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07-21-2023, 04:47 PM | #1 |
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Solenoid or something else??
I just installed this solenoid acquired from Amazon. Push button switch is NAPA for a 1948 Ford. I believe this is an original starter switch, not a repop. I turned the copper strip upside down so it makes good contact (I think) all the time. When pushing the button, the starter engages and the engine turns over, but it sounds like the teeth are not engaging all the way. There is a wicked, nasty chatter which in the old days would be instantly diagnosed as a low battery or bad solenoid. In my case the battery is fully charged. If I take the solenoid out of the circuit, remove the starter switch, and touch the neg cable to the big copper lug on top the starter, it turns over with vigor just the way it should. The wires from the terminal box to the push button to the solenoid are 12 and 14 ga. It's hard for me to think that those small wires are the problem, but maybe. If it is just a poor quality solenoid, I'll replace it with a Ford tractor one from NAPA. Recommendations please
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07-21-2023, 05:31 PM | #2 |
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Re: Solenoid or something else??
To me it sound like you need to make a better connection between the starter switch and the starter. If it were me, I'd take the starter switch out of the circuit and wire the solenoid directly to the starter.
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07-21-2023, 05:33 PM | #3 |
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Re: Solenoid or something else??
The blue wire should go to a momentary switch that is grounded.
Is that how it is wired? |
07-21-2023, 06:12 PM | #4 |
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Re: Solenoid or something else??
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07-21-2023, 06:17 PM | #5 |
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Re: Solenoid or something else??
Are you trying to run a 12V solenoid on a 6V system? "from Amazon" generally means ChiCom products for newer applications not for the small market of old cars.
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07-21-2023, 07:21 PM | #6 |
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Re: Solenoid or something else??
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Last edited by Flathead Fever; 07-21-2023 at 07:27 PM. |
07-21-2023, 08:04 PM | #7 |
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Re: Solenoid or something else??
The blue wire is to a momentary switch which is NOT grounded. The yellow wire is power from the battery to the terminal block, and I have run a 12 ga wire to the momentary switch (the push button switch in my OP). ie, power from battery to term block to mom switch to solenoid. I noted that one owner had tapped the copper plug on top of the starter, and secured the battery cable with a 5/16 bolt. That would definitely give me a excellent connection, but there is the risk of drilling thru the copper and damaging the starter . This solenoid was ordered as a 6V unit, and it is labeled as such.
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07-21-2023, 08:34 PM | #8 |
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Re: Solenoid or something else??
What did you use to hold the copper/bronze/brass strip tight to the lug on top of the starter motor? I've seen them made from wood,and plastic.The spring tension from just the strip is NOWHERE near enough to make a solid connection.
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07-21-2023, 09:14 PM | #9 |
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Re: Solenoid or something else??
The Ford 6V solenoids have an isolated ground and you need to supply a ground
to the small terminal to energize the solenoid. |
07-22-2023, 05:41 AM | #10 |
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Re: Solenoid or something else??
I am not familiar with that solenoid but if after wiring it up as Bob C recommends and it still does not work then you can test the solenoid by taking a battery cable and connecting the lugs on both sides. I know you took the solenoid out of the circuit by touching the negative cable to the lug on the switch, but bypassing the solenoid in place will test whether it is the solenoid or a connection problem.
In the past I have bypassed a solenoid by using a pair of pliers.
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07-22-2023, 07:04 AM | #11 |
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Re: Solenoid or something else??
Ive seen "turning over the brass strip" before and it worked just fine. Check to see if the solenoid is chattering due to low power when the starter is engaged. Best way to troubleshoot this issue is to use a second battery to activate the solenoid. Now to get on my soap box , one of the things that makes a model A a model A is the foot operated starter.
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07-28-2023, 03:41 PM | #12 |
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Re: Solenoid or something else??
UPDATE- I returned the Amazon solenoid and got one from O'Reilly made for a 1948 Ford pickup. It looks the same as the photo in my OP--single pole. It is NOT grounded. To determine if the blue wire from the momentary switch is too small (12ga) I connected a 10 ga wire direct from the battery to the single pole on the solenoid, and activated the circuit with my ground cut-off switch. Starter engaged, but still had the nasty chatter--Oreilly's chatter is a different dialect than Amazon's , but still indicates a deficiency. Discovered a push button on the bottom of the solenoid, so pushed that, and starter engaged perfectly with no extraneous sounds. At this point, the only less-than-perfect connection is the bent copper strip in the starter switch, but after trying all combinations of circuitry, the only time the solenoid acts up is when it is activated thru the pole. BTW-the momentary switch is from NAPA, and sourced as for a 1948 Ford pickup--Screw connections, no pigtail. Can't believe I have two defective solenoids--any thoughts??
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07-28-2023, 04:33 PM | #13 |
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Re: Solenoid or something else??
Not sure what you mean by “not grounded”.
Did you have the solenoid case grounded? I have runt into this problem where I had to run a separate ground wire from one the mounting ears to a good chassis ground. |
07-28-2023, 04:51 PM | #14 |
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Re: Solenoid or something else??
I and others have tried to explain to you that the small terminal needs to be grounded for the solenoid to work. The early Ford solenoid is a circuit #2 with isolated ground. The partial 1948-49 Truck wiring diagram posted show the starter button is grounded.
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07-28-2023, 05:44 PM | #15 |
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Re: Solenoid or something else??
It would help us if you would take a photo of the wiring diagram that came with the solenoid.
The small terminal may be powered internally in the solenoid, if it is then you would only need to ground that small terminal for the starter to motor
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07-28-2023, 07:58 PM | #16 |
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Re: Solenoid or something else??
Most 6v solinoids are wired like this.
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07-28-2023, 08:14 PM | #17 |
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Re: Solenoid or something else??
I will yield to multiple admonitions to ground the solenoid. It is bolted to the firewall using star washers, but I didn't make special effort to scrape away some paint. When I wire a ground I will go direct to the battery. Also, the momentary switch is not grounded. This solenoid has only one small terminal, not two. Will report back tomorrow
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07-28-2023, 08:16 PM | #18 |
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Re: Solenoid or something else??
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07-29-2023, 04:51 PM | #19 |
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Re: Solenoid or something else??
The solenoid get juice from the battery cable. The blue wire as you referred is the pick for the coil in the solenoid. Check the switch connection to ground. To test the solenoid, run a wire from the terminal on the solenoid and momentarily touch it to ground. Suspect the solenoid will work correctly.
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07-30-2023, 04:01 PM | #20 |
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Re: Solenoid or something else??
OK, Chapter 3. With a test light the solenoid is definitely grounded, and the body of the momentary switch is definitely grounded. With no power to the mom. switch the switch on the bottom of the solenoid works as it should. With no power from yellow wire (battery) to the mom switch, there is no juice to the blue wire, ie wired exactly as in Y's post. Also, solenoid did not include a wiring diagram. Per jrelliot, this action yields no results. Is it possible that using the solenoid wired to connect yellow to switch to blue to starter I fried the solenoid?
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