a great day for a cruise,but still having intermitant starting issues
hwscowboy said
May 13, 2013
So a beautiful day to take the 54 out for a cruise.I drove around for a few hours,did a few short highway runs,etc just to get the winter dust off and give the car a bit of a shakedown.Car ran awesome,temp never went above halfway on the gauge,oil pressure good and steady,charging as it should.My only issue was once when I went to restart the car she didn't want to turn over.I just put a new ignition switch in(a nos switch) and other than a very slight modification it is the same as the original one I pulled out.The original has three nubs that go out about 1/8th of an inch from the base,the replacement had three ribs that ran all the way out to the threads.So just a matter of grinding the ribs back to the 1/8th nubs that were on the original so it fit in the dash.Now it has been working well probably got 50 starts on it.But once in awhile I turn the key and nothing or a metallic clunk at the starter.Bump the ket sometimes 5 times sometimes 20 times and the starter fires and turns over no problem.I have rebuilt the starter once but still the original solenoid.Just wonderin if I have a starter issue still.I did find a loose solenoid terminal on the old ignition which I assume would be the reason for no power at that terminal.The first time I hooked up the new switch the starter fired right away.Anyways wonderin if I should be lookin for a replacement starter and if so anyone have an idea what the part number for the one in my 54 laurentian would be.On a positive note when I returned home there sat a box on my step,my original engine paint from bill Hirsch that I had shipped to my buddies cabin in Montana and he brought back with him today.Hirsch would not ship it to Canada for some reason.Happy crusin all.
pontiax said
May 19, 2013
It sounds like the solenoid disc has a flat spot, older solenoids had copper discs that could be flipped over and double the life of the solenoid.
-- Edited by pontiax on Sunday 19th of May 2013 06:47:17 PM
You;ll find that shippers won't ship paint across the border especially if it's a 'spray bomb" too many hassles trying to get it across!! guess it goes under "Dangerous Goods" so it's best to do what you did or go pick it up when down there visiting!!!
hwscowboy said
May 24, 2013
thanks guys,think I got it figured out.The new nos ignition switch I bought is slightly different than the old one.Yhe new one had 3 ribs running from the base out to the threads for the dash ring,and slightly shorter threads as well for the ring.My old one has the ribs buy yhey only stick out about an 1/8th of an inch and about twice the length of threads for the dash ring.Anyways I had to grind off the ribs and had left the 1/8th nubs but with the shorter threads the ring just didn't grab quite right and the whole switch would turn and the solenoid wire had worked loose again.Dround off the nubs fluxh and that seemed to give the dash bezel the little extra grip it needed,tightened all the screws for the wires and all worked well the other dayfor all 20 or so starts i did.As for the paint,i figured a spray bomb would be a shipping issue that's why i just ordered a quart can,but still no ship to Canada,box was maybe 4x4 inches.weird.Guess i'll have to find a Canadian source when i go to repaint the body.
So a beautiful day to take the 54 out for a cruise.I drove around for a few hours,did a few short highway runs,etc just to get the winter dust off and give the car a bit of a shakedown.Car ran awesome,temp never went above halfway on the gauge,oil pressure good and steady,charging as it should.My only issue was once when I went to restart the car she didn't want to turn over.I just put a new ignition switch in(a nos switch) and other than a very slight modification it is the same as the original one I pulled out.The original has three nubs that go out about 1/8th of an inch from the base,the replacement had three ribs that ran all the way out to the threads.So just a matter of grinding the ribs back to the 1/8th nubs that were on the original so it fit in the dash.Now it has been working well probably got 50 starts on it.But once in awhile I turn the key and nothing or a metallic clunk at the starter.Bump the ket sometimes 5 times sometimes 20 times and the starter fires and turns over no problem.I have rebuilt the starter once but still the original solenoid.Just wonderin if I have a starter issue still.I did find a loose solenoid terminal on the old ignition which I assume would be the reason for no power at that terminal.The first time I hooked up the new switch the starter fired right away.Anyways wonderin if I should be lookin for a replacement starter and if so anyone have an idea what the part number for the one in my 54 laurentian would be.On a positive note when I returned home there sat a box on my step,my original engine paint from bill Hirsch that I had shipped to my buddies cabin in Montana and he brought back with him today.Hirsch would not ship it to Canada for some reason.Happy crusin all.
-- Edited by pontiax on Sunday 19th of May 2013 06:47:17 PM
this might be what your looking for,, http://www.ebay.com/itm/Delco-Replacement-Starter-Solenoid-6-Volt-Plunger-Type-/230955468390?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item35c604c666... or from rock auto if you don't mind aftermarket... http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=42693&cc=1351167