Anybody know a good source to rebuild a 49 Cad starter & solenoid (ideally on the west coast)?
Thanks,
Fab
Fab, there is a very good auto electric shop here in Georgia. Over the years they have rebuilt my '49's generator and starter.
SHR Auto Electric (Sleepy Hollow Rebuilders)
1239 Talking Rock Rd, Jasper, GA 30143
(770) 887-2649
Thank you, Jay! I will give them a call.
I sent my starter to SHR as you suggested, Jay (thank you!). They rebuilt both the starter and solenoid. Got it back and it looked as good as new. Just installed it yesterday, and the car fired right up. Hooray!
While the starter seems to operate great, there appears to be a slight issue. Once the car fires up, the starter stays engaged for about a half a second and I can hear a momentary grinding at the flywheel. I've got good battery cables, good clean grounds, and I've double checked all my wiring. I'm aware that one of the leads on the solenoid goes to the voltage regulator to prevent the starter from operating while the engine is running. But that's not the issue. If I push the starter button while the engine is running, the starter does not engage.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Fab
Fab:
I would check the spring on the starter that returns the starter drive gear. It should take a good amount of force to move the drive gear out to engage the flywheel and this spring will return it to idle position. If the spring is damaged it could be causing your condition.
It could be other issues as well. If you just paid someone to fix it, it is probably worth taking it back to have them look it over.
Good luck,
Joe
I intended to leave a number for Con-Rel, a huge starter and generator place in Schenectady, N.Y. I had a huge generator from another 30's make rebuilt here, with a NEW cutout/regualator installed. These are great guys, two brothers. They solved an unsolvable problem for me. Phone 518-356-1646
Joe,
Thanks for the tip! I'll check the spring.
Tony,
Thanks for the referral! I'll look into Con-Rel.
Fab
Fab, I agree with Joe.
Thanks, Jay. Is the tension of the spring adjustable?
Quote from: FabCad on August 23, 2025, 12:51:40 PMThanks, Jay. Is the tension of the spring adjustable?
Fab, I don't think so. In my opinion the only remedy is a new spring.
Fab, I think I found a possible solution to your problem. I looked up that spring in my 1935-55 Master Parts Manual and it is not a separate part. It is part of what Cadillac calls the "Starter Clutch", which is the spring, the gear and related parts. (I have always called that part the "Bendix".) So you have to replace the whole Starter Clutch. It's part number is 187 3789. Anyway, I looked on ebay and there are two for sale for $30. One is listed as being for Chevrolet and Olds but if it has the same part number as the Cadillac number that means it was used on several makes of General Motors cars. I'm pretty sure if you take off your starter you could install it yourself using the 49 shop manual as a guide.
Here it is:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/357080600054?_skw=1873789+cadillac+starter+clutch&itmmeta=01K3EG8WSF0GBF3KB64KM0MREX&hash=item5323a98df6:g:NUgAAOSwd-ZoSQN9&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA4FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1fpfQ4UPDrxkRyTsSPN7JocYSY9ery7926xq9YDXFh9rpflKSETPq4yjr%2BQM%2Fi8qn1XqMKtJA4da032pfJWJZ%2FdKP2iGPFVdUjtYgh9BkZZ8iahptbg5ZxVEMAtCuTJ7WK3xraMwTRoBUnBK6nMof8By%2FxgJvi33mUwvC0KEKkTNLlgb2BxAYgbcFl2XaiCjsevSRuBIIBR8jsu1W4ehkyy7WKDj2DI%2FL%2FpQypLz%2BZxRLrk5yYRrKWHb19WHIpN9XhTOZDDqH9YY0wOCtKYCNAe%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-zMo9CbZg
That is great, Jay! I just purchased it on ebay. Hopefully that does the trick. I'll let you know.
I really appreciate you taking the time to research this for me. Thank you!
Fab