When the starter is cranking, it seems to loose power 2-3 times (over a 5 second period) before the engine will start. I just replaced the intake manifold gasket and it never did this before. Is my starter going out or just a celonoid? Thanks ahead of time for some advise.
Jay

 

If you can take it to Autozone, they'll test your starter for free. (with the starter removed from truck.) Could be a dying battery too. jave the charging system checked.

 

I have had starters, batteries and charging systems tested in the car with the engine running at Schuck's (may be called Kragen or some other names in different parts of the country). Maybe out of the car is better, but it could be a starting point if you need the vehicle to get the part there.

 

Other than the obvious, the normal battery or starter failure; look for a weak spot you may have created. oddest thing just happened to me. Worked on Blazer to add electric fan and had to do this by building it into cowl of real fan cause it was a chevy part that needed to be away from the radiator a little. Took out shroud, fan, air conditioning cooler, etc. put whole thing back together and right afterward, noticed the voltage running high, the temp up a little, though normal, and All gauges actually UP some. Even fuel. So what the heck was going on? Have no idea to this day, cause I went back in and tightened everything associated with electrical system and the next trip it was all normal. So what could the problem have been? I suspect a Battery connection that was a little different with a higher resistance connection somehow. This caused the alternator to produce MORE voltage to make up for a very slight problem. The slightly higher voltage raised every gauge, etc. right alng with it. Fixing a weak connection solved it all. In both cases the fan and the cooling system were fine.

I would suspect a weak connection somewhere along the way of your work. Or even a part gone bad cause you came close to it. Happens all the time to parts.

 

Starters will have dead spots before they die permantently. Its your early warning sign.

Find a service center that can test the battery, starter, and alternator while they are in the truck. We do it all the time, free. Its one of those services that takes like 5 minutes (same tester) and usually generates work when the owner wants the part(s) replaced.

 

This must be one of those $100 + starters? Have you had the car tested yet? I have seen the solenoid cause this problem, when contacts get weak. On a Chevy, you have to disassemble it from the starter and replace it. Main thing is this, if you dont know then someone needs to test it. Have you ever cleaned it and sprayed it with wd 40 or something to see if it would temporarily clear up?? Dead spots may be caused by dirt. If you have small oil leak it will cause problems with starter. A distributor gasket weak of missing may be the culprit there.

I've been trying to research this starter thing a little. I just picked up a 4.3 -92. I noticed something really familiar about that odd bolt pattern. looked just like one I had on the shelf. Yet the store charges about 65-75 for the cheapest rebuild. Odd part of this was: I have NEVER had a 4.3 starter at my house, yet there was one laying right there? Odd, to say the least. Seems they use the same angled bolt pattern as say a 72 bicayne with an automatic and a 350 or something like that. Of course I have had some of those around here. This starter is worth about 30 bucks. Is there a difference? Cant see yet, too dark and lites dont work out on the starter-alternator bench. Nuts though, can you imagine the darn thing working? Is someone going to tell me a 4.3 needs a stronger starter than a 350??

Probably different flywheel teeth? If it is, why would anyone do this? WHY would the factory CHANGE something so basic. Dont know, will keep searching. Wish I could point you to a cheap starter though.

 

Even though they may look similar on the outside, anything from different number of flywheel teeth to a different ratio on the bendix fork (the arm that kicks out the bendix).

It is quite easy to 'repair' an older GM starter. It can be done very quickly with some emry cloth, a small coarse file, and some wd40. Clean up the rotor contacts with the emry, file down the brush heads, clean out the solenoid with some emry and lube it with wd40. Reassemble and throw it back together. Unless there is a problem with the windings in the stator or a weak solenoid, it should work pretty much like new again. Typically though, the brushes get caked up with dust that gets into the starter and oil that may have leaked down onto it and then wear a bit until they don't make proper contact with the rotor anymore. Another thing is corrosion in the soleniod bore causing the plunger to hang up and not throw out the bendix.

 

GM has two basic starters for the 4.3L and sbc V8 engines. One for each of the flywheels. The difference between the flywheels is the number of teeth, and the difference in the flywheels is auto or manual trannies. Starters correspond to them. The most noticable difference between the starters is the bolt up pattern, some are angled, some are straight across. And some have the option to mount it either way. So yes, you could have a starter laying around from any sbc engine that will fit on your 4.3L engine.

 

Sure did fit. Took it completely apart, cleaned and added a little grease in the socalled sleeves at each end, then installed on 4.3 with 168 teeth. Odd how many starter numbers there are for these. The aftermarket guys have this coverred though. They actually tell you what will fit if you look close enough. They are actually starting to include the 90 degree v6 in their ads.


I know one thing, this starter will easily turn this little motor. I could have saved some weight, I saw a much smaller starter laying around also. About 30-35 % smaller and same bolt pattern and number of teeth. (9). Ought to fit as well, somehow doubt it would last cranking on cold mornings when things get tough. Wanna bet it fits a 2.5?

Yeah my block can have either starter mounted. Both bolt patterns are drilled into it. Seems like more of us would pay attention. I am learning quite a bit these days. If we paid attention, its possible to save large sums of money rather than give in to marketing that leads us to the most expensive parts. Of course, I assume the more expensive and newer model electronics and such are better quality than the older stuff I work with out here in the shed.

What I need to accomplish is to get it put together and in. In order to check things, its easier to have a starte for compression. Its easy to see a bent flywheel like I have. Silly to install bent flexplate even though the thing still works well enough to turn over with this starter. Once it intact and cranks and runs, I have nothing against using this old starter for a core charge in order to improve things. Buying all new parts for a motor than may need all kinds of things I may not be willing to spend money on is silly. So I wont do it. Once the heads are magnafluxed and checked, and I check bearings, I will waste about enough for set of head gaskets to check compression and oil flow carefully with a drill and spinner.

So, to get back to the thread; you can easily drop the starter down and with a little mechanical ability, take it apart. Take a good look around inside, heck mine had leaves in it. Clean, lub, reassemble. You can buy a new one if it doesnt work, right??

 

I knew they were similar, now we know that they are all compatable.
Correct, It is quite easy to disassemble, clean/lube the proper parts, and reassemble these starters. And if you screw anything up, well, it didn't work to begin with so at worst, you've spent an hour making sure that it was in fact broken. Slap all the parts back together and head off to the parts store. You can also bench test the starter. Put it into a vise or some other way of keeping the thing on the bench, then get jumper cables or a battery charger and put the corresponding leads onto the starter. You can only test the bendix/solenoid by attaching the ground properly and hitting the smaller contact with the positive, and then test the main starter motor by hitting the larger post.