I have noticed that if I drive my car for a while so the engine is hot, and then shut it off and try and restart it is iften hart to start. Even if I let it sit for a few minutes, it doesn't want to start right away. However, it starts up real fast if its been sitting for say an hour. I have a new 1100 CCA 900CA battery. is this the symptoms of a starter going bad? I think its the original starter on my 143K caddy engine.

Mine is doing the same thing. I call it heat soaking, i am going to buy a rebuilt starter one of these day. I think that is the only fix. About $50 at Auto Zone.

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Boys and Their Toys

Sorry Guys,
Rebuilt 4.9 Caddy starters are $175.00. plus a $30.00 core.I bought one before my swap and I thought I fried it while trying to start the motor up after the swap. It took a while to get it started and I just kept cranking it. Finally it started. I had the same problem with the rebuilt starter that you are having now. So I took it off, took it apart and swapped some internals with the starter I originally had, I had not returned it for the core charge.

Also I noticed none of the bearings or bushings had any grease on them, so when I put it back together I made sure to grease the end bearings, grease where the bendix runs back and forth and grease the fork which slides the bendix. After my rebuild it starts, it turns over like gangbusters, cold and hot. Grease is important, espiecially when hot...

I had the same problem you did while trying to do the idle learn procedure, I would run the car for an extended period of time, turn the car off and it did not want to restart, it didn't want to turn over, but if I waited till it cooled down it would start right up.

It's called heat soak, you could put a stainless shield around the starter or you could try the thermal wrap from Jegs or Summit if another starter or a rebuild doesn't fix it. Be careful working around the battery connection on the starter, it's easy to bump it and fry something...

Dragon1/Brian

Collin,
From your other post...How much did the ISC motor cost you and where did you get it???
I'm glad you got it sorted out, I still can't get rid of my sail on problem, I swapped ISC's with a used one and that didn't fix it, maybe I should try a new one like you did....

Brian,

I bought mine from Autozone a few months ago. I think it was about $45 or so. I actually replaced my ISC with a used one from my junk engine, because I couldn't find my new one! I still don't know what I did with it.

Thanks Collin, good luck with your starter...

Dragon1/Brian

The Autozone starters are junk. You're better off with a used GM one from a salvage yard. I replaced a 4.9 starter with one from Autozone and it immediately had the heatsoak problem. I then installed a used OEM starter and it works fine. A heatshield will help, but the real problem is the poor quality starter.

My rebuilt starter was from Checker Auto Parts/Parts America......
same problem...

Dragon1/Brian

Mine came from discount auto... Mine does the same thing and the sad thing is it has a heatwrap that I got from some proformance place protecting it

[This message has been edited by 86fieroEarl (edited 05-18-2004).]

In the five years since I did my swap, I've gone through 7 of them from Advance auto.

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Don Hites
88 GT, Getrag 5spd, 4.9 v8 with a Delta cam and other heavy mods.
88 Coupe 5spd Duke
(now under restoration)