zero in on the clicking sound and I noticed an arc coming from the starter area.

Not sure if this is the starter or a connection to or from, any insight is appreciated.

Thanks,
 
If I am correctly understanding your description of the symptoms (a single click when you turn the key to "start", but the starter doesn't crank the engine), I would suggest checking the solenoid first.

Remove the solenoid from the starter and take off the plastic cover at the terminal end. You are looking for badly burned or melted areas on the two large stationary contacts or on the disc attached to the plunger.

Ray
 
The reason I suggested opening up the solenoid instead of replacing it is that your starter could have a another problem with somewhat similar symptoms. This is a "dead spot" when the starter armature happens to be stopped in a particular position, usually caused by a bad commutator bar. Repeated attempts to engage the starter can rotate the armature off the bad spot so it will then crank.

If the solenoid looks good inside, that is, no significant burning or other damage, then you might want to look at the starter itself. Again, don't be too quick to replace it. Any rebuilder should have test equipment that can diagnose a bad armature.

I am no expert on this subject, but we do have at least one professional rebuilder here on the board, Jamie. Hopefully, he might see this and chime in with his thoughts.

Ray
 
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raycow said:
If I am correctly understanding your description of the symptoms (a single click when you turn the key to "start", but the starter doesn't crank the engine), I would suggest checking the solenoid first.

Your description of the symptoms I'm experiencing are spot on, when I turn the starter switch off and then back on the starter will engage and start the vehicle.
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[Quote: If the solenoid looks good inside, that is, no significant burning or other damage, then you might want to look at the starter itself. Again, don't be too quick to replace it. Any rebuilder should have test equipment that can diagnose a bad armature.


I will definitely look into these areas, will pull the starter when I have some spare time.
 
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