Sluggish Starter When 390 @ Running Temp
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 350
Likes: 1
From: Friendswood TX
Sluggish Starter When 390 @ Running Temp
76 F-150 SuperCab - Starter spins good when motor cold, sluggish when at running temp. A buddy told me I needed a heat shield on the starter due to the close proximity to the exhaust manifold. Is this the solution? Common problem for FEs? Or, any other causes?
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 264
Likes: 0
From: las vegas nv.
How old is the starter? Heat can be bad for a lot of starters not just the FE.Do you have oil from a bad seal getting into the starter? Oil can make them drag too.Can you test it or have it tested? A battery load tester maybe? My 390 was hard on starters,I figured maybe it was the rebuilt starters I was buying.I decided to buy a new one...and if I was going to do that,why not try one of those new gear reduction starters?I did,and even made a heat shield.It has been working great for years now! It seems my truck and I are BOTH happy.
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 350
Likes: 1
From: Friendswood TX
She seems to spin at different speeds. Morning, cold - cranks kinda slow...After getting to work - 11 miles, cranks really slow. Cools off at work, crank it at lunch, decently fast. ????? WTFO?
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,036
Likes: 1
From: NE Ga
ya things expand and contract due to cold/heat. my dads fastback did almost the same thing with his 390. cranked up fine cold but if you cranked it up after it got to operating temp or if it had been sitting in the hot sun on a hot day, it wouldn't do jack squat. not sure what ended up being the case but am pretty sure it was the starter...come to think of it we sold it before we did anything but we had narrowed down to the starter. the internals of the starter could be dragging on itself causing resistance due to windings carrying more of a load b/c others have shorted out.
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 350
Likes: 1
From: Friendswood TX
Well, we are smarter now! After stabbing in a new starter, I found out that the (+) battery cable to the solenoid was getting so hot that the edge of the cable insulation at the solenoid end was melting. So, after changing out the 15" $5 cable, she spins up so fast on cranking that I hardly have to touch the gas!
Later!
Later!
