Chevy V8 starter, solenoid

[Thomas C Potter]

I know, a dam chevy question....but my Impala 427 starter has a slow solenoid so the starter motor spins and does not engage the flywheel. Question, can I buy a rebuilt small block, or bb starter, and change the solenoid?? I do not want to swap my starter since it is a rare 3 bolt starter. I think this can be done, but I have not messed with GM starters in a long time.

Thnx

TP in VA

[Comin' in Hot]

I would take it out and send it off to a shop for a rebuild, normally places that do alternators and generators do starters.

[vegasmarauder]

You can get a new solenoid and change it. Sometimes they get a gunk inside the solenoid where it slides when the solenoid pulls in the lever for the gear. Try to get an American made solenoid as the foreign ones are very prone to doing exactly what you say.

Since it is a rare piece, it is a good idea to take to a rebuilder who can check the whole thing out and install a quality solenoid.

[Mike M]

On my 548 c.i. BB Chevy, I use a Ford solenoid mounted on the radiator support. It works much better being away from the heat of the headers.

[Larry Durham]

It's not the solenoid but the starter drive ( aka Bendix drive). It's an easy fix pull out the starter, take off the solenoid. split it half, replace the drive, front and rear bushings, reassemble and put it back in. If it were me I would clean the contacts inside the back of the solenoid while it was out.
It's an easy job, I did a ton of these back when I owned a repair garage in the 60's and 70's.

[Wags]

You can use a sb starter on a bb. The solenoids are the same if you want to go that route. Is it hard to start only when hot? Do you have headers on the car? If so the problem could be heat related. Most headers will be very close to the starter and will cause it to crank very slow or not at all until it cools down some. If not that I would do what Larry recommends for a rebuild of the solenoid.

Wags