QuestionMY 56 T-BIRD STARTS FINE WHEN COLD. AFTER GETTING CAR TO OPERATING TEMPERATURE AND TURNING IT OFF I EXPERIENCE A PROBLEM RESTARTING THE ENGINE. THE STARTER WILL HARDLY TURN THE ENGINE OVER.THE ENGINE RUNS FINE AND IS NOT OVERHEATING. I KEEP THINKING IT COULD BE THE STARTER. ANY THOUGHTS WOULD BE APPRIECATED, THANKS, DEL
AnswerIt could be the starter, but before you start spending money on the problem, there are a few other possible causes to check out (in no particular order):
1. The carburetor could be leaking gas down into the intake manifold after it is parked when hot - enough gas will not only flood the engine and make it reluctant to start, it could also make the engine hard to turn because of the hydraulic lock caused by fluid in a closed cylinder. This will show up as oil in the engine oil sooner or later; smell your dipstick to see if there is any hint of gas mixed into the oil. If not, relax on that subject.
2. The timing could be set too advanced, causing the engine to "kick back" against the starter, making it very difficult to turn the engine. To check for this, pull the wire out of the center of the distributor cap and ground it to the engine block, to make sure there is no spark, then see if it cranks normally. If that makes it crank with vigor, even when hot, you have found your problem - have your points and timing checked.
3. If the engine has been rebuilt within the last few thousand miles, it is possible that some clearances are set too tight, or that the main bearing saddles were not align bored when it was rebuilt, causing the main bearings to bind when hot (a shortcut that is all too common). When the engine is hot, all the clearances are further reduced, because metal expands with heat. The only cures for this are to drive the car for 10,000 miles; the problem should slowly get better as the parts wear a bit, or to have it re-rebuilt, properly.
4. Copper increases it's resistance rapidly with temperature, so if your battery cables are a bit too small for the application, or if the connections are not tight and clean, the added resistance in the cables and the starter winding itself will greatly reduce the starter's ability to crank the engine when it gets hot. Inspect your cables and the ends, and make sure the cables are heavy duty type - made from size 1 or larger (lower numbers are bigger) copper. Size 0 is better, and 00 is really good. If they are made of size 4 copper wire, which many shops seem to feel is adequate, that could be your only problem. If you can, find a source for the original type cables for a 55 T-bird (which was a 6 volt car); they will be much better than what you probably have.
5. The starter may be failing - to diagnose it, take the car to an auto electrical shop and ask them to measure the current drain of the starter when it is very hot. They will know if it is excessive. If it checks out bad, have them rebuild it for you AND RETEST IT! Don't rely on the discount parts store to get you a well rebuilt starter - they are mostly junk.
Good luck, I hope this helps.
Dick
