slow cranking when warm

[TastyTuner]

ive had this problem for while on both a tired 1300cc and now a fresh 1600cc. ill drive home from work, grab a bite to eat and be ready to leave again in 30 mins. i get out there to start and the the starter turns so slow that it wont "catch" and fire up.

now if i leave it for a longer time and everything cools off, then chances are greater that it will fire right up. ive cleaned all the grounds, all battery connections, my timing is static set on a fresh 1600sp.

the battery isnt new, but its not old (less than a year. during the engine build i kept the battery unconnected and when i was getting close to firing it up, i put it on a tender. this is the third battery in 4 years. but they are all the oreilly's specials. do i just need to step up and go for an optima, or what are some other things to look into.

oh...its 6v still

[smitty24]

check condition of coil. I used to have one that was going out. It would fire fine in the morning. After work, Id drive home. If I had to stop at a store, it wouldnt turn until it cooled down. New Bosch coil fixed it.

PS- I use cheap Wally World batteries. They do just fine.

A hard start relay may help, but I have never needed one. You may be getting batteries that have a too low CCA rating. I usually do one slightly more than what is recommended. No issues. Too much is bad. Not enough is not enough.

[TastyTuner]

never thought about the coil. ive just check and triple checked all connections, and cleaned them at the same time.

maybe ill try a wally's battery and see if i have better luck

i do have a hard start relay installed. it made a huge difference when starting cold, but it just seems when warm, it doesnt make any difference.

can you find the specs on the batt youre running. ill go out and grab one this weekend and see if it makes a difference

[KTPhil]

Did you check/replace the starter bushing when you had the engine out?

[smitty24]

I can take a look under the seat this evening, after work. Definitely check the coil.

[TastyTuner]

starter bushing is new.

thanks smitty. im at a point where its kinda time to shit or get off the pot..

stay 6v and track down the issues

or pull it all and go 12v.

looks like i can get the optima red top for about $130. figure a alternator conversion is about $125+shipping, add bulbs and a battery and for roughly $200 total, ill be 12v.

thoughts?

[smitty24]

I convert everything to 12 if it isnt. Things work better and parts are easier to get. You dont have to run voltage drops either. Lights are brighter and the whole car (as far as electrical and engine) functions better. Maybe it is just in my head, but those things seem to happen for me. With 12 volts, you dont get so many odd electrical gremlins. Grounding seems to be far more sensitive on a 6. Id pay the money to convert it, and put a new Bosch 12 volt (blue coil from Germany- not Mexico or China) on.

[TastyTuner]

thats the direction im leaning

[roy63]

check your timing, if its to far advanced it will do what you have described.
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[Eric&Barb]

Starter turning slow is not going to be caused by a coil.

Have you removed the ground cable from transaxle to body for a good cleaning??

Have the battery checked just in case.

What voltage do you have at the battery with engine off?

What voltage at battery with engine revved up a bit??

Did you check the condition of the OTHER starter bushing in the front?

Did you remove and clean both ends of both battery cables?

If either battery cable has those bolt on battery clamps, get new cables with swedged on clamps for gas tight seal there.
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[Hammarlund]

Before you can be sure the battery is good, you have to give it a load test, even if it's new, even if it's taking a charge, even if it shows 6 volts or more at rest.

The next time the starter is cranking slowly, hook your voltmeter up directly to the battery terminals, and read the voltage while trying to crank.

If the battery voltage falls much below 4.8 volts while cranking, the battery is almost certainly bad, even if it is new, etc.

If your battery fails this test (and I suspect it will, if you do it while the engine is cranking slowly), consider trying the Optima before you do the twelve-volt conversion.

I had the same problem for months when I first got my six-volt car. I had no voltage drops and my charging system was working properly, so I was pretty sure it had to be the batteries. I tried three or four and they failed the load test after only a few weeks on a regular basis. I was finally reduced to carrying a spare battery. The sad truth is, most inexpensive six-volt batteries today are garbage.

However, since I put in the Optima three years ago, my starter has worked properly and the car has started every single time, even when warm, even after sitting for weeks. No more spare battery!

[smitty24]

[Eric&Barb]

[Eric&Barb]

Any luck fixing the problem?
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[TastyTuner]

woah. i was looking at what posts i had and realized i had not come back and answered the question here.

yes i ended up solving the issue. i put an optima battery in and that helped a little it seemed. i finally pulled the starter and had it rebuilt and it fixed the problem completely. im not a starter expert, but i think i remember being told some kind of bearings inside the starter were bad. they would bind when hot and when cool spun just fine.
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[Eric&Barb]