Hello. We replaced my 330 with a 455. Ever since it was put in the car starts fine until you drive it just a little bit, temp at about 185. When you cut it off it drags so bad that it won't start again until it sits 15 or 20 minutes. We have tried 3 starters, 2 different brands and it still does it. Any help would be great. It is in a 66 Cutlass so the manifold and exhaust pipe are really close to the starter if that helps. Thanks.

 

Have you checked your cables and battery connections? Is the battery holding a full charge?

 

If you are using stock type starters they can and do get heat soak. Go to a mini starter. Power master 9510. Make sure you battery cables have not had corrosion crawl up in past the shielding. I had a car once the corrosion had crawled from the battery to the starter threw the cable.

 

New cables and battery is holding good voltage and passes a load test well.

 

To small of a positive cable will also not work well.

 

WR you aren't the only one that has told me to go with a gear reduction starter. They said the heat from the exhaust wouldn't affect it so bad. May be the only way to go.

 

New 1\0 positive cable.

 

Mini starter power master 9510. Your cable is big enough. There is also a added benefit and that is power master 9510 are light easy to install compared to stock type of starters.

 

Are you running a lot of timing advance?

 

No but it doesn't seem to help or hurt advancing or retarding other than the obvious performance effects.

 

1st thought is a bad ground. Do a volt drop test. Next is advanced timing as already mentioned. Third is starter. I know you said you tried a few. Are they used? Are they the right torque? I would hate to think it could be the motor.

 

I am probably actually overkill on grounds. I used to own a high end car audio shop so I am big on grounds. Starters were all new. I don't know about the torque. They were just what was specified for the app. I think I am going to go with the gear reduction.

 

Are you using the same solenoid or did this come new with each starter?

Try putting a heat shield around the solenoid and starter and see if this helps. You can make a test shield from about 10 thicknesses of aluminum foil wrapped around at least the exhaust side of the assembly. Be sure to keep it away from the electrical connections.

Most of our cars came from the factory with starter heat shields but these were tossed the first time the starter was changed.

The factory equipped the 455s with a higher torque starter than other engines. I found the only source was to go to an auto electric company and have them assemble one for me. The field coils are wound and wired differently from the ordinary starters.

Starters from parts stores are the low torque versions.

If the heat shield doesn't work and you are not concerned with originality, the gear reduction starter is a great choice.

 

Stock starters can not even come close to a good power master 9510. I don't think he is concerned about originality because his car didn't come with a 455. Just saying.

 

What VC455 said.

A mini-starter will work, and if you don't mind your car sounding like a Dodge when it starts up they're fine, but your problem is that you are not using the starter specified by GM when they built the 455.

There were at least four different V8 starters used over the years, and relatively few of them were configured for the high compression 455. These days you are very unlikely to find one of these at an auto parts store, but you can get one from an old-style starter shop, such as the one that Stellar on this site runs in Pittsburgh. He should be able to supply one of these for far less than a new mini-starter.
edit: Well, maybe somewhat less... I'm really not sure.

- Eric

 

I can build one for him, but shipping prices could be a problem. If he has a good local rebuilder, and he tells the rebuilder what fields he needs, it would be a benifit for him. Eric, if you still have the pics of the fields to show him it would probably help if he goes to a local rebuilder. Eric, can you post the pics of the fields you put up before?

 

I'll do it later - gonna be a busy day at work today...

- Eric

 

Is this the one?
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...tarter-id.html

 

Yup.

Thanks!

- Eric

 

You guys are good/

 

Just to be complete:





- Eric

 

I have a 4-field GM starter on this 455, 10.5 compression on the 67. It has headers and you cannot get a piece of cardboard between one the tubes and the starter. I had heat soak and at least in this case it was solved by in installing a 750 CCA battery and a 0 gauge ground wire from the battery to the motor.

 

Has Voltage Drop across each wire and component been verified with a meter?

Trust, but verify

I have had a starter bench test OK then fail in place because the ground/ support/ torque strap was not installed. There was no good contact between the starter and the nose piece therefore no ground path. Thus the good bench test, bad in-car operation. This can readily be detected as huge voltage drop across the starter case to engine block during starter activation. Volts gets in but can't get out.

To help alleviate hot soak starter flaws, GM offered a lighter solenoid spring. I can probably find the PN, and might have a spare NOS one.