350 gets too hot when shut down- won't start

the 350 in my 64 chev van gets too hot when shut down- won't start until it cools down- i am thinking timing??????

 

It's possible your timing is too advanced but usually it's header heat roasting the starter mounted solenoid. Put a heatshield between your headers and the starter, or convert to a remote solenoid.

You didn't say what your application is- do you have the coil boost wired through the starter terminal? headers or cast manifold, is this a brand new problem that creeped up, or have you made a change recently (header install?).

Timing doesn't advance itself, but will retard as the chain stretches. Have you retimed the motor lately?

 

headers crammed into the doghouse , i took the distributor out to put a new manifolfd in so i am thinking timing, will also the the heat shield
thanks

 

Process of elimination,
Did it do it before you changed the manifold and had the distributor out?
Set the timing.

Yep, a heat shield would help.

If those don't fix it I'd be thinking that the bushings in the starter are worn enough to let the armature drag on the fields a bit, and when the engine is hot the problem you described usually happens. That can be checked by hitting the bottom side of the starter with a bfh while a helper attempts to crank the engine the next time it happens. Then you either rebuild or replace the starter.

 

Install a hot-start solenoid and fix the problem.

 

had the same problem...is it running hot?...i changed the solenoid and it started up fine after that...x3 for the heat shield...

 

Timing should be easy to check. If that's not it then as noted, it's almost certainly your starter getting hot.

 

There used to be a kit mad by M.A.D. Enterprises called the START'M UP that used a Ford style solenoid. It had a plate that connected the large cable post of your Chevy starter to the S post on the Chevy starter. You mount the Ford solenoid in a place that has less heat and run all of your original starter wires to that. A short cable was used to go from the large post on the Chevy starter to the large + post on the Ford solenoid and the original battery cable goes to the other side of the Ford solenoid. My dad had one of these on his motor home with a hot start problem. I made the plate and copied the system over to my 38 Chevy. Worked great.

 

Maybe it thinks it's a flathead.

 

are you sure that the timing advance is releasing ... drove me crazy until I figured out the vacuum advance was sticking in an old chevy

 

Is it a stock starter?

 

Ditto on that Ford solenoid mounted away from the starter.

I also wrapped the exhaust pipes where they came near the starter and mounted a small tin shield between the starter and the external heat source. The tin also helped direct a little cool air to flow around the starter.

Worked like a charm.

 

SBCs are really bad about this. I've used a remote starter on every one I've run for many years. A word of caution, there is some danger of a fire with the set up as illustrated. above. Check out Ron Fransis on the net. I think they have some info on this. Heat shields work ok but they can be a pain. And as some have suggested, timing has a lot to do with hot starts.

 

sorry, i should be more specific, it turns over, but won't start, didn't do it before new manifold

 

beat me to asking that question...

Could be timing, but I'm guessing heat soak into the carb, or possibly a vapor lock. Do you have room under the doghouse for a small phenolic carb spacer?

 

I've had big and small blocks in everything imaginable and have never had to resort to some stop gap measure like the famed ford solenoid add on. I've studied this and the only thing I can see it does is give a hotter shot to the windings in the stock solenoid. This would only help if the starter was not pulling in good? I don't get it.

As far as your starting problem, It can't be a timing issue because you had the distributor out and therefore you re-timed it when you put it back together, right?

Anytime I ever had a problem with something I worked on it turned out to be something I either did wrong or overlooked. Perhaps a vacuum leak. A lot of aftermarket intakes need the spacer plates that fit the carb in order to seal up good. These are a sandwich affair of gaskets and aluminum plates, use as many as you like, just be sure you use one more gasket than plates!