OK chevy people

vjd/s.d. · Guest Report to Moderator

OK 1990 chevy PU 350 engin starter will stick and I have to go under and loosen the starter and shake it tighten it up again and it will work. What should I do with it?

Gene Davis (Ga.) · Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 6:21 pm Post subject: Re: OK chevy people

This will happen a lots of times with a weak battery. The solenoid contacts also can get a little rough and they will stick together like this. Does it stop when you remove the cable off the battery and work o.k. the next time?

Had the problem you describe with an 84 Chev6.2 diesel P.U. and the answer was to mount a Ford type solenoid on the fender, then take the main bettery cable off the G.M. solenoid and connect it to one side of the Ford type solenoid and the other side to a new cable running from the Ford type solenoid to the regular post on the G.M. solenoid. While you are under the truck, cut the purple wire to the G.M. solenoid and make a short jumper wire from the start post here to the big battery post on this solenoid that will energize the starter solenoid when current is applied to the battery post of this solenoid. Then take the other end of the purple start wire from the key switch and connect it to the Ford solenoid you have added and this system will break the connection from the battery juice in a fail safe way. Also the sticking can sometimes be caused by the starter needing shims added to it, but this will usually start after replacing the starter.

Bob · Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 7:49 pm Post subject: Re: OK chevy people

As for the 6.2, with a GOOD set of batterys and a quality starter solenoid, the solenoid sticking is NOT an issue.

Jon Hagen · Guest Report to Moderator

The starter may be too "tight" to the flywheel and need a shim between the starter and block.

That deal of adding a Ford magnetic switch can also be a good deal if the veichle has a "no crank when hot" problem. It replaces the voltage drop of many feet of wire from ignition switch to chevy solenoid, with a short heavy wire from bat to S terminals on the Chevy solenoid. The original Chevy crank wiring now has to only flow 1 amp for the Ford switch instead of 30 plus amps for the Chevy solenoid.
Chevy used to sell that exact deal as a "hot start kit" for machines like vans and motor homes that had a lot of engine heat transfered to the starter.
also used to add it to my Chevy powered race cars so there was no battery power to the chevy starter except when cranking. This helped prevent electrical fires if I got hit hard enough to short the starter/battery cable to the frame and suspension.