Balky starter and 46 year old cables

Rusty Spokes

Rusty Spokes

Hero member
Location
Decatur, Ga. USA
The starter on my 3C was getting kinda slow. Checking the battery and charge conditions (all good) indicated perhaps it is time to renew the starter brushes and a good clean up. The starter had never been opened..thought it was due.

Got a good old fashioned auto electric shop near-by and took the starter in with a new set of brushes from Wolfgang. Next day they called and the reconditioned starter was ready. I inquired about how the starter was and they said it was in good condition..they replaced the brushes, cleaned up the brush holder and refreshed the commutator. No problem.  I was expecting a bit more rebuild drama..but okay.

Reinstalled the starter and still it turned over balky..what?

Then I noticed the positive cable from the starter solenoid/relay was getting hot!

I had replaced the negitive battery cable with a larger heavy duty cable years ago. Never thought twice about the positive side.

Ordered a BMW battery cable kit BCK-475473 from EURO MOTOELECTRICS..which has two nice heavy duty copper cables which work well for the battery positive side to relay and relay to starter cables. The long cable is a bit too long but easily routed.

The change in cranking speed is significant..amazing.

Just passing this along.  Replace your original battery and starter cables if they are decades old.

BCK-475473-7T.jpg


 
This is a subject I can get quite heated about, though not nearly as heated as starter cables have got, on occasion.
Most notably when I thumbed the button in a petrol station, having just filled the tank to the brim. As smoke rose from the cable, I made it a firm resolution that I would add starter leads to my list of "consumables", like oil, tyres, chains, gear lever springs and cables, to be replaced at regular intervals, not kept until they fail which is generally at an inconvenient moment and, potentially, catastrophic.
 
Good idea putting a heavier cable on, but check your solenoid... that?s the component most at risk of wear and tear.
In a perfect world, with real unicorns, the cable will never wear out because it was big enough to start with, and was never subjected to corrosion, vibration, or extended periods of continuous cranking...
 
Terminals corrode or get crapped up, and the wires can fray where they enter the terminal.
 
My OEM cables.
You can see from the first photograph how hot the cable got. The other two show the positive (+) and negative (-) ends of the cables. The difference is electrolysis, over the years.
 

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Wow  :o!

Yeah, jeez, play fair  :-*.  Get the wire brush and a bit of lemon juice out, at least once every 10 years or so ...  8)

(And as per Andy: ditto for the solenoid contacts ...)
 
Perhaps after all the years it's about time to dissemble the starter, give her good cleaning, replace the bushing and a few bearing before you loose her and do not forget the cluster gear and dogs in the starter clutch ;o)
 
A yes ;o) Wire Control Cables can be bitch to clean. Had to hang them and drip fuel oil through them for days and lube them with ATF then patch broken outer plastic covering with heat shrink to save them. A heat gun and an air compressor with a needle nozzle helps and often you need a Propane torch to re-solder the ends - Have FUN.

After all that FUN you wonder if you just didn't put out money to buy or fabricate new ones  ;o)

PS: Always carry Vise Grips if your control system is Cable - You will probably have to them as a handle at sometime or another.
 
Laverda SF said:
A yes ;o) Wire Control Cables can be bitch to clean. Had to hang them and drip fuel oil through them for days and lube them with ATF then patch broken outer plastic covering with heat shrink to save them. A heat gun and an air compressor with a needle nozzle helps and often you need a Propane torch to re-solder the ends - Have FUN.

After all that FUN you wonder if you just didn't put out money to buy or fabricate new ones  ;o)

PS: Always carry Vise Grips if your control system is Cable - You will probably have to them as a handle at sometime or another.
Click to expand...

Mr Sock is talking about the electrical cables, Ron. English ambiguity ... context is important!
 
Same thing applies to maintaining electrical cables except your local automotive store has a great selection to replace your battery and starter cables - Heat shrink, Tin Solder and Red Rust Check is you friend - Except, I recommend using Lacquer thinner, Acetate, Muriatic Acid or Brake Cleaner depending the job to clean before soldering then spraying with Rust Check ;o)

If you have to use an acid solution don't forget to neutralize with Baking Soda.

Looking at his wire end PIC's, I would not say they are not savable but why not just to the local Automotive Parts Counter and replace them. I would go another gauge heavier given the opportunity.

Your local Wrecking Yard has great selection of Wire Cables.
 
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