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slow cranking

J

jdn

New User
My battery has a full charge, but still will crank very slowly usually on the first try then it stops cranking and I have to pull the starter lever again to get it to crank again.
As far as I know I have a good ground.
Any ideas?
 
First clean and retighten the battery posts and connectors and all the other high-current connections. Then look to the solenoid or switch and then to the starter.
 
what am I looking for on starter solenoid or switch, the battery and ground are good
 
If it is a 6 volt system, the first thing I'd try is a new battery.

Seems like they work great for a couple of years and then start loosing their "punch".

Allan
 
The cables need to be much larger than automotive normal. OOgauge is needed, Soldered on connections. The typical #4 12volt cable will not spin them. The starter will draw 350 to 400 amps and that needs fat wires. If it draws more, and you have fat wires, The starter could be dragging internally. (this assumes that the timing is set correctly. JimN
 
I had those symptoms a few years ago. Turned out one of the brush wires had corroded/burnt itself out to the point where I really only had one half a starter. This was on a 12V 140. (Do you have 6 or 12 Volt?--I'm not clear.)And I had had it rebuilt only 15 years previously! Be careful, pushing and holding the button when starter is not cranking freely will overload the starter and CAUSE this type of problem, regardless of what the original problem was. (Mine was a dying generator).
 
super C
I cleaned all wire and cable connections from the coil to the regulator and generator and put silicone dielectric compound on all connections seeme to crank better now thanks
 
Clean off the dielectric grease and it will be even better.

Dielectric grease is not conductive. A dielectric is something that separates electrons. In effect, a type of insulator.

Smear the grease on AFTER you make the connection, if anything. That will protect the connections from corrosion.
 
Allan: This is not the first time I've seen you suggesting life of a 6 volt battery is roughly 2 years. I'd be curious to know how I manage to quite regularly get 5-8 years, and the most recent 6 volt battery I replaced was 13 years old, and the crank was only used in the last two months.

I think there might be a problem with 6 volt systems that get blamed on the battery. Most of those old 6 volt charging systems only half work, thus the battery is toast in no time. I think 6 volt alternators will cure the problem.
 
Hugh, you use your tractors more often than most people. Worst thing to do is let it sit and become discharged; I am guilty of that. Another reason is that my local source for 6 volt batteries sells only cheap ones. The quality of the local 6 volts is not up to that of the 12 volt ones. That may be different in your area. However, the first time I use my Super A with the belly mount mower this spring is fairly close, maybe in a couple of weeks. Someday I will "restore" it and set it up as it should be. For now, I will try to start it, will likely have to charge the 2 year old battery, and it will start with it's 6 gauge cables and charge with it's sometimes working generator, at least enough to get me thru the once a month mowing. Or, I will just buy another cheap battery, maybe even cables this time!
 
CNKS: I had the same problems as a lot of folks before I went alternators both 6 and 12 volt. I think back to the days when 300, 560, 656, 130 and Super A were all generator charging with those damn voltage regulators. At one point in my life I must have had a 1/2 bushel of voltage regulators, all of them would work sometimes.
 
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