1950s 1959 Starter not engaging

[Ivan Yurtin]

My starter is not fully engaging. Does it require shims? If so, where do you get them?
Ivan Yurtin
CLC 25350

[Daryl Chesterman]

No, your starter does not require shims.  It probably needs a new starter drive.  It is pictured on the Ebay address below.

     https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/urAAAOSwSeZk4upC/s-l1600.jpg

If you are going to put in a new drive, I would suggest doing a complete overhaul of the starter, including turning the commutator, new brushes, new bushings and anything else you might see that is worn too badly.  NAPA has a starter repair kit that includes the drive, brushes, two bushings, thrust washers, snap ring and its retainer.  The part # is:  SRK104, made by Echlin.

Daryl Chesterman

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

There could be a number of reasons for not fully engaging.

One being that the actuating lever is worn out, and thereby not pulling the bendix in /out far enough.   It moves it rearward, towards the back of the car.

Plus, the starter motor will not start, rotate, until the solenoid is pulled in all the way, to close the power circuit contacts.

Bruce.

[Chopper1942]

If the armature shaft is dry/dirty and the same for the starter drive bushings, they sometimes will not engage the flywheel. If the starter spins up high when you try to start the engine, the one-way clutch in the starter drive could have failed.

Make sure the B+ & B- cable connections on the battery and engine are OK.  If the battery and cables are OK, you will need to remove the starter and OH it. Do as Daryl and Tassie suggests.

After you remove the starter, rotate the engine over by hand and inspect the flywheel teeth for damage. There are four spots 90° apart where the starter normally engages the flywheel. This is where they are usually worn the worst, unless someone has engaged the starter with the engine running. If you have a question about the starter teeth, take a photo and post it. Someone will tell you if all is OK.

When I do a starter on an older vehicle, a starter that you can actually repair, I clean the armature shaft and then the commutator with some fine crocus cloth. If the commutator is not scored or tapered, I do not turn it. I install a new drive end housing bushing and either the commutator end bushing or if available a new end cover with its bushing installed, new brushes, leather commutator end washer, drive, drive lever (if worn), and a new solenoid. Lube the bushings with a light coat of high melting point synthetic grease and do the same to the starter drive bushing and armature shaft where the drive slides. I also put a small amount on the drive lever where it contacts the drive.

Before you install it, put the starter in a vise and hook up some jumper cables from a battery to the starter. B+ to the B+ post of the solenoid and B- to drive end starter mount. Take an old bolt and touch the solenoid B+ terminal to the small, usually the outside, terminal and the starter should spin up. If it does, all should be good.

[Cadillac Jack 82]

This happened to me when I had my 55.  Ended up replacing the starter which was a pain but she would start much quicker and with more finesse.  If you have to pull the starter I'd opt just to get a new one and potentially rebuild the old one as a spare.

[35-709]

Unless you are lucky enough to find an NOS starter, for that car, any "new" starter you are going to buy today is made in China er, um somewhere outside the USA.  Best to have your old starter rebuilt or rebuild it yourself, properly done it should last as long as the one your car came with.

[Chopper1942]

AMEN to 35-709! You won't find anything as good as the "good ol' OE" starter armature and fields.

[Jon S]

First question I would ask you did this happen recently or did you change the starter motor and then it happened?  It could be as simple as a weak battery not fully engaging the Bendix Drive.