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SLOW TURNING STARTER


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Hi

Can anyone give me some input as to why the starter will barely turn over. The battery is good, generator putting out fine. Someone suggested it might need heavier battery cables. What is the proper size for the cables for a 38 LZ?

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I forgot to mention, the car has a new carb, generator, coils, etc. Still sounds like it can barely turn over. It will eventually start tho. If I need to replace the starter, is there one that can be bought at local auto stores?

Thanks for the help. I'm new with the LZ.

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Couple of things, a 6 volt starting system requires much heavier cables from the battery to the solenoid, and from the solenoid to the starter than the ones commonly sold for 12 volt systems, so if you replaced the cables in the revamp that you did, that is probally your problem. Failing that as a solution, any good auto parts house can send your starter out for rebuilding, and bring it back up to snuff, hope that helps, OC

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Hi OC

We didn't replace the battery cables. Just the other parts. I just measured the negative cable - it is approximately 1/2" thick. There is only a strap from the positive to ground tho. Could this be the problem? The mechanic got the engine running great, but he didn't fool with the starter. Told you we were going to try to keep it original.

By the way, do you know of anything we can do to make these brakes easier to operate? Bob says it takes both feet (stretching the fact a little I think) to get it to stop.

Thanks again for your help

Carol

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Hi Carol, glad your rehabilitation of your '38 went so well, the mechanic who did the work is to be commended, does the car now have sufficient power for you?? If you can get him to do a little more, he could check the "draw" of electricity when you engage the starter, if the cables are OK, the problem is usually in the starter, and can be corrected with turning the armature and commutator, new brushes and bearings, your wizard mechanic can probally do that for you too, the brakes are not among my experise, old timers used to say they could make the mechanicals stop as well or better than hydraulics, but my experience with Fords, was always dismal, there are tricks to making them work well, maybe there are some back issues of TWOTZ that would have something of value on that one, anybody know?? Hope that helps, OC

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Im using a #2 guage welding cable with the proper ends crimped on and my new engine starts like it has a 12 volt system, the optima battery helps also. but for a 6 volt system I would go with at least #2 cable.

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I was just at the LZOC meet in Arkansas, and Jake Fleming talked about this very problem in his technical presentation. He talked about a generator shop in Tulsa that revamps our Lincoln generators to be 4-pole rather than 2-pole. He also talked about running a separate ground strap to get better grounding. You might want to drop him a line. He has no email, but his address is in the directory. Good luck.

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Hi Carol, Concerning the brakes. Years ago I owned a 38 with mechanical brakes and had the same problem with a lot of effort trying to stop it. I removed all the brake cables and cable housing from the car and soaked them in oil and kerosene for a couple of days until they were free in the cable housings. Working the cables back and forth during this period help speed the "freeing up". If the cables are not Frayed in side the housing your in! If the cables are frayed, I'm affraid you're going to have to replace them. When these cables are free in the housing you will not believe how easy the brakes apply! It only takes one or two stuck or tight cable(s) to make the brakes hard to apply. DP

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