Background: 3 months since GM 55 alt swap, new red top Optima, all signs
of charging well. (kicks in at ~1750 rpm, white lites - a first! Ammeter
showing what it should, goes up to ~+5-10 for a few minutes, then back
to neutral)
Started to have what felt like a 'dead spot' in the starter position in
the key switch, but intermittent. Never when hot. Had purchased a
pushbutton from Radio Shack and was thinking of just putting it under
the dash. I get a real gentle click when I do get to starter position
on key switch, and ammeter draws down completely, but no response from
starter. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say the gentle click is not
from the solenoid, (not a solid CLANK) but from one of the relays on the
driverside inner fender.
So, the question, with a qualifier: I have only 2-3 hours of shoptime
before the bbq on Saturday. Is the switch contacts cleanable to the
average ham-handed Joe, or is installing the pushbutton a better idea?
(ham-handed = I have swapped the starter bendix's (bendices?) in my Ol'
VW to make 1 good one out of 2 non-op'erables, and have cleaned my share
of cassette/VCR tape heads, but if you asked me to swap the brushes in
an alternator I'd go and buy a rebuilt one)
Fergus O, crutching along a '69 2L, HB, CA
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