<VV> Serious starter problem

[Joel McGregor]

I wasn't disagreeing with you Smitty and I've had it happen once, maybe.  I was responding to the claim that a low battery will do it with nothing else wrong.  Welded contacts is something else wrong.  A stuck starter isn't the normal thing that happens when a battery is low.
I still milk all I can out of batteries because I have a lot of them and they keep getting more expensive.
Joel McGregor

-----Original Message-----
From: VirtualVairs [mailto:virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org] On Behalf Of Smitty via VirtualVairs
Subject: <VV> Serious starter problem


So why wouldn't a starter always stay engaged when the battery was too weak to turn the engine or the engine was locked up?  Instead that almost never happens. (unless something else is wrong) Joel McGregor
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Smitty Says:  One more time.  There is a large spring in the solenoid that is supposed to take it back to the retract position and disengage the gear. 
If the copper contact disc has become tack welded to the contacts, the spring can not pull the solenoid slug back.  As for the low battery and welded contacts situation, that is not all that uncommon.  It has happened to me plenty of times back when I had less money and was trying to wring the last possible start out of a failing battery.