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As some know, I've been re-working my fuel system. All of a sudden, my starter wouldn't engage. (This was only after a couple of tries, I usually have to hit the starter AT LEAST a half dozen times when she's cold). Then, it would engage, then it wouldn't. At my wits end now, has anyone else suffered anything similar? If so, what did you do to rectify the problem? Thanks again,

Scott

How about a little more information. "Won't engage"? Do you mean it energizes but doesn't engage the flywheel? Or the solenoid "clicks" but the motor doesn't spin? Or the solenoid doesn't even click?

PS - might also be useful to know if it's Auto-Lite or Delco?

Owen, she has the Delco setup. No click, no engagement, nothing, and then the next try, VOOM, there she goes! This problem just surfaced the other day. I checked my switch that I put in, works fine. Checked the voltage at the battery, then the starter solenoid, same thing. FRUSTRATED!
I'm going to pull the relay off of the carb and check that.

The starter switch on the carb might be defective. I have one that has the contacts almost worn completely through and it would only work part of the time also. Easy enough to remove and check the contacts. Good luck.

I'm not very familiar with this cranking system, but if it it's not covered in the 51-54 shop manual, you can take a trip back in time with with the Service Letter/Counselor newsletters - where I first learned about this carburetor starter switch system.

Seems that this system was first implemented with the '41 Clipper. Like any new technology, there would be both a learning curve for mechanics and teething problems for the engineers.

One of the first problems was no cranking - addressed in an article on the "Car Starter Switch", in SL Vol. 15, No. 9 (May 1, 1941). The problem was an open circuit - due to a loose switch assemby clamp screw.

A few more articles would follow as things evolved, but they must have finally ironed things out, in 1943, with the 20th Series, as I've not seen any other articles on the subject in the years since. Seems like this system went basically unchanged (save for later, additional types of safety switches) through 1953.

Perhaps, then, a review of another, later, article titled, "Car Starter Switch", in SL Vol. 17, No. 1 (January 1, 1943) will be of help. This article provides an overview of the system's operation, along with a perspective on troubleshooting.

Although these articles were written with (then) new vehicles in mind, I'm confident that the diagnostic steps will help turn up other things - such as what Clipper47 found with his car, decades later.

The Carter carburetor starter switch is also very well covered in Motors Manuals of the era. Easy way to see if that's the problem, just use a short jumper wire and jump one side to the other. Make sure the car's in neutral.

PS - oops. If your key switch or solenoid is defective, that test won't confirm the Carter Switch as bad. Rather than use a jumper, just use an ohmeter and see if the switch gives continuity when the accelerator is depressed. If it does, then the problem almost certainly lies elsewhere.

If it is the carb switch, here is the info out of Motors from an earlier post.https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?post_id=48321#forumpost48321