<VV> Starter Question

[Jeffrey B. Aronson]

You guys have been such a huge help - I want to press my luck with 
another question.

Since purchasing my Monza last September, the starter motor has worked 
as expected. Every so often, I will hear a whine instead of a crank when 
I turn the key, but the starter has always engaged. Late last fall, I 
tugged at the starter cables and it felt tight, and the connections 
looked quite clean.

I've been using the car regularly all winter. The past two days, the 
temperature has been warm [above 32] during the day but really plunging 
at night to near 0 degrees F. I live right alongside the harbor on this 
island, so it's always a damp cold, too.

Those same mornings, I have turned the key and gotten only a "click." 
You can see the generator light dim under load when you hear the click. 
I tested the battery and it has 12.5 volts at rest. I then removed the 
cables, cleaned off the terminal posts and the inside of the spring 
cables, and then reattached them. I still got only a click sound. But 
after trying for about 10 times, the starter suddenly started to engage 
at its usual sound and pace.

I figured I was just lucky and that the starter and/or solenoid might be 
going south, until I went to use my '66 Land Rover. That one has an 
original Lucas starter and it, too, would barely turn over. It turned 
briefly and then stopped. I tried it a couple of times and then finally, 
it started as it usually does.

This morning, I had the same experiences on both cars. The Corvair would 
only click for many attempts [10?] and then it started suddenly and has 
worked fine all morning. The Land Rover also turned over very sluggishly 
on the first push of the starter button, and then turned over fine.

Now it could be that both '66 cars have old, tired starters, but I also 
wonder about whether I'm getting icing on the solenoid such that the arm 
won't engage/release to engage the starter. I'm clearly getting current 
to the starter, and the motor functions normally once I start it for the 
day.

What do you think? Am I looking at a new starter?

Thanks,

Jeff

Jeff Aronson
Vinalhaven, Maine 04863
'66 Corvair Monza Coupe 110 hp 4-speed
'66 Land Rover Series II-A 88" SW
'66 Land Rover Series II-A 88" HT
'80 Triumph TR-7 Spider