Golden Jubilee
Posts: 5192
Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:28 pm
Location: Lyman, IA
Re: Delco starter overhaul.
Checking at 180 deg doesn't tell you much on a four pole motor. There are 4 windings in play at any one point in rotation. The windings are 90 degrees apart but it is almost a dead short across the winding. An Ohm reading would show and open, but not a cross short to other windings. That is where a growler comes into it.
180 degrees apart would be more applicable to two pole generator or a small two pole motor. But even there, it really doesn't show much.
When sitting still, a series wound starter motor is as close to a dead short as you can have, and not be a dead short. As soon as it starts to rotate, the effective resistance rises, if left to spin free (not a good idea for long, the speed will try and pull the armature apart) it will eventually reach a speed where the effective resistance is high enough it will draw under a hundred amps.
A series motor will self destruct if kept at a low speed for a long time. For this reason for longest life, the sooner you can get it up to speed under load the better. Cables and connections between the battery and motor are the primary source of current drop under load.
I had 3 ought cable left over for my semi's and ran that from the battery directly to the starter ground (one mount bolt, 3/8" bolt, and the solenoid switch. The larger K's use a solenoid (so called "Ford" type) in place of the starter mounted switch the flathead used. I had a four ought (0000) cable that was the right length that worked from the solenoid to the motor. If I was going to re-cable the truck. I would spend the money for four ought The down side is it as about as flexible as EMT conduit. 0000 welding cable would be more flexible but risks the little wires in the cable breaking over time, a trade off between flexibility and durability.
One of the cables I pulled off was original and it seamed to be double ought. It is likely good enough, but remember IHC was the one that ran the ground to the frame and a strap to the engine! They were still doing that in 1989 on my 9670 semi, and it still caused problems!
Heavier then minimum cabling gives you a little room for things not being perfect. The fact that my 269 cranks well down to at least the teens F with 15w-40 in the crankcase, is reason enough for me to spend the extra on heavy cable.
If you already have the two ought, and it is in good condition I wouldn't change it unless you have a problem. Not many are going to drive these truck in zero deg weather, although I have driven mine for 500 miles in that weather! I wouldn't recommend it from a comfort standpoint and the defroster has trouble keeping the windshield clear!
As for politics, no we are unlikely to agree, but that is not the primary thing that brought us to these boards, and I too am glad that will not come between us when it comes to old IHC's.