Throttle Starter switch for 1941 stromberg carb

[Eddie-O]

Does anyone know where I can get a throttle starter switch for a 1941 special with stromberg carburetor. Mine has been getting temperamental lately. Some time it’s fine then other times I have too open the hood and tap it at the carb a few times too get it too work. Any help would be appreciated thank you.

[carbking]

When asking a question, ALWAYS better to post too much information, than not enough.

 

The original 1941 Buick Special used Stromberg AAV-16 7-37. This carburetor was superseded a number of times, and superseding carburetors don't all use the same starter switch.

 

ASSUMING that you are working with the original 7-37, and check the carburetor bill-of-material, you will find Stromberg did NOT offer a complete starter switch replacement. The switch is composed of 19 parts, which were/are offered separately.

 

Suggest you consider rebuilding your existing switch, or look for an identical used Stromberg carburetor, and hope the switch is better than yours.

 

Jon

[Kenneth Carr]

The throttle starter switch on my 1941 Buick had been disconnected and bypassed by installing

a button on the dash. I put a multimeter on the two contacts to the switch mounted on the

carburetor and tested it. There should be no continuity when the accelerator is not depressed.

If you depress the accelerator (pull the linkage while under the hood or better still have

someone else depress the accelerator pedal 1/2 way or farther) you should have continuity. That 

indicates that the switch is working and energizing the starting circuit. If this does not work

then you can remove the throttle starter switch and do a good cleaning. That should fix it since

gunk gets in there and can mess up a membrane and prevent piston movement too.

 

A good discussion of this is here:  

Look at the response by JohnD1956 in the above discussion.

I solved my bad switch easily because I had a spare NOS carburetor. I tested the switch on that

carburetor and it tested good. I swapped it with the old one and it worked fine.

So, if you have another carburetor you might want to test the switch on that one.

The alternative, if you can't buy a good switch, is to try to clean it and then test again.

 

[Jolly_John]

I PM'ed the OP several days ago asking for a photo of the switch he needed. Thought I might have one available. Never heard back from him, but perhaps he hasn't been back on the forum since posting. John

Edited January 14, 2023 by Jolly_John (see edit history)

[Lawrence Helfand]

Two different switch designs were used and are interchangeable. Later switch does not use a diaphragm and works better. Looks very different with a black phenolic body. The Buick motor can idle down so low you think its died but its still running so the switch protects the flywheel/starter gear. Set up correctly it works like a charm. 

 

 

 

[Kenneth Carr]

On 1/16/2023 at 1:02 PM, Lawrence Helfand said:

…..Later switch does not use a diaphragm and works better. . .

 

 

 

What year did they begin making the later switch? Do you have a photo?. Thanks!

[Century Eight]

The carb switch needs to be clean, usually that is the problem with it.  Then it should work for years.  A lot of good dashes were ruined by someone putting a button switch in a freshly drilled hole when they could have just cleaned it.  It’s a good setup when working right. Also low budget left protection -  who is going to figure it out if you are younger than sixty!

Edited January 21, 2023 by Century Eight (see edit history)

[Eddie-O]

Does anyone have a diagram of the switch?

[Kenneth Carr]

On 1/23/2023 at 4:01 PM, Eddie-O said:

Does anyone have a diagram of the switch?

Try pages 12-13 and 12-14 of the online 1942 shop manual. It is also discussed in the 1941 manual. I highly recommend that you buy a 1941 shop manual.http://buick.oldcarmanualproject.com/manuals/1942/Buick shop manual/13-Electrical System/image13.html

Edited January 30, 2023 by Roadmaster71
typing errors (see edit history)