Greetings,

I have found good advice and help here in the past.

Lately, when turning the key on and then pushing the starter button the starter will act somewhat like a dead battery , but after a few tries [when it sounds sort of stuck] it roars to life.

This spring I replaced starter, replaced battery, replaced solenoid and either replaced or steel brushed ever possible connection from battery to starter.

Usually it starts, but there is that momentary panic when it hesitates or sticks

anyone have an idea what Im dealing with

Thanks much.

BSJ49

 

*Get heavy 2/0 battery/starter cables
*Make sure the starter mounting surfaces are clean as they are the ground.
*Ensure the starter mounting bracket is installed (with paint cleared for grounding) https://www.dennis-carpenter.com/tru...upport-bracket

 

Hi BSJ,
Greetings from Maine.

Like Bmoran4 mentioned, the starter circuit requires squeaky clean and very tight grounds. These old trucks tend to rattle and shake on our beautifully smooth and well-maintained Maine roads <sarcasm> so you may have loosened something up. Or if you are near the coast you may have salt air slowly degrading your connections.
Check your ground strap between the cab and frame and the one from the engine to frame. Add large braided new straps if you don't have them or not enough of them. I like that you are steel-brushing your connections, thumbs-up. Your push-button starter may have a loose fit connection to the dash. The aftermarket starter buttons are not very rugged, but look nice.
I don't think you have a serious problem after replacing the parts you mentioned. Could be one connection, somewhere.

I see you are in Maine and have a meadow green '49 with a 226. And a good looking one at that. I had until recently a '49 F3 same color same engine. I'm north of Portland and wouldn't mind meeting up sometime if you are in the southern half of the state. There are only a few active members from Maine on this forum. Although your truck looks complete and finished I do still have some leftover parts for a '49 I could give you if wanted. Including the hard-to-find water pump for the 226. Feel free to PM me.
Tom

 

I recently had the same experience as you. I changed the cables from reproduction stock to 00 and I had the rebuilt starter rebuilt the right way. Truck now starts like a Honda.

Too many of these 6v parts like generators, distributors, starter motors etc aren’t really rebuilt correctly and throughly as they should or could be. One thing is they’re 70 years old. Find someone that does this really well. Who takes it seriously . With 6v everything has to be perfect.
PS also use the starter motor support bracket at the back of the starter that bolts to the oil pan. It helps with the ground and helps take the strain off the two thin mounting bolts.

 

Thanks much!
When I replaced the starter this spring , there was no support bracket and Im not sure where it goes.

Are you also referring to the two bots that attach the starter to the engine as being ground points?

Currently Bothe the cable from negative to solenoid as well as cable from positive [groud] on battery are cables.

I have attached a couple images

New starter installed spring '24

small red wire from engine to mounting screw on regulator is only ground from engine to ruck cab

New battery and solenoid spring 24

 

Thanks much for your response!

My only ground from block to cab is a small maybe #10 wire. Image attached.

My other cables: Are cables Image attached {none braided}

{ I have not detected a ground from engine to frame , but will crawl underneath later today

Ive attached a few images.

I will be in touch in regard to your "other comments"

Thanks again

New battery spring '24

Small red wire grounds from engine block to regulator mounting screw

New solenoid and battery spring '24

Everything well cleaned


The starter button is an interesting thought. As I said the problem is intermittent and generally self corrects [ sounds much like a ground as is being suggested.

 

1) Your battery cables look small, like Gauge 4 battery cables for 12V applications. You really should have 2/0 (same as 00) battery and starter cables.

2) The ground of the starter goes through the mounting flange faces and the bolts. These need to be clean clean clean. No pain, no oil, grease, corrosion, or dirt. I bet if you remove the starter, the face behind will be that same charcoal color and not a clean natural metal finish.

3) The mounting bracket ( https://www.dennis-carpenter.com/tru...upport-bracket ) goes on the hex head side of the long bolt of the starter closest the oil pan and the corresponding oil pan bolt. These commonly go missing, but are surprisingly helpful.

4) You will want a grounds to the frame and to cab. Here is a good example (may be overkill, but it will WORK):

 

Thanks, Ill check the starter.

This morning , it won't start. Just sounds like a weak battery when it struggles to turn over. Even the horn doesn't hardly beep !!

Can this all be related to poor grounding? too small cables?

. . .and it was starting and running so well after this springs work☹️

 

Yes and yes.

 

I was going to say those cables do look too small. I’ll post some pics of cross sections of repop OEM 6v compared to 00 recommended mostly here. My connection at the starter to bell housing flange was also full of paint. Many things like this will all add up. These starters will also live quite a deceptive half life of just barely starting, then slow cranking, then firing up ok. People then blame it on the 6v system.,The armature not being cut is a big part of this. Everything else goes out of wack. Find a really thorough rebuilt one.

 

Is your generator charging?

 

Thanks
I'm finding 00 in braided for the engine block to positive terminal , but not 00 for negative to solenoid or solenoid to starter [ only 4]

I don't think I have a ground strap from engine to Frame and will ad one

Also wire from engine to cab is very small so I plan a braided strap there as well. It actually goes from bolt on engine to mounting bracket on Reglator [ maybe it is grounding the regulator.

I anticipate originating all from the same bolt on engine. Is that correct?

Checked LMC and Dennis Carpenter and NAPA

Thanks for your coments

 

You can make your own, try seeing if a local welding supply shop can make up what you want (using their great quality and highly flexible grounding cable), or there are various online vendors:

https://www.batterycablesusa.com/00-...bber-with-ends

You probably will not find it stocked in your run of the mill auto parts chain.

 

I appreciate your guidance and help, but I don't want to be a nuisance. Send me out to play if I am!

Per your comments:

1.I am going to replace the current Battery to Engine ground-Cable with a 00 braid
2. I am going to add a ground braided from engine to Frame [ I don't seem to have one]]
3.I am going to add a ground braided strap from engine to cab

Should all of these originate from the same bolt on the engine?

[The wire from engine to cab now ends at mounting screw on Voltage Regulator and is very small]

I have found 00 in ground / braided but not in cable for from battery negative to soinoid or from soil to starter. Only 4 in those!

Im ordering starter bracket and will pull starter to inspect / clean / sand mounting face


*** This am I have a jumper cable from bolt on engine { where battery positive ground I to frame] Starting fine!!

Thanks for your help. It is much appreciated

BSJ-49

 

Perfect! This would be between the positive battery terminal and the engine block.
Perfect. The B12G family I linked earlier or similar would be overkill, but easily acquired and easy to install for this purpose. The number 12 denotes the length. B14G would be 14 inches, B18G 18 and such.
You can do engine to cab or frame to cab. Again, the B12G family or similar would work for this just fine. When this is in place, you won't need the tiny red wire from the engine block to the regulator. The regulator should ground through the mounting screws to the cab.
They don't have to, but can if you'd like.

Sounds like we are on the right track getting some reliable wiring in place!