Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Help Please With Starting Question???

[SSage]

My 95 with 63K on it started making a funny noise on start up. When the engine starts I hear a growling noise and the voltage guage sometimes will pull down to an indicated 8 volts. Yesterday it just clicked once when turning the key, the second try was fine. The noise comes and goes now, always on start up. The batteries are strong, lights bright etc.



I figure this is a starter contact problem? Its getting worse, the truck just quit the other day and then started right back up with no unusual noise. The starter got oil dropped on it from a leak about a thousand miles ago too.



I know about the LarryB SuperSize contacts, do I need any thing else?



I should do:

Starter contacts

Diode

Check Fusible Link (Spare)

Fuel shut off realy (Spare)

And probably a Fuel shut off solenoid since mine seems to be sticking.



Any advice????? PEASE Oo.

 

[Joe G.]

Starter contacts and diode from LarryB. Don't get the other things until you know if they are bad. You can get a relay, if you need one, from Allied for less than $10. Look here: http://www.alliedelec.com/Search/Pr...N=R51-1D70-12&R=235-0510&sid=47057E804559E17F .



If the fuel shut off solenoid is sticking it is probably because of sticking starter contacts.

 

[SSage]

Starter contacts and diode from LarryB. Don't get the other things until you know if they are bad. You can get a relay, if you need one, from Allied for less than $10. Look here: NTE Electronics, Inc. - R51-1D70-12 - Allied Electronics .



If the fuel shut off solenoid is sticking it is probably because of sticking starter contacts.

Thanks for the link for the relay. I ordered the contacts today also. I'm afraid to keep pushing this thing to the point of burning something up. I hope my fuel shut off will be okay with the new starter contacts and plunger kit from LarryB's. I figured my starter would go longer since I'm only at 63K miles.

 

[JFaughn]

I would figure that it would be something els , I cleaned my stater at 225,000 , get a load test done on batteries , alternator , starter & connections .
Not that putting in the Larry Bs stuff is bad , that good upgrade / mod / preventive things to do .

 

[K5IP]

contacts are probably worth a shot, but at 63K? Also, the fact that your voltage drops so low is suspect. If starter contacts were bad, I would suspect high resistance resulting in low current flow and a higher (not lower)than usual starting voltage. Mystery. Are you sure your headlight stay bright even under starting conditions? I think I'd also look at batteries/connections while your at it.

I don't think Cummins starters usually have this problem, but I have had starters draw excess current (resulting in low battery voltage while starting) and the fault was worn armateur shaft bushings allowing the armateur to rub against the field plate. Just a remote (very remote) possibility.

 

[Champane Flight]

How cold is it?

Sure the heater grid did not come on?

 

[Joe G.]

Starter contacts on these starters do not go bad so there is a conductance problem. One of them wears from arcing. That causes the contact disk to tip and stick that way. The "funny noise" is the result of the starting still attempting to crank after the engine starts. In this case, the pull on coil in the fuel solenoid remains engaged so it can burn up. The diode prevents that from happening when the starter sticks.

 

[SSage]

I pulled my starter yesterday, it took a trip to Sears to get longer 10 mm box ends and I used a bottle jack handle as a cheater bar for the bottom bolts. The top bolt was actually not that bad, I used 3/8" extensions and socket turned by a 1/2" rachet with one short extension and a swivel.



One contact looked brand new, the other one was paper thin and rough at the edges. I added the diode and all seems good. The growling is gone so far and it starts up a bit quicker. My batteries are 6 years and 10 months old almost a full 7 years old. I'm changing them out today. This is my tow rig and it just turned 63K, I wasn't expecting the contact issue so soon. It was a pain to do since I did the work in a camp ground next to my 5th wheel.



I guess I didn't burn anything else up, I'm a bit concerned since the truck quit on me three weeks ago. I wonder if the worn contact could mess with the fuel cut off relay while rolling down the road?

 

[Joe G.]

I guess I didn't burn anything else up, I'm a bit concerned since the truck quit on me three weeks ago. I wonder if the worn contact could mess with the fuel cut off relay while rolling down the road?

Yes it can if it's still engaged while rolling down the road. If yours is still working then you are ok. Glad to see you have it fixed.