1970 Cutlass 455 auto - stock engine / full size starter

Quick question - a friend wants to borrow the olds for a parade today. Have had intermittent starting problems, but think it's a loose connection at the start because if I jiggle the heavy gauge red power cable going to starter it will eventually get a connection at start.

So, don't see an angle to get at the post this wire connects to at the starter end - so question is do I need to drop the starter to get at it? Just trying to be as lazy as possible. Thx

 

If all the parts are installed, ie. the motor mount heat shield, it's near impossible to get at the nut on the starter solenoid without dropping the starter. Even if the motor mount heat shield is missing it takes the patience of Job to pull it off.

 

Thank you, yes heat shield etc. in place. Deep sigh, I guess I will actually have to do some work.. I don't have the patience of Job, just Dan. Which is pretty short!

Thanks

 

I suspect that the problem is a bad solenoid, not a loose wire. If the wire were loose, you'd see and hear arcing when you tried to start it.

The solenoid has a copper contact disk that connects the battery terminal to the starter winding terminal inside the end cap of the solenoid. The fact that these terminals are hot when the disk contacts them causes arcing. That's just a fact of life. Eventually the arcing damages the disk, causing excessive resistance and no-start. The disk does rotate slightly every time you try to start the motor, so if the bad spot lines up with the contacts and causes a no-start, several attempts to start will eventually rotate the disk to a good spot. Unless you know the solenoid is good, I'd replace it anyway when the starter comes down.

 

Please be sure to disconnect the ground wire at the battery before ANY work on the starter

 

Thanks.

Joe, I suspect you are correct, after engine cooled down was able to at least get a finger on the connection at the starter end so does not seem loose. Engine was just rebuilt year before last and cable is new at that time so don't think it's a corrosion issue either but you never know with connections. But will order a replacement as a "MAW".

Planning on ordering this from Rock Auto as a replacement unless anyone happens to have a better suggestion:

http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo....213489&jsn=407

Thanks

 

You don't need the whole starter, just the solenoid. You can get it local or from Rockauto.
http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/o...+solenoid,4188