Hot start problem

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Monolith

Monolith

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I've been having an intermittent problem that has just gotten more persistant, it's happened about 6 or 7 times now:
My car starts just fine in the morning and runs ok(needs a tune up), but after a while at operating temp, if I shut the engine off, it wont restart.
When I turn the key, I just hear the relay clunk, then nothing. The oil light operates normaly with the key turn, but no start. Once before I shorted the terminals on the starter and got it to kick over. Today, it wouldn't.
Whacked the starter with a small ball pein, put the car in D and let it roll about 10' to check if the bendix was hung up, tried to start again and nothing. Key turn clicks the relay, shorting the starter terminals yields nice big sparks but nothing else.
The last couple of times this happened, if I let enough time pass, the car would start as if nothing was wrong. Sorry for the novel, just trying to supply details. Electrical issues are my weak suit, I dont have access to my tools at the moment, and I dont want to start buying random parts to try to solve the problem. My suspicion is that the starter has just had it. Am I close?
Thanks in advance for your help.
225 bone stock slant with a 727 pushbutton in a 64 dart 270.
Baz
 
When that used to happen on my Charger (when the engine was hot), it was the solenoid on the Starter...
 
how is your battery?

how are your connections to the starter?

hot start issues sound like either bad battery or starter/relay has issues.

clean up your connections-- have a local auto store load test your battery & go from there. Lawrence
 
sounds like the solenoid, too much timing would create the starter to kickback. Do you know how much your initial timing is?
 
Got the damned thing home- let it sit for a couple of hours, whacked the starter on the casing again with a hammer, turned the key and drove off. Pulled the starter to get it tested, the nose cone is broken around the bushing, and when the bendix engages and turns, it wobbles like hell, so- new starter anyway.

Also picked up new 2 gauge cables- figured it cant hurt.
 
Sorry, didn't see the responses. Timing is about 10 degrees advanced- battery is in good shape-about a year old- I swapped it in from another vehicle so I know the history.

Thanks so much for the replies and info- I'll definitely report once I get the new starter in.
Worst case now I guess would be to get a new relay if the problem persists, but I'll see first how that new starter goes.
 
New starter and cables are in. The car starts in about a second now- used to take 3 seconds of cranking(which didn't seem so bad to me).
I suspect the old beat to hell starter was the culprit.
The new starter from O'Reillys looks like a real Chrysler unit. Has Chrysler and the pentastar on the casing.
I guess sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.
Thanks again for answering the call of a newb in need.

Baz
 
90% of the time they do that (Especially the hammer part) it IS because of the starter itself.
Cranking faster is because the front bushing is where it belongs.

You had it right from the beggining. :)
 
Ran a few errands today including a 50 mile trip out to my shop.
The car started instantly after each shutdown, the engine was at full running temp after the first stop. Looks like the new starter did the trick.
Now on to tune up parts.
 
Too late for this, but in the future consider a mini-starter from a Magnum engine (~1985 - 2000 Dodge trucks and Jeep V-8 ). Half the size/weight and more torque.
 
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