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  View original topic: '74 SB problems starting
haydoneous Thu Feb 04, 2010 9:12 pm

I have a '74 SB which most of the time turns over quickly on the first crank. About every 25th time I go to start it, I turn the key and nothing happens. No crank, no click, nothing. The seatbelt interlock was disabled by the PO. The electronics all work, and I have plenty of voltage(not a battery drain problem). I push start it a few times and after a while it cranks up on the first turn like usual. I know for a fact it is not the battery or the alternator. I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem, or know any tricks I might try. I appreciate any help!

Glenn Thu Feb 04, 2010 9:16 pm

You might need to add a relay due to a voltage drop on the wire that runs from the ignition switch to the starter.


haydoneous Thu Feb 04, 2010 9:31 pm

Glenn, thank you for the quick response, I really appreciate it! I just placed my order for the Bosch relay. It looks like that should do the trick!

gevmage Thu Feb 04, 2010 10:03 pm

haydoneous wrote: I have a '74 SB which most of the time turns over quickly on the first crank. About every 25th time I go to start it, I turn the key and nothing happens. No crank, no click, nothing.

Sounds exactly like the problems I had with my 1972 Super a couple of years ago.

I had the dickens of a time trying to track the problem down, because it would only fail when I was away from home, and didn't want to sit and fiddle with it. Finally it failed at home where I had tools.

Basically what I figured out was it wasn't in the electrical system anywhere, it was the starter itself. The starter solenoid wasn't engaging. I replaced the starter and it's been fine ever since.

Now, I don't know if it could have been fixed by cleaning or re-honing the starter solenoid or something. But the acute problem was in the starter solenoid itself.

It'll be interesting to see if that fixes the problem. I guess it depends on if the problem that there's juuuust enough voltage drop so that the solenoid doesn't work, or if when it fails it fails acutely and even a more direct connection would make it work.



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