Starter question

[Medic]

Has anyone had any problems with Powermaster Mini Starters? Here's the situation. Just finished a complete ground up rebuild of '68 Charger. Everything drive train is brand new. Blueprint Engines 440, TCI auto trans, TTI stainless headers and pipes. The car was originally a 318 car. When the car is cool, starter works fine. When the car is hot, starter drags, sometimes requiring a jump. Here's what I've done so far: Timing is correct. Brand new 800CCA battery. 2 ga. ground cable to the iron block. 2 clean ground cables from the block to the chassis. All wiring is tight and clean. Heat shield wrap around the starter.
It feels like a heats-soak problem to me, but I've just about run out of ideas. I have read on-line reviews of this starter and it seems others have had heat-soak problems with this brand of starter. Which starter did you use? Any more ideas?

 

[Aarons Air]

Has anyone had any problems with Powermaster Mini Starters? Here's the situation. Just finished a complete ground up rebuild of '68 Charger. Everything drive train is brand new. Blueprint Engines 440, TCI auto trans, TTI stainless headers and pipes. The car was originally a 318 car. When the car is cool, starter works fine. When the car is hot, starter drags, sometimes requiring a jump. Here's what I've done so far: Timing is correct. Brand new 800CCA battery. 2 ga. ground cable to the iron block. 2 clean ground cables from the block to the chassis. All wiring is tight and clean. Heat shield wrap around the starter.
It feels like a heats-soak problem to me, but I've just about run out of ideas. I have read on-line reviews of this starter and it seems others have had heat-soak problems with this brand of starter. Which starter did you use? Any more ideas?

What about the positive cable ? What guage is it ? Any hidden corrosion ?

 

[69a100]

When the car is cool, starter works fine. When the car is hot, starter drags, sometimes requiring a jump. Heat shield wrap around the starter.
It feels like a heats-soak problem to me, but I've just about run out of ideas. I have read on-line reviews of this starter and it seems others have had heat-soak problems with this brand of starter. Which starter did you use? Any more ideas?

It does sound like a heat soak problem. Sounds like it's time for a new starter. I've never had a problem with a JY mini. I just hope your not the stupid type like others that go out and spend $200+ on something and still have problems. Good Luck

 

[aeon280]

It does sound like a heat soak problem. Sounds like it's time for a new starter. I've never had a problem with a JY mini. I just hope your not the stupid type like others that go out and spend $200+ on something and still have problems. Good Luck

Why spend 200 when you can buy a Dakota starter for 60 bucks.

 

[Medic]

What about the positive cable ? What guage is it ? Any hidden corrosion ?

Brand new 4 ga. positive cable. New wiring harness.

 

[Medic]

It does sound like a heat soak problem. Sounds like it's time for a new starter. I've never had a problem with a JY mini. I just hope your not the stupid type like others that go out and spend $200+ on something and still have problems. Good Luck

Well I don't believe I'm the "stupid type" to just keep throwing money at the problem. This is the first Mopar I've built, and I am just hoping somebody might have an idea or see something I missed.

 

[Medic]

This is what we are working with.

 

[69a100]

Why spend 200 when you can buy a Dakota starter for 60 bucks.

Yeah, that's pretty much it, if not exactly what I said!

 

[R/T Boy 67]

Does your engine lose power when it gets hot? It could be that something is not happy inside the engine when it gets hot. Try a torque wrench on the crank snout when cold and then again when hot. It could also be the torque converter bushing if it is an auto. Just throwing that out there. I hope it is just the starter.

 

[WileERobby]

Try tossing the heat wrap around the starter away. I believe it keeps the heat in.

 

[MoparLeo]

Fully recharge the battery on a good low amp charge before anything else. If compression is above 11:1 you could use a timing retard setup for starting. Timing is correct ? What is the base timing ? Somewhere between 0 btdc and 15 btdc for stock rebuild. But first try another starter, even a cheap rebuilt to verify the problem. You must have a friend who might loan you one from their car/stash of parts. And I agree, you need a reflective shield not a blanket.

 

[coloradodave]

1) Have you tested your grounds with an ohmmeter? That's a beautiful paint job on your engine but could be affecting ground unless you scraped the paint or used star washers under the terminals.
2) Next time it's hot, retard the timing a little and see if the motor turns over any better.
3) I've run the Powermaster starter and 100 amp alternator without problems.
4) I agree with Leo; I've never had a need to use a starter wrap. If it indeed is a heat soak problem, try jury rigging a thin piece of aluminum between the offending header tube and see if that solves it. If so, you can make a 'pretty' one later that uses hose clamps and spacers on the tube to shield the starter.

 

[MoparLeo]

Just and aside comment. One of the most overlooked part of a restoration is the electrical system. Especially on our older Mopars. After you sort out your starter problem, I'll give you and our other members a few articles to help us now and in the future. Good reading and save material.:
http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/amp-gauges.shtml
http://www.allpar.com/fix/alternator.html
https://www.allpar.com/history/mopar/electrical2.html
https://www.hotrod.com/articles/mopp-0808-fixing-dim-or-blinking-headlights/
https://www.allpar.com/history/mopar/electrical.html

 

[Medic]

Thanks for the tips. Will try to take a look at it this week. Here's the finished product!

 

[62 Dart Convertible]

When hot, short coil wire to ground and crank whilst measuring battery terminal voltage. Then again at starter +ve lug. If they are the same, starter is the problem.

 

[Matt DeCicco]

I just installed my 383/496 last year with a brand new power master that was sitting on the shelf for 10 years. It worked good for a few months and then started doing what yours is doing. One day it just gave out. I'll list the following steps to fix the problem.

Step 1. Throw out power master.
Step 2. Install a Dakota starter.

I have 11.4:1 and it kicks it faster than the power master did

 

[Medic]

Update- The problem was a bad ground. However, the car had been on the road for a couple of months, and the contacts in the starter had burnt up before I realized what the problem was. Starter was replaced, and she starts fine now. Thanks everyone for the tips, I'm sure there will be more questions in the future.