Help runnin out of ideas

[adileo]

Skip coil
Bubba 11a distro
Elec fuel pump
No mech pump
6 volt battery less than year old

Car starts great cold
When car is hot it almost sounds like battery weak
Can this be solinoid?

[richard crow]

make sure you have correct 6v batt cables check & clean all conections especaly the ground cable.

[adileo]

Oh forgot new #0 ground strap & and a (not cheap) cut off on ground strap - think 1000 surge and 185 continuos amp

[Kube]

Originally Posted by adileo

Skip coil
Bubba 11a distro
Elec fuel pump
No mech pump
6 volt battery less than year old

Car starts great cold
When car is hot it almost sounds like battery weak
Can this be solinoid?

You need to go at this very systematically.
Have you tested the battery when the engine is cold? How many volts? Have you then tested it after the car has run for a while and is still hot? How many volts? It matters little how old the battery is.
IF the battery tests "good" at all times, you can be reasonably certain the charging system is operating adequately.
Keep in mind, as a"rule of thumb" a fully charged battery should show at minimum 6.3 volts. If it shows 6, you have approximately half the advertised cold cranking amps. Yes, it drops off that quickly.

Then, I would suggest you move on to the starter.
Remove it and have it inspected and possibly rebuilt by a professional. Make certain there is NO paint on the end plate nor the oil pan where the starter comes in to contact when installed. There is a reason Ford masked these areas when these cars were built.

I would suggest you feel the back of the ignition switch when driving. If it is hot to the touch, the switch is worn and building resistance. This will require a new switch.

It is also possible the condenser is not quite up to par. If you have no way to test this, I'd suggest replacing it with a known good unit and see if anything changes.

My guess is you will find your underlying issue within the above tests.

No doubt you will be advised to add extra grounds, an 8 volt battery, etc. None of that is necessary. They are simply "band-aids" utilized by those that chose to mask issues vs. actually repairing the problems.

[adileo]

Excellent advise thanks Kube I'll do one at a time btw starter is new

[34fordy]

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Just cuz it is new could BE the problem--Unless the problem existed before the new starter was installed--You just can not rule anything out--The previous system of elimination by Kube was excellent!!

[Tony, NY]

Just curious. Why would a condenser cause "sounds like a weak battery"?
As far as ground straps go, I would always have one from the body and motor to the frame.

[adileo]

Tested battery 6.3 cold 6.65 after an hour drive and just shut off

I replaced the starter thinking it may be cause - I was wrong.

Next I'll feel ign switch see if it's hot.

How about the resistor under dash?

Guess more ground straps can't hurt

[Kurt in NJ]

Look at the nuts, lockwashers on the starter switch, starter, ground connections---if they are rusty replace them

crank the engine with the ignition off for 10--15 seconds, then feel the wires, connections,solenoid,starter, any that are too hot to hold have a problem

It's not about adding more, fixing is about proper restoration

[G.M.]

What is the voltage to the coil wire, hot cranking the starter. Sounds like a big voltage drop not letting starter turning at enough speed and the amp draw or loss pulls the coil voltage down in the 3 volt or slightly lower range. Will not start below 3 volts. G.M.

[tubman]

15 Years ago, the battery on my '51 gave up, and I bought the only one that was available at the time, a 475 CCA Group 1 battery from the local NAPA store. After that, I always had trouble starting it when it was hot. If I left the hood open, when I parked it, it would usually start. I chased everything else down until it became obvious to me that a Ford V8 won't start when hot with an undersized tractor battery. I replaced it with an Optima with 800 CCA and never looked back. That battery lasted 13 years, and I bought a new one this spring. I probably could have bought a 625 CCA Group 2 from Fleet Farm, but opted for the Optima because of the reliability, more power and long life. I purchased a plastic "fake " case for it, and with a little mofification, it looks fine and works better.

[Paul/Woodinville]

I had the same problem on my 49 it would start fine cold but if I drove it for more then 15 minutes and shut if off there was a good chance it would not start or it would crank so slow I was afraid it would not start. It was so bad that my wife refused to ride it anymore. I remove all starting circuit wiring and wire wheeled the cables and where they attached on the car. I remove the solenoid and wire wheeled the connections. When everything was clean and bright I never had a starting problem again. It cranks as fast hot as it does cold.

[Kahuna]

Hi Andy
Check the voltage across that new cutoff switch

[ford38v8]

If "sounds like battery weak" means slow cranking, then forget about anything to do with the ignition system, and concentrate on the cables, connections, cut-off switch, solenoid, and starter with its mounting. About the "new" starter, is it one of the new fangled light weight jobs, or a newly rebuilt, and how was it rebuilt?

Actually, it's all just guesswork without a more detailed description of the symptoms. The "sounds like weak battery" is not enough information.

[adileo]

Thanks guys. Better description - there's not enough power to turn starter. Car (so far hasn't failed me & eventually will kick over) battery gauge is way into negative zone when all this is going on but is in charge zone when running. The starter is not light weight I got it from joblot. I have filed all the paint under grounds to bear metal.

I have not changed - solinoid, starter button or the resistor under dash. In addition to all above I have bought and changed condensor got an ih200 from Napa

[Mart]

Haven't read every reply, but have you tried it with the (not cheap) isolator removed? Any paint where the starter bolts to the pan?

Mart.

[adileo]

Replaced the ih200 condensor w rr175 based on an earlier post from bubba.

The more I think about it I'm doubting it's a ground issue. My logic is I have no issue when cold - if ground the issue problem would be hot or cold.

I tried cranking with switch off and nothing got hot .

I'll keep ya all posted but it may be this battery needs to be load tested

Thanks Andy

[flatheadmurre]

Its not as simple as that you got more compression hot ?
And the starter is having a hard time doing its job then ?
If its a fresh rebuild and brushes havent settled in yet...

[George/Maine]

I would start with new battery,the elecrric fuel pump is taxing the ign voltage.

[TomO]

Slow starter is due to low voltage going to the starter or a mechanical problem in the starter.

Check the battery by connecting a meter across it and measuring the voltage while cranking the engine with the ignition off. It should read above 5 volts while cranking. If the battery is good continue with the following test.

Connect a volt meter from the NEG post of the battery to the starter motor terminal. Crank the engine with the ignition switch off. The meter should read between 0.2 and 0.3 volts. If it reads more than that, you have excessive resistance in the starter circuit. This could be cables, cutoff switches or solenoid. Move the meter lead from the starter back towards the battery one connection at a time to isolate the problem. If the test is within specs, your starter is probably at fault.