Lazy fix...Take an old fashioned filament light bulb usually 25 + watts and put it just under the starter, plug it in and let it heat (gently) the starter, keeping condensation from forming. (you want it under the starter because hot air coming off the bulb rises.) Depending on your environment you might need a more powerful light. I have used up to 100 watts. You want the item to be protected to be a couple of degrees warmer than the environment. It's not a bad idea to put a warming light under the pan to keep water from condensing in the crank case and migrating into the oil. I guess a block heather like they use in Minnesota and other cold places might be good as well.

Good possibility I have a louvered hood that lets a lot of rain pour through. I drove the car a couple of rainey days before I put it in the trailer. Could be the problem. Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

I have same problem. I have been rebuild the starter few times for now and I think that my problem is the hole in the hood where rain comes in and drain on the valley cover to adapter plate and there water go just trough the starter. It is not the bad bearings because I changed them twice with different type bearings.

All that mud and scrap in the starter tells that the rain water is to blame.



Maybe I must make some sewer system at the adapter plate what redirects the water. (I think L-88 hood scoop or something don't look nice with '59)



Damn Srub and Jap parts!


Hyvinkää, FI

I know what you mean about hard to contact/talk to. Actually the starters are a production item so he really isn't responsible for them. Close tolerance may be the problem. I soaked the gear driven area with WD40 and worked the gear with a pair of channel locks for a good 30min before it would turn and extend. The other bearings are also frozen but I don't know enough about this type of starter to seperate the case. The grease zerk might be interesting or drilling a couple holes to the internal bearing area that I can flood with solvent prior to storage. Chuck 

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Chuck, I have the same setup on my bird and have had no issues to date. Knock on wood.



Good luck contacting Bendstens He has been hard to talk to on the phone and poor at follow up with me on other issues. Just my 2 cents.



However if you study the assembly it's easy to see how it might be troublesome since tolorences are tight and such. Reminds me of a Lionel train I had as a kid!

I agree you should get drier storage or start greasing it down. how about you figure out a grease zerk or something somehow? I'd listen.



dang, I miss the sound of my old 6 volt FORD starter. The yblock Chorus.

       A  L  A  N   F  R  A  K  E  S   ~  Tulsa, OK    

My first thought was condensation but the inside of the starter looks pretty bad. I can't see how splash up could get one that wet. Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Has Benedtson been made aware of this problem? If not, I suggest writing to them soon. I'm sure they would like to avoid this type of bad publicity for their product. I don't understand how that much moisture could get into a starter, other than it possibly affecting the drive end only. Is it likely that it's a condensation problem?

Paul

Talk to me at EXPO, have another serious idea.

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

Thats what the race car dude said. I've always pulled the battery and since my new trailer has a decent winch I guess I'll just have to pull the starter too. I just find it a little hard to believe that the Hitachi starters have a problem like that. I also plan to carry a spare from now on. I've searched for other applications for this starter but there dosen't appear to be any. Its some sort of amalgamation that is only sold with the sbc of Ford adapters. Can't find the starter by itself. Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Chuck, you need drier storage! pull the battery and the starter and put 'em in the house.

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart)