I have a 1990 trans am and when it gets to around 160-180 degrees and I turn jt off it wont start again, no power to starter. I have power to everything else tho. Starter won't even turn over. If I get a jump it starts right up or if I let it set for around a half hour it will start up. I have new battery new starters new negative cable. Lime i said power to everything except starter. Driving me nuts any sugestions

 

it happens spuraticly not all tbe time

 

Possibly the starter relay going bad due to heat issues?? Do you have headers?? If so, it could be that they're overheating the starter solenoid.

 

Over heating the starter cylinoid is what I thought. I don't see a metal heat shield there but think i see where one bolt to. I tried one of those heat shield wraps but it didn't help at all. Any ideas where I can get a factory beat shield? Does any auto parts stores carry them I haven't checked yet.

 

There's very little room between header and starter as it is. Like 1/8 to 1/4 inch

 

I don't remember ever seeing a factory heat shield for the starter, but I could swear that you can get them from Summit or Jegs. Wonder (and i've never tried this) if header wrap would work for it since it works on headers?? I know that I have read many places that a lot of guys use heat shields/wraps when they put headers on these cars. Unfortunately, all I can do is guess at where you can get them. I'm sure someone will hop in and tell you where you can get them.

 

Yeah ive had the car for about 6 years and just started having this problem about a year a go. Like i said it happens spuraticly. Sometimes not at all even if i let it get as hot as i can when I'm at a place where a mechanic can check it out. Go figure will never do it when you want it to

 

I agree with an overheated starter solenoid. You could look into an aftermarket mini-starter with a clockable solenoid so you can move it away from the headers. I've run aftermarket ministarters for years with long tube headers and never suffered from heat soak. Either design (hitachi or Nippondenso) work well.

 

Where do you get them and are they pretty expensive

 

Are your headers wrapped? As bad as it looks, it might be worth doing as well. Could be cheap starters as well, not to pick on the local stores, but brand names aren't always the best. I just bought shorty headers and i'm considering going with a high torque mini starter myself. I just haven't gotten that far with my project. lol

 

Ministarters are at Jegs and Summit or any other performance store. They aren't that expensive either compared to a lot of high performance parts.

 

I just checked them out online. Everything on my car is still stock so maybe a mini starter would be the way to go, or look to see if they made a factory heat shield for it

 

I think i bought just tbe cheep life time warrenty starter from schucks

 

This guy has a Tilton starter for sale: https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/engi...ts-monroe.html

 

I'm thinking I should probably go with a more expensive and better quality starter. Thats what its sounding like

 

So on those mini starters you can turn them in any direction to move the cylinoid as far away from the header as possible?

 

Tilton is a pretty decent starter. You would want to do some research as to whether or not the solenoids can be clocked like Tibo said. I don't know off the top of my head. I sent you that particular link because I like supporting the other members of this forum as they've helped me a lot!

 

Find a good auto electric place with a tech who knows his stuff. Start it up and drive it over there and let him check it warm. Had this exact problem with an old Mopar 74 sebring turned out to be a wire that heat expanded out of contact when the engine was warm.

 

I understand completely I just don't have more then a couple hundred dollars for a starter at the moment. But i do understand where you're coming from and really appreciate all and every help you have go en me. Thanx a lot!

 

Mmadden55 if you dont mind me asking, who did you take your car to to get it figured out?

 

Westpark Auto electric in Houston. I would call the Independent Garagemans association for a recommendation if you are not in Houston.

 

Taking it (the car and starter) to an electric/motor repair service is time, money and maybes. Buying a new aftermarket mini starter that can be clocked and may have a warranty is a for sure. I used my prior Nippondenso style mini starter for over ten years on 9-10:1 compression engines with unwrapped long tube headers and never had a problem. I only replaced it because I swapped headers and it interfered with the tube routing.
Buying starters from the major autoparts chains is also iffy. I've heard the LT4 starters are smaller and more powerful than the typical SBC starters but the build quality is always made-in-Mexico-iffy.