hey guys back with a question? recently i had a distributer go bad which led to some um long starting sessions till i figured it out. replaced the distributer and been driving the ol' girl for a couple of weeks and now i have a new issue cropping up. when the cars cold she starts like a champ. but, when warm the starter seems to rotate much slower. the car always starts and Ive checked the battery(which is only 2 months old) everything seems fine. my first instinct is that the starter soleniod may be going bad. any ideas? next should i go with a new complete stater or just the soleniod.

Could be the solenoid. Could also be heat-soak - do you have headers?

Glad to hear we give you a helping hand..I would think the starter is the issue..but it could be the battery cables themselves..resistance increases with heat..check the ground with some jumper cables from the ground on the battery to the block..try this when it is hot and cold and see if there is a difference..yes I know they will have to be pretty long but basic ones will work fine..the positive one is not as easy but it can be done if you are VERY careful..and have some help in doing it..don't want to ground out the battery on the block and start welding stuff..I have a few wrenches that have the battery mark on them when I don't pay attention..they always remind when I don't..take off any rings watches or anything metal on you when you do this..duct tape the end of the cable and only leave the inside of the clamp is not taped to appease the spark gods..can you tell I am a redneck yet!..watch the nerves because you might actuate the starter in the process if you hit the little wire also..then again it might be easier to just put a new starter in but I like a challenge and I am cheap!

______________

My first parade at Carlisle 2010

Two things come to mind...
1) The starter is getting too hot for some reason. Could be due to the starter being "worn out" from all of the extra cranking you had to do when you had the dist. problem, or it could just be old age. I have a hard time getting fired up when it's hot, too...

2)The main battery cable solenoid terminal on the inside of the solenoid is damaged, from normal wear/tear over the years. You can twist that terminal around 180*, and let it connect on the other half of the terminal to solve that problem, but most folks would rather just change the solenoid.
There is another thread here somewhere about this, when I try to explain how to do this. It's fairly easy with the starter off, but it is do-able in the car...it's just not much fun that way.

First things first, tho...check all of the connections and make sure they are nice and snug.

Here's the other thread...
Adams' Apple2010-11-03 10:08:21

______________

Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Since you worked on the distributor, my first thought is either in a tooth off, or timing too advanced.  If timing is advanced, it will crank in jerks, and usually only when warmed up.

Larry

well it doesnt jerk it acts almost like the battery's dying. but all the connections are fine and the battery is brand new and test out fine. but when the car is cold its starts like new. i'm leaning towards the soleniod. and after the distributer was replaced it started fine for a couple of weeks.

 Sounds more like a winding problem to me. The solonoid just manages the juice. I would pull the unit from the car and check the brushes. You can also put the armature on a growler to check for a winding short, hot starts, or even remotely, a little lubrication on the stub ends if heat is makeing them expand a tad. Things do not move well when dry. DELCO starters are VERY simple and can be rebuilt quickly.   Mark

______________

Click on image for full view