Need to replace 1970 Eldorado starter

I need to replace the starter on my 1970
Eldorado. I start the car, the engine takes a
second or two to try to start, then I get a
sort of electric hissing.
But on this car, where IS the starter
Motor? I know what it looks like
but why's it so tough to get to?

"The Derfer" > wrote in message
...
>I need to replace the starter on my 1970
> Eldorado. I start the car, the engine takes a
> second or two to try to start, then I get a
> sort of electric hissing.
> But on this car, where IS the starter
> Motor? I know what it looks like
> but why's it so tough to get to?

Look, I dont know specifically, but in those years, almost all the
starters were installed into the bell housing of the tranny. Go to
the back of the engine, where it connects to the tranny, and look
there.

I dont know about the hissing, but check all the cables up to the
starter, and pull the starter and have it checked by a loca.
starter/generator shop.

I can't remember for sure ,but if this was during their attempt at front
wheel drive , the tranny was turned to set parallel with the engine and
everything set under the hood sideways . They probably had to tuck it in
there pretty tight so it might be a little tough to find. This is the only
pic I could find.
"The Derfer" > wrote in message
...
>I need to replace the starter on my 1970
> Eldorado. I start the car, the engine takes a
> second or two to try to start, then I get a
> sort of electric hissing.
> But on this car, where IS the starter
> Motor? I know what it looks like
> but why's it so tough to get to?
>

"Runk" > wrote in message
...
>I can't remember for sure ,but if this was during their attempt at front
> wheel drive , the tranny was turned to set parallel with the engine and
> everything set under the hood sideways . They probably had to tuck it in
> there pretty tight so it might be a little tough to find. This is the only
> pic I could find.

You are very correct that some Caddies of that era had FWD and
transversely mounted engines. No matter, the starter is STILL
mounted into the bell housing from the engine side, if I remember
correctly.

They are not hard to find but you will have to get under the car
and look for it, no matter what model it is.

On Mon, 7 Mar 2011 17:06:22 -0800 (PST), The Derfer wrote:

> I need to replace the starter on my 1970
> Eldorado. I start the car, the engine takes a
> second or two to try to start, then I get a
> sort of electric hissing.
> But on this car, where IS the starter
> Motor? I know what it looks like
> but why's it so tough to get to?

It should be on the end of the fat cable from the battery post.

"The Derfer" > wrote in message
...
>I need to replace the starter on my 1970
> Eldorado. I start the car, the engine takes a
> second or two to try to start, then I get a
> sort of electric hissing.
> But on this car, where IS the starter
> Motor? I know what it looks like
> but why's it so tough to get to?
>
> I would check all connections on battery and starter ,sounds as if you
> have a short or some oxidisation

The Derfer wrote:
> I need to replace the starter on my 1970
> Eldorado. I start the car, the engine takes a
> second or two to try to start, then I get a
> sort of electric hissing.
> But on this car, where IS the starter
> Motor? I know what it looks like
> but why's it so tough to get to?
>

If it is turning over at first then stops turning over it isn't the starter.

Sounds more like you have a bad connection in the system. Probably a bad
battery cable feeding the starter.
If you can hear the "hissing" it is probably the connection on the
battery end.

It's on the front side of the engine usually has a cover over it as well.

--
Steve W.

"Steve W." wrote:
>
> The Derfer wrote:
> > I need to replace the starter on my 1970
> > Eldorado. I start the car, the engine takes a
> > second or two to try to start, then I get a
> > sort of electric hissing.
> > But on this car, where IS the starter
> > Motor? I know what it looks like
> > but why's it so tough to get to?
> >
>
> If it is turning over at first then stops turning over it isn't the starter.
>
> Sounds more like you have a bad connection in the system. Probably a bad
> battery cable feeding the starter.
> If you can hear the "hissing" it is probably the connection on the
> battery end.

Well i don't know that you can take his description too literally. The
problem he may be having is a slipping bendix clutch. The "hissing"
might be the high speed whine of the starter as it spins out.

-jim



>
> It's on the front side of the engine usually has a cover over it as well.
>
> --
> Steve W.

I finally got the car started but only after about
100 tries. I'd try to start it as described earlier and
the engine would try to turn over but then would
abruptly stop that and commence what I could
only describe as a sort of electric hiss, after which it
would not try to engage the engine any longer.

So after nearly 100 bad starts it finally turned the
engine over and I took the car for a spin of
several miles. The next day it took 2-3 tries to
turn the engine over, the first 1 or 2 tries almost
doing it but not quite.

Does this shed light on the problem for anyone?

The Derfer > wrote:
>I finally got the car started but only after about
>100 tries. I'd try to start it as described earlier and
>the engine would try to turn over but then would
>abruptly stop that and commence what I could
>only describe as a sort of electric hiss, after which it
>would not try to engage the engine any longer.

And each time you were doing additional damage to your flywheel, no
doubt.

>So after nearly 100 bad starts it finally turned the
>engine over and I took the car for a spin of
>several miles. The next day it took 2-3 tries to
>turn the engine over, the first 1 or 2 tries almost
>doing it but not quite.

I'd pull the starter, inspect the flywheel, and get the starter
bench-tested.

>Does this shed light on the problem for anyone?

No, because you haven't done any of the things needed for diagnosis.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."