AAAHHH! Still having battery woes- Brushes?

[smallblock450sl]

Originally Posted by Beachrights

Smallblock- I am assuming you work in the repair field based on the above reply-if so, I did not know that when you replied. I think I might have ruffled your feathers by saying I was going to try Sho's idea 1st and I did not mean any harm. In fact your idea was the next step if cleaning the terms did not work- that would rule out bad contact at the posts. I need to have the problem present itself again to try 1- check voltage as you stated. 2- check for hot cables 3- turn clutch to see if "dead spot" is on starter. 4- I think I am going to change brushes just to be sure.

If none of these are shown then its back to square one.

No worries Beachrights. Yes I've been doing this for a loooooooong time and try to help when I can. Intermittent problems are alway's the hardest to diagnoss. If the voltage readings are good, take the starter/generator apart, then you can see what I'm talking about.

[smallblock450sl]

Originally Posted by sho305

If it is the clamps, your jumper is on the outside and the battery post inside. So your jumper is not affected by dirty connection there.....if that is the case like mine was. And they looked clean, it was like the lead crystallized or something not sure.

I used the plier test on the clamps in that case, but a meter is always a great way to test.

What is a "plier test"? Please do not lead members in a wrong direction.

[Beachrights]

Glad you are not mad- not what any of us are here to do.

Sho's theory about the jumper box seems to make sense- nothing has changed but adding the jumper box would make it start. I could not figure that one out but when he wrote his idea it was like a light was turned on. Thoughts?

[smallblock450sl]

Originally Posted by Beachrights

Glad you are not mad- not what any of us are here to do.

Sho's theory about the jumper box seems to make sense- nothing has changed but adding the jumper box would make it start. I could not figure that one out but when he wrote his idea it was like a light was turned on. Thoughts?

What is a "jumper box"? Doesn't sound like it would fix a problem, just a "bandage". If I can help, let me know. If you feel I'm being sarcastic, I don't mean to be.

[sho305]

Originally Posted by Beachrights

Sho- were you having a complete no start or was the clutch trying to move [slowly]?

It would do both.

Plier test, you just turn the clamp on the battery post to get a better connection or find out if the connection issue is the clamp. You may have to loosen it a little first. If its not the clamps you check the other end of the cables, etc.

Jumper box:

I have three of those

[Mike Mac]

Smallblock, a jumper box is a thing that you carry in your trunk, and when your batt. fails, you can attach its cables to the dead battery and get a burst of amps to jump the car. You've seen em.

[pachanga90]

If the starter is going bad,it will take more amps to turn it.Initial draw to get it turning can take every amp availiable depending on application(this goes for all starters on anything).My dually starter is doing the same thing,It will crank very slow or not at all,add a jump to it and it fires like it should(gota swap it out ).If the Armature or Fields are going it will need more amps than your battery can give it.It can still function properly otherwise,its' just tired or has internal problems.Take it to a Starter-Rebuilder,they can test it properly,and usually only $20 or less to find out whether its' good or bad.A weak motor-relay(start-solenoid)can also cause similar problems,but i'm leaning towards the starter.Hope this helps.

[Beachrights]

Today's tests proved well..... I don't know what the hell it proved!!

cart still had weak battery as yesterday

I checked for hot wires: nothing. Took both cables off battery connected cables to jump box and it started right up. Reconnected cables to battery and checked charge: 15.5 volts. Disconnected negative cable while running; cart stayed running.

So I am getting charge to the battery [new VR too!]

Oh yeah, spun clutch many times to check for dead spots- nothing very slow attempt at turning.

I am getting 12 volts at solenoid.

It just goes from starting fine to a very slow impossible start. Everything in my mind is now pointing to the battery being drained. I am going to take the battery back and get a fresh one to start over. Strange thing is it was tested 2 weeks ago and it was fine.

[berthasquare]

Like cars, there are lemon batteries.

[Mike Mac]

Beech, before you spend any more money, i would take out the starter, take it apart and after blowing it out with air, inspect the armature for burned or high heat areas on it as well as commutator area (part that brushes rub on). Then i would remove the field windings, and inspect it as well.

Clean bearings with wd 40 lightly ( don't want to push dirt into the sealed bearing but wash the dirt away with it. Blow the whole assembly out with air. I oil the bearings with a light oil, then wipe off the excess.

I would not reassemble the starter without putting new brushes in it, unless they looked close to new and the commutator surface of the brush looked smooth and not pitted from arcing. (important)

In assembly, the brushes need to slide smoothly in their square bore and the wire on them does not hamper the spring holding the brush against the commutator.

Take a good look at how the brush wires are routed, or better yet, change one brush at time with the new ones.

Hope my jibberish is understandable. Smallblock explains it better, I've done one, He's done 20+ yr.s of em!

Mike