Starter issues? Heat soaked? no experience any help would be appreciated.

The wagon starts great (Advance Auto, Corvette style, gear reduction starter that is new) when it is cold and most of the time when it is warm. If I shut it down and let it sit for about 20 minutes it will not start. The starter solenoid seems to kick, but not the starter. Lift the hood and wait about 20 minutes and she starts fine again.

I just put a DEI heat insulation blanket around the starter as an attempt to "fix" it. Am I on the right track?

Chevy small blocks don't typically suffer from heat soak. I would say your issue is one of the following:
- battery starting to go bad
- battery cable or ground poor connection/corrosion
- starter or solenoid going bad

Are you saying it does not turn over at all? Just a click?

I beleive Tim is on the opti-spark system and therefor no distributor in the normal sense of one.


BuT I beg to differ that SBc's don't suffer from heat related non-start issues. Earlier models with an Ignition module in the didtributor, above a hot engine, under that extended B-body cowl that holds the heat DO suffer from heat related non-start issues. Add headers and it compounds the problem.

It's why I moved my ignition module out of the distributor onto the left fender well. Haven't had a heat related single issue since.

Dave

New optima battery
New Advanceauto starter (suspect!)
Will check cables

Parking on the tp off hills for now. :-(

I would suspect the solenoid,..

You're close. You need to wrap the battery cables to keep them from getting heat soaked and the problem should go away.

Quote :

Ignition module in the didtributor, above a hot engine, under that extended B-body cowl that holds the heat DO suffer from heat related non-start issues.

And that would have exactly zero to do with a non-functioning starter.

sherlock9c1 wrote:

You're close.  You need to wrap the battery cables to keep them from getting heat soaked and the problem should go away.

So I pulled the Gary's Battery cables off the shelf and installed them.  We will see if it goes away.  Other wise is must be the solenoid/starter going out.

With 1 gauge ground cables and 2 gauge hot cables, that should eliminate the cables from ANY issues.

jayoldschool wrote:

Chevy small blocks don't typically suffer from heat soak.

I was referring to your comment Jay. I disagreed with it. He clearly indicated it occurs after it runs for awhile.  I don't recall if Tim put headers on the car. It's not in is signature. Headers will cause an issue in starter heat related issues as well.  I'd want to wrap the pipe(s) as well in that case, not just the starter. There might be an aftermarket heat shield available as well.

 Although Tim has an Opti-spark, HEI ignitions are notorious for hot restart failures. It might not help Tim's  specific problem in this case, but it has much to do with hot restart failures for others who do have HEI distributors, and happen to read this thread. We've had two '93's in the family and a neighbor with a '91. They all suffered from the same  heat soak problem.


Dave

Get a standard starter and I bet the problem will go away.You never had problems with heat when you were running a standard starter did you?

Flasheroo wrote:

Get a standard starter and I bet the problem will go away.You never had problems with heat when you were running a standard starter did you?

Well yes the started began to hesitate before it would turn over, that's why I replaced it. I honestly think is it the crap Advance Auto "new" starter/solenoid.

BigBlackBeaSSt wrote:

Flasheroo wrote:

Get a standard starter and I bet the problem will go away.You never had problems with heat when you were running a standard starter did you?

Well yes the started began to hesitate before it would turn over, that's why I replaced it.  I honestly think is it the crap Advance Auto "new" starter/solenoid.

Yes, Nick is right. I was just pulling your leg on the battery cables - when have you EVER seen ANYBODY wrap battery cables?

It gave me the excuse to install me cables. So the Impala will not get them.

Let us know if it is the starter. If/when mine ever goes out, I was going to use a Corvette one too.

-Mike