1923 4 Cylinder Hard to Start- need advice.

[DaveAspi]

If you have been following along, you will know that we got the 23-4-39 up and running relatively easily. There have been a few hiccups along the way, and me not being a mechanic, some have been easier to figure out than others, and ALWAYS with the help of the BCA Forum.The 92 year old gal has been running fine, up until this week, as follows:

 

When starting with the foot started, when engaged, it just barely turns the crank, or not even at all at times.

In the past, I would just press down on the started pedal, "crank-crank"- START! Pretty reliable.

 

Last week, stepped on the starter pedal, heard a labored half a crank- and nothing. Tried again, same thing.

Eventually, the half cranks would turn to a full crank and she would fire up!

Stopped her, stepped on the starter pedal again, and we are back to the half crank-stop cycle.

 

She eventually always starts up, but sometimes I go through 10-20 "half crank-stops" until she pulls a full crank and fires.

 

I thought of the obvious, bad battery, right? checked the charge and it was good. bought a new 6 volt anyway, and it didn't make a difference. 

 

So, before I start taking thing apart, I am looking for some suggestions.

 

Thanks forum, Dave

[dibarlaw]

Dave :

Clean all connections and check them for physical and electrical connectivity. My friend Dave Evans in Portland was having the same issues with his 1925-20 starter generator. Then conked out entirely trying to drive from his parking spot to the registration space at the Portland national last year. He had no tools with him and all I had was the cheap emergency kit set in my KIA. Checking what he had was pretty much original to 1925.Starter to switch. Gen to ammeter was pretty well aged and crumbling. Some loose connections. Battery cables showing signs of the lovely green Galvanic corrosion within the cable. I removed and cleaned all In could and tightened up some crimp connections. When we tried it again it turned over as it should and started but not as fast as my 1925-25 does. Since then he has replaced all the old cables and wire. He tells me now it really spins twice as fast as it did prior to the change.

 Starter brushes could also need attention.

I had a slow turning starter on my 1937 special. Before I bought new cables I took the replacement end on the positive to battery cable, splayed out the individual copper strands then cleaning and scraping them. After I replaced the cable end clamp the starter spun as it should.

 If you can go one gage heavier for your cable, Do it. A little resistance here... and a little resistance there... = no start.

[Glenn Manes]

Verify you have moved the manual spark advance to the most retarded position

[Leif Holmberg]

Retard position only needs when you use the handcrank.

Leif in Sweden

Edited July 18, 2015 by Leif Holmberg (see edit history)

[Mark Shaw]

Leif,

     True; but doing so also reduces the effort to crank the engine.

[DaveAspi]

Excellent, thats where my intuition was taking me.

Thanks all, I will get at it, and report back.

[old buicks]

I have NOS  brushes for the unit if you decide to go that way.