cheven

Been having hot start issues ....starts great cold, go for cruise and park for 10-15 min. and its grrrr, grrrr ....slow crank like its dead. A jump fires it up though? changed battery same exact starting. The car is a 69 cutlass with 150k on it ..."someone" has been tinkering under here before since the side bracket was moved and the bolt missing? Is it for a heat shield or torque strap? The starter doesn't have a hole for bolt for the dangly bracket. The solenoid has gold paint on it so that leads me to think its the one it was born with. I prefer to keep parts my car was born with on it whenever possible, can some decode this? I'm guessing April 25th of 68? I took the starter apart and things aren't looking too good inside.

Oldsguy

The starter should have a strap on it, didn't know it was called a torque strap though, learn something new every day....... If you like the original parts you can probably find a shop to rebuild that thing for you. Good luck.

cheven

I don't know what that bracket or strap is called ..but I grabbed a word out of thin air that seemed appropriate? That being said, its clear someone has been hacking away since the current starter does not have a provision for the bracket (bolt).

I'll have to check my folks attic ....I cut up a 1967 442 4-speed car back in the 80's (what was I thinking) I have some starters laying around one may have the side bolt hole?

Boiler_81

I believe that starter body was originally used on a Chevy. Chevys don't have a provision for the Olds brace. If you want to use a brace you will need an Olds starter body or drill and tap the correct hole in your current starter

hookem horns

Since a jump fixes it I would swap batteries before doing anything with the starter. Batteries don't like heat either.

Edit - Sorry, just saw you already did this. Still not sure why jumping would solve it though

455man

I've run a larger positive battery cable, header tape on exhaust, and a heat shield. That stuff helped but did not solve the problem. I ended up getting a hi torque starter and that made the biggest difference. Do you have headers or manifolds?

brown7373

I'd bet on bad or poor connections on the cables. Cables can and do corrode under the insulation causing high resistance. Are all the connections clean and tight? I rebuilt a Pontiac 455 years ago and bought new cables. The restoration shop sold me 4 gauge cables, when I believe the originals were 2. A 2 gauge cable can carry 10 times the current as a 4 gauge. I changed to 2 gauge and never again had any issue with starting. A cold engine has less resistance in the cranking circuit.

brown7373

Also, replacement ends on old cables also have more resistance.

droldsmorland

Most of the above is true. The wires and all connections need to be clean, tight and sized correctly. Install new repro battery wires. Ohm yours out if you believe yours are in good condition. How are the primary (smaller) wires at the solenoid? Replace them as well if in doubt. You can splice the ends on the primaries but solder and shrink tube (high heat shrink tube) them don't use crimp on.
I wrap the head pipe with an exhaust blanket (Jegs) from the flange to just past the starter. I install a Ford mini heat shield that fits around the solenoid and partially down the starter body. One end uses the stud holding on the end cover. The other side uses the outside solenoid bolt. You may have to dig for an end bolt with the stud on it. A starter shop will have one.
I always use an HD truck solenoid. I use the GM higher torque starters with the tapered motor end and longer copper connector. These are the starters spec'ed for Ws & 442s. They are designed for higher compression engines thus they are HD and able to withstand a little more heat n torque. Im pretty sure one will bolt up to your 350 (I will be corrected if I'm wrong). Shelf your starter and go with an HD unit.
Im not sure about the 350s But the 400/455s have the starter support strap. Said strap is available aftermarket, $25-30.
Have the battery load tested even though its new it could be bad. Also go for a higher CCA battery. I typically run the highest CCA I can find in that group size 8-900 CCAs.

wmachine

1. Check your timing. That may sound crazy, but that can happen if your timing is off. Been there, did that, so it is not a rumor.

2. The strap is not really *needed*. "Back in the day" we changed out starters and never used the strap. It can be a "correct" starter an not have the bolt hole in it. Typically would happen with rebuilt starters.

My442

I went to 2 gauge cables from M&H. They are a custom order from the standard 4 gauge cables.


Be sure that all of your grounds are clean and tight.


I would suggest getting your starter rebuilt by a knowledgeable shop. Do not buy a parts store rebuild.


I went with the bigger cables, a rebuilt starter, and an Optima battery.


My car turns over hot or cold like it has no spark plugs in it.


As other have stated, be sure your timing is correct too.

DocAS

Does it crank slow or is it dead? If it is not cranking at all it sounds like the gm hot start problem. Read post #12 & #13 in this thread - could be your solution:

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...ad.php?t=79057

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Andi

cheven

I just spent 10 min typing and gone ?

anyway here i go AGAIN with shorter version

I don't use headers and have duels, there's plenty of space between starter and down-pipe. The timing chain new ..tune up all new with timing & dwell to spec. I had hot start issues with 2 different batteries, ends clean new ....but the car can sit for months and crank fast and start fine, get is hot and grrr grrr grrr (slow struggle then no motor rotation) I did remember I had a diesel starter in the trunk of another car and it has the bestest strap shield combo ever! I might use the field section ...I could use the whole starter, it does fit but I don't want to listen to it crank. I'm going to stop into one of the last auto electric places still in business and see if I can have the armature checked and pick up some new brushes ....I did take the solenoid apart and the contacts looked ...eh.( I have new one) The throw arm was all hacked to $&#% too (may have been binding?) ...I swapped it for a different one.

My442

You need to do a voltage drop test when the car is hot.


My bet is that you have to much resistance in the circuit.


It takes much more current to start a hot engine than a cold one.

brown7373

If your cable ends (and small wires to the solenoid) are clean and tight, and are not corroded internally, and the ends haven't been replaced with the bolt on type, I'd think your starter motor is failing. If new cable ends are soldered on, they are probably okay, but the kind you clamp on are not a long term fix.


Factory starters and cables work just fine for long periods of time, until they eventually wear out. As My442 suggested, do a voltage drop test. If your cables are in fact fine, then the resistance is probably in the starter and may need replaced. You don't need a high torque starter, you just need an original one in good repair. It was suggested that you may have a Chevy starter. Is it possible someone previously installed a used starter they had laying around? And just how used was it?

droldsmorland

x100! Do you know how to do that? Theres a great thread here with a you tube. Do a search here or youtube. I also highly recommend the HD truck solenoid, a heat shield and wrapping the head pipe. This will insure a happy starter with longevity.

stellar

1108368 starter is for a 327 chevy. Probably a bit small for your car. It is a low torque stater.

hookem horns

Sounds like a stock-ish car without headers so I would be tempted to get new cables and a remanufactured starter with a lifetime warranty and swap it all. Peace of mind is worth the relatively low cost and the hardest part is lifting that boat anchor into place.

455man

I read this thread. Interesting. I dont understand how adding a relay would reduce the resistance? Anyone?