[mrl]

I have a problem that is driving me nuts. 1962 Chevy Biscayne, 283. The engine was starting fine until a couple of months ago. Then, the engine wasn't turning over so I replaced the starter with a rebuilt Delco and I replaced the battery. I cleaned the battery terminals and cable leads. After that, the car was starting fine when cold. After it is warmed up, it will not turn over unless it is boosted or if there is a battery charger hooked up to the battery. It has headers and a Moroso heat sheild around the starter. The mechanic at the corner is suggesting that the starter is being cooked by the headers. I tried a remote starter switch while the problem is present and that's not working either. How can i fix this? Do I need a heat sheild wrap around the starter? Is the battery too wimpy?(795 amps CCA, 1000 amps 32 degrees F) Help!

[Richiehd]

Sounds like the mechanical advance plate in the distributer is froze up, giving you too much spark advance while starting. Check your timing. then pull your cap and make sure the advance weights are working.

[mrl]

The engine doesn't even turn over when warm.

[Richiehd]

Check your ground, make sure you have ground at starter.

[mrl]

Originally Posted by Richiehd

Check your ground, make sure you have ground at starter.

Ok, so I let the engine cool down overnight. It started first shot this morning. I guess I may need a better heat shield around the starter? Do those wrap heat shields work well?

[vinniekq2]

System
A DC shunt motor fitted with a starter. The starter serves for limiting the armature current during rotor stall. It consists of resistor segments that can be individually short-circuited. Whenever the armature current drops below a given constant and any of the segments is still active, one of the segments will be short-circuited
is your 3 or 4?

[F-BIRD'88]

The starter is likely cooked and needs to be replaced again.
This time protect the starter with this
Thermo-Tec : Starter Heat Shield
and the Moroso shield too.

A remote fender mounted ford style starter solenoid helps too.

Install a simple ignition power interupt switch to aid hot starter restart.
Instead of hot cranking slow to purge the too hot, overvapourized fuel from the intake and cylinders that will not burn, slow extended cranking on the restart. Disable the spark with the switch. Crank over the starter 1-2-3 count to purge the cylinders and then throw the spark switch on to enable the spark. It will fire easily.
Without all the starter motor strain.

Battery cable and engine/ body/frame ground points should be serviced every 6 months and when ever the car comes out of storage.

[F-BIRD'88]

Consider opgrading the starter motor to a modern gear reduction starter as used on the mid 90's corvette LT1 LT4 gen II motor.

The smaller starter size allows more air gap between it and the headers.
runs cooler.
Check the ignition timing. Retarded idle timing make the exhaust much hotter.
Stuck advance weights create more cranking effort.
Check the ignition switch for excessive resistance. They don't last forever.
Cheap battery cables.

http://www.carcraft.com/howto/116_05...s/viewall.html

[oldbogie]

Originally Posted by mrl

I have a problem that is driving me nuts. 1962 Chevy Biscayne, 283. The engine was starting fine until a couple of months ago. Then, the engine wasn't turning over so I replaced the starter with a rebuilt Delco and I replaced the battery. I cleaned the battery terminals and cable leads. After that, the car was starting fine when cold. After it is warmed up, it will not turn over unless it is boosted or if there is a battery charger hooked up to the battery. It has headers and a Moroso heat sheild around the starter. The mechanic at the corner is suggesting that the starter is being cooked by the headers. I tried a remote starter switch while the problem is present and that's not working either. How can i fix this? Do I need a heat sheild wrap around the starter? Is the battery too wimpy?(795 amps CCA, 1000 amps 32 degrees F) Help!

Its common for rebuilt starters to be faulty and batteries need to be load tested to see if they can deliver what the sticker says they are capable of.

F-Bird has the best solution for replacing it, these modern permanent magnet starter are super powerful, use less current doing it and are smaller making them easier to remove and install and puts more distance between the starter and the exhaust so it stays cooler.

Wrap traps the block heat in the starter as much as it keeps the exhaust heat out. A shield between the exhaust and starter reflects the exhaust heat away from the starter while allowing air to circulate to provide some cooling. Simply buying one of those plumbers woven heat shields from the hardware store for use in protecting house structure when sweating copper pipe together and draping off a couple clamps so it hangs between the pipes and starter is a big help in keeping exhaust heat off the starter.

Bogie

[mrl]

Originally Posted by oldbogie

Its common for rebuilt starters to be faulty and batteries need to be load tested to see if they can deliver what the sticker says they are capable of.

F-Bird has the best solution for replacing it, these modern permanent magnet starter are super powerful, use less current doing it and are smaller making them easier to remove and install and puts more distance between the starter and the exhaust so it stays cooler.

Wrap traps the block heat in the starter as much as it keeps the exhaust heat out. A shield between the exhaust and starter reflects the exhaust heat away from the starter while allowing air to circulate to provide some cooling. Simply buying one of those plumbers woven heat shields from the hardware store for use in protecting house structure when sweating copper pipe together and draping off a couple clamps so it hangs between the pipes and starter is a big help in keeping exhaust heat off the starter.

Bogie

Thanks for all the suggestions. I forgot to ask if header wrap would help also.

[F-BIRD'88]

All the other fixes are more effective. do these first.
When you do, you won't need header wrap.

You will get rid of the cause of the excessive heat.
If you want to get creative after installing the the strarter heat wrap and moroso heat shield. create your own secondary heat shield between the starter and header tubes that creates a air gap between them.
The shields should not contact the headers or starter case.

Header wrap tends to eat headers.
your money is better spent on the small gear reduction starter and the starter wrap
than header wrap.
correct the ignition timing. Retarded timing makes the headers real hot.
Your starter is cooked now anyways.

[mrl]

Originally Posted by F-BIRD'88

All the other fixes are more effective. do these first.
When you do, you won't need header wrap.

You will get rid of the cause of the excessive heat.
If you want to get creative after installing the the strarter heat wrap and moroso heat shield. create your own secondary heat shield between the starter and header tubes that creates a air gap between them.
The shields should not contact the headers or starter case.

Header wrap tends to eat headers.
your money is better spent on the small gear reduction starter and the starter wrap
than header wrap.
correct the ignition timing. Retarded timing makes the headers real hot.
Your starter is cooked now anyways.

I installed the starter wrap, header wrap and old heat shield. I let the car idle for about 20 minutes, it got up to 210 degrees, shut it off. Car started fine after that. Thanks for the replies. Marty