bobvan1111

Hi, when I got the car out of storage this spring it started right up. Drove it around a bit and when I got back all I could get was a brief grr when I turned the key. I tapped the starter a couple of times with a hammer and it started right up. I figured it was a bad starter or solenoid so I put a remanufactured Delco unit in. The car started right up. Drove it around again and when I got back all I got was the grr again. All the battery terminals are clean and the connections on the starter and bellhousing.
I am at a loss as to what to do next. Any ideas?

ChrisBlair

I have owned a C2 for a little over 6 months.

But I owned similar vintage GMs for 31 years. You're describing the solenoid heat soak my Buick had, and it at least used to be a known thing, called the 'GM hot start', at least in my circle. I fixed it by installing a thick heat shield and making sure that there was good air flow between the shield and starter, I had to bend it a bit. I had considered a Ford-type remote solenoid but the shield thing worked for me, Maybe C2s have a different fix, I don't know, I haven't had this problem in my '66 yet.

OC-1

Same problem plagued me. Tried all the HD caddy starters, profusion of articles about the strength of the solenoid spring, some contradictory. ended all my problems forever when I ordered a HD starter from Ecklers way back when Ecklers was Ecklers. Not saying a GM HD starter won;t work if rehabed. The Ecklers was a HD GM starter as well. Cost more, so psychologically it would work better. Just wanted the car to start.

big fail at wedding in the 62, proudly seated the bridesmaid, sat in and nothing! Bridesmaid bailed, left me. Tried shorting the starter, nothing. cooled dpwn after a while and it started. Nevermore!!!!

Got a couple of spare 107 echlin solenoids for peace of mind. Can flip the plunger fork if you see any wear where it contacts the bendix. if you have the starter apart, or buy a new one.

Don't discount a bad Battery cable as a contributor.

Otherwise, in the lineup are the coil and points condenser. Sounds like the S and or S though.

John S 1961

I have seen that under high heat conditions that the usual 4guage cable is too small. I have had success with having 2 gauge cables made up or purchased fixing the heat soak problems. Also lots of Chevys came with starter heat shields that probably get tossed at the first starter change and should be put back on. This experience comes from getting hot racing cars to reliably start. Good grounds are also important. See also the book "prepare to win".

Vega$Vette

9 times out of 10, or more, this issue is bad battery or degraded wiring. The whole heat sink myth just doesn’t fly imho.

Tampa Jerry

GM made a heavy duty starter for our cars. Along the way, people have swapped out their original starters for non HD starters. Jerry

65 fi

I had the same experience with a 67 400 hp I purchased in 1985. I found out, after owning, that the remedy is a heat sink. If the heavy duty starter is more resistant to heat, then, it would be a sensible direction to go in.

dplotkin

ALWAYS load test a battery first when your starter acts up. Batteries can work cold and fail hot. Had one do that to me in my 327/250 Impala AFTER I changed the starter and found a battery that curled up after a heat soak.

Dan

reno stallion

Battery

kenba

If its a BB then i would think its the starter CI exhaust manifolds wrap around the starter & heat it up. If starter is old or not a heavy duty it will not engage the flywheel. If the battery starts it up fine I dont think is the battery. as its not that close to the engine heat

bobvan1111

I am going to load test the battery this week and see what that says. It just seems unlikely I would have 2 bad starters. It is a 327/300 and I do not run it hard.

bobvan1111

Unfortunately, my saga continues. This week I pulled the battery.and took it to Autozone. Thetysaid it was failing so I bought a new one. As long as I was there I also bought both battery cables. Installed everything and took it for a 2–3-mile drive. Tried to start it when I got home and the GRRR is still there. Part of me wants to put a mini starter in it like I have in my 61 with a ZZ4 350. Another part of me says something else is the problem, but I do not know what it could be. Any help would be greatly appreciated at this point.
Bob

Donald #31176

Being a C-2 have you checked the bulkhead connector near the M/C? The red wire is under gauged and increases resistance with age. Carefully disconnect the plastic tabs and clean the pins and connectors. Check the red wire for heat damage.

stellar

bad starter

bobvan1111

I will check the bulkhead connector this week. Thanks. I cannot believe I had 2 bad starters. The battery was old so it was due to be replaced anyhow.

Nowhere Man

There is not much to a starter to open it up and look to see if there is anything obviously wrong with it. Gm starters are known to go decades and hundreds of thousand of miles before going bad.

md m

I had the exact same problem with my 67 big block. Went through 3 starters and same hot start no go. Finally put in this high torque Powermaster. Works perfect for several years now. It has exact wiring on it so no need for a diode.

kel

Check your timing.

rene-paul

Back in the day there was a mag called "Keeping Track Of Vettes" or some close moniker.[I do have CRS syndrome]... any way this was called "Hot Start Phenomenon", I think. Anyway the deep dive was check the obvious, wiring, connex's, cables, battery and so on and on... The solution was to replace the starter solenoid AND spring with a Delco D 918 solenoid and spring that came in the box, ON A GOOD STARTER.. This was back in the 80's when Delco was still manufacturing. Do not know if this solenoid kit is still around. My 63 suffered [me too] with the hot start crap and I bought two solenoid kits for the starter and spare. Never had a problem after that. What was also recommended was to trim the solenoid spring. The heat soak was eventually a sum of two things; hot/warm starter and solenoid and the "S" wire to the solenoid also warm/hot, resulting in less than optimal current to engage the starter solenoid when hot. In my inexperienced youth I would carry a small jumper and jump from the big batt wire to the "S" terminal; start every time... me lying on the ground right behind the right side tyre. Stuff I/We did......

Aloha,
Rene'

PS;
Keep us informed.

Captain Bud

I had the exact same problem on my 1980 Avanti with a 350 engine. It's heat soak on the starter. They make an aluminized wrap for the starter. That solved the problem.