So i've been having a problem with my starter- Seems to only appear when i'm driving and its super hot- or has happened at the track when its hot and i'm starting stopping the car a lot.

I'll turn the key- car has power, but no starter click... starter won't turn. Get out- jiggle the starter wire, get back in starter turns and fires up.

In the past this has been no biggie- get out jiggle the wire and it would start... this last friday at the track it happened and it took me 20 mins to get it to start again.. Just jiggled the starter wire ina different place until it finnaly worked..

Question is- what guage should this wire be? I think i'm running 12 guage... should it be solid core or stranded? Is there supposed to be anything special about it?

The car has been converted to HEI igition, so only has the one starter wire... ALthough even before when itw as points, it still only had the one, i thought there were two...

Anyway- Any thoughts about how to fix this?
I replaced the wire last year when the engine was out- used crimp connections- i'm going to yank it back out and solder the new one in.. no crimps.
Just wondering if there could be something else related to that wire.

I don't think its the starter or the ign switch...

THanks-
Ben

12 Ga. should be good.
Just making sure all the connections are good might fix the problem.

You could do like a lot of other people have done and install a Ford solenoid to fix the symptom.

You know it could very well be a Solenoid problem and it's just a
coincidence that it starts when shaking wires??
This happens to me........
l've heard that you can "shunt" the factory solenoid on the starter and rewire and external solenoid, say on the fire wall to eliminate the over heating of
the starter solenoid....... thinking of doing this myself due to the fact that my headers really heats up my starter on a hot day and when she hot she fails. Open the hood and let her cool and then no problems.........a pain though.

l've heard that you can "shunt" the factory solenoid on the starter and rewire and external solenoid, say on the fire wall to eliminate the over heating of
the starter solenoid.......

Using a Ford relay to provide full battery voltage to the starter solenoid does nothing to eliminate the heat from the starter solenoid, nor does it relocate the solenoid.

Onovakind67
What you say is quite true and understanding. As we all know a solenoid is just a Switching device......but the starter does have mechanical linkages....
My old school hotrod friend tells me it works so l have to dig him out from under the hood and find the real logic behind this.
thanks for the input

A solenoid is a magnetic actuator, a relay is a switching device.

If you want to know the real logic behind the starter solenoid and relay question, ask an electrical engineer. He can explain things to you like what a relay is , what a solenoid is, what the temperature coefficient of copper is, and why it works like it does.

Using a Ford relay to provide full battery voltage to the starter solenoid does nothing to eliminate the heat from the starter solenoid, nor does it relocate the solenoid.

Very true but a whole bunch of folks have solved their so called "hot start" problem by adding a Ford solenoid which fixes the symptom rather than the cause.
I've never done it myself because I've always found the cause.
(bad solenoid, weak battery or bad connections causing low voltage.)

Onovakind67
What you say is quite true and understanding.

Very true

What good reviews I get here....

Hi all again
l see l need to be more specific here and not so impropriety on my discriptions.
A solenoid has many applications and can be used where a PUSH or PULL
motion is desired. For clarity a relay is an ELECTROMAGNETIC divice used to
make and break a circuit.
Thus the starter shift lever is pulled IN by the solenoid and it ALSO close's the Starter Switch (contacts) after the meshing is almost complete.
So l was going to add a Ford Solenoid to "highlight" the system not correct it.
l apoloigize for any confusion gang.
Dug
ps..I am an Engineer....... hey l hear you thinking...not a very good one!!ahahahahah but l am

While a solenoid is by definition electromagnetic, relays are not necessarily electromagnetic in the traditional sense as there is a wide variety of solid state relays (SSR's) available.

While a solenoid is by definition electromagnetic, relays are not necessarily electromagnetic in the traditional sense as there is a wide variety of solid state relays (SSR's) available.

Interesting,
I would think a Ford "starter solenoid" is really just a relay to provide a little more voltage to the GM starter solenoid by bypassing several bad connections or bad wiring but everyone calls it a "solenoid".

A lot of people call a wheel a "rim" or a flashlight cell a "battery" also.

:confused:

You don't see many articles about installing a headlight solenoid to get brighter lights, or a fan solenoid to control an electric fan....

So back to my original post

If you've got the typical GM problem of the starter not engaging properly in a hot-soak condition, the cause is a major voltage drop across the solenoid-engagement circuit. The fix is as simple as using a Ford-style external solenoid in a kit from either MAD or Painless. The idea is simple: Mount the solenoid away from exhaust heat, which radically reduces the voltagedrop across the solenoid circuit. Both kits also supply a shunt that connects the solenoid battery cable terminal to the small trigger post. Another advantage is that if you use one of these kits with a trunk-mounted battery, the only time the battery cable downstream from the solenoid is " Hot" is when the starter is engaged
with regards
Dug

There are a couple of disadvantages of the arrangement that you describe. You are running the entire starter current through three sets of contacts, increasing the voltage drop and the chances of contact failure. You are also inviting starter run-on if you happen to be using a permanent magnet starter.