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owensdad74

Freshman Member
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After working on my 79 for a bit today, I'm wondering if the couple issues I've been having are actually related.

I installed my rebuilt engine last fall. The last thing I did was turn the key to see if it would turn over or explode. It turned over and I left it for the winter.

Next issue is my NAPA battery. It has never turned the engine over more than five times before being discharged. It's been tested at the store twice and it passes (last done last year).

So a week or so ago I went out to set valve lash and I couldn't turn the engine over by hand. Tried to turn it over with the starter and got click, click, click. Voltage on the battery stayed at 12.6 volts.

Am I now to suspect my starter is bound up on the flywheel ring gear? I've never heard of this happening.

Nonetheless I'm wondering if my starter has been dying a slow death and has now shuffled off this mortal coil...

Bri


"And then I remembered what they said about old British Engines, if there ain't no oil under 'em, there ain't no oil in 'em." Tow Mater
 
You might have brushes that are so worn, that they are making marginal contact with the commutator. Also, you need to make sure that anytime you R&R the stater, that you hold the nut behind the cable to loosen or tighten the securing nut. Not song so can fracture or break the connection to the windings. That, and making sure you have good connections at the battery and ground strap would be the things I'd check first.
 
Thank you for the input Gerard! I hope to be able to dig into it more today, I will check the things you mentioned and report back...
 
If you suspect the drive in hung on the flywheel, there is a square drive on the back of the shaft that sticks outside the starter. You can turn it with a wrench to get it to jump out...or you can rock the car in gear... Never really understood why they did that on a starter for a car that only came with a standard trans. :rolleyes:

Last year battery test doesn't mean anything. I've seen 'em die overnight. Temp changes make scale break off and short cells... that and not storing them full charged. Charge it for two days on low charge (2-6 amp) then have it tested again.
 
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