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  • March 28, 2024, 11:18:43 AM

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Author Topic: Trouble Starting Lately  (Read 17115 times)

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Prafeston

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Re: Trouble Starting Lately
« Reply #15 on: June 14, 2012, 10:18:49 PM »
Well I've never removed a starter before. I'm gonna try to get it started tomorrow and drive it out to my dad's house where the parts car is...if I need anything I can just steal from it and start doing some troubleshooting.

Offline Baskinator

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Re: Trouble Starting Lately
« Reply #16 on: June 14, 2012, 10:20:26 PM »
I had a brand new coil go bad on me in a few months, and I hardly ever started the car in that period. Also, check the voltage at your starter solenoid. My brand new one went bad a few weeks ago and it can do some freaky things. They are also pretty cheap, and a (cheaper) manual type will work completely fine with your automatic.

If you get a chance to look at your starter, they are fairly simple to remove and take apart. WAY easier than a carburetor. Just remove two bolts and pull it out, then you pull two screws to open the case. Inspect the drive gear and make sure it moves smoothly, and give it some grease while you're in there. Also, take a can of electric cleaner to remove any gunk that's built up, and make sure the brushes aren't totally worn away. Then throw it all back together and bolt it back in :)

The brushes are the four copper pieces on the outside of the middle circle (armature). They shouldn't be much more worn down than this.


This is the armature, with the drive gear on the left.
1982 AMC Eagle SX/4 (Work In Progress)

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Offline carnuck

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Re: Trouble Starting Lately
« Reply #17 on: June 15, 2012, 03:18:21 AM »
Just to the right of the gear in the above pic is the "clutch" which is a one way roller device. When the rollers wear out, it slips, causing that spinning without the engine turning noise.
AMC/Jeep gauges are for amusement only. Any correlation between them and reality is purely coincidental!

Prafeston

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Re: Trouble Starting Lately
« Reply #18 on: June 15, 2012, 02:49:27 PM »
Well the got the car started up pretty easy this morning. Stayed running real easy too. Drove it to my dad's where my parts car is and turned it off. Let it sit for a bit...and it wouldn't start again. Took the starter out I didn't feel like anything looked bad right off the bat. Haven't taken it completely apart yet. Might put it back in and try the ICM first. Took the starter, ICM, and starter solenoid off of Threepete in case I need them.










Offline eaglefreek

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Re: Trouble Starting Lately
« Reply #19 on: June 15, 2012, 03:11:18 PM »
When you say "won't start", do yo mean the starter doesn't turn at all or that the starter turns the engine, but the engine won't start?
1986 AMC Eagle Wagon 4.2L/4.0L head, AW4,NP242, Chrysler 8.25" rear.
1981 AMC Eagle Wagon As Seen On TV  Lost In Transmission


 

"I know he'd be a poorer man, if he never saw an eagle fly,
Rocky mountain high"  John Denver
Click for Fayetteville,TN Forecast" border="0" height="100" width="150

Prafeston

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Re: Trouble Starting Lately
« Reply #20 on: June 15, 2012, 03:14:58 PM »
Sounds like the starter is turning...put it will only engage like for a split second right when the key is turned.

It's the same thing that's happening in this video I posted earlier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH9MkIT2p7w

Offline eagleman

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Re: Trouble Starting Lately
« Reply #21 on: June 15, 2012, 03:25:15 PM »
Thats the bendex acting up.Either replace with a new bendex or replace the starter as a whole unit.
Turkeys walk.Eagles fly!!!

Offline eaglefreek

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Re: Trouble Starting Lately
« Reply #22 on: June 15, 2012, 03:39:42 PM »
Thats the bendex acting up.Either replace with a new bendex or replace the starter as a whole unit.
I concur.
1986 AMC Eagle Wagon 4.2L/4.0L head, AW4,NP242, Chrysler 8.25" rear.
1981 AMC Eagle Wagon As Seen On TV  Lost In Transmission


 

"I know he'd be a poorer man, if he never saw an eagle fly,
Rocky mountain high"  John Denver
Click for Fayetteville,TN Forecast" border="0" height="100" width="150

Prafeston

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Re: Trouble Starting Lately
« Reply #23 on: June 15, 2012, 03:46:41 PM »
It started up pretty easy this morning, but did stall out on me when I was trying to make a turn. Started up again pretty easy and I drove to my dad's with no worries after that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ6lgEJYThw

Prafeston

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Re: Trouble Starting Lately
« Reply #24 on: June 15, 2012, 07:22:05 PM »
Well 55 bucks later and a remanufactured starter installed and we are good to go. The starter has a lifetime warranty.

Is there anything maybe wrong with my car that would have made the bendix go out on my starter? I want to make sure this doesn't happen again.

Offline TheWraith

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Re: Trouble Starting Lately
« Reply #25 on: June 15, 2012, 08:34:33 PM »
Is there anything maybe wrong with my car that would have made the bendix go out on my starter? I want to make sure this doesn't happen again.

I'd say age.  With so few miles it definitely wasn't abused.

Or maybe it was a Monday or Friday starter. ;D

Congrats on getting it up and running.  Let us know how the timing and carb fine tuning goes.
I am what Willis was talking about.

Offline eagleman

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Re: Trouble Starting Lately
« Reply #26 on: June 15, 2012, 09:54:36 PM »
Yeah, a bad ring gear will cause a bendex to fail but with so few miles I really doubt that is at fault. My guess is just age. I really doubt when ford designed this started that they intended it to last thirty plus years. Mark it up as a learning curve and be glad it only cost you what it did. Could have been a lot worse! Glad its up and running for ya.
Turkeys walk.Eagles fly!!!

Offline carnuck

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Re: Trouble Starting Lately
« Reply #27 on: June 18, 2012, 02:38:36 PM »
I see the problem. That's a Ford starter drive and not an AMC one which is longer. Common mistake of rebuilders.

AMC/Jeep gauges are for amusement only. Any correlation between them and reality is purely coincidental!

Prafeston

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Re: Trouble Starting Lately
« Reply #28 on: June 18, 2012, 03:17:18 PM »
Hmmm so the starter had probably been rebuilt or replaced at some point and with the wrong part? So it was only a matter of time before it would fail?

Offline carnuck

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Re: Trouble Starting Lately
« Reply #29 on: June 19, 2012, 01:26:51 PM »
pretty much. The rebuilders hope you will get past the warranty or forget about it. The correct drives are $5 each more. I used to pack one in the glovebox of my Jtruck. Makes me glad I'm going to 4.0L starter and flywheel now.
AMC/Jeep gauges are for amusement only. Any correlation between them and reality is purely coincidental!

 

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