I've had the starter on my 7E rebuilt 3 times over the past 2 years. After coming out of the shop, it will start fine for several months, then the starter will delay before spinning over. Once I hit the button, I can hear the relay, then it may take 1 second or it may take 3 or 4 seconds before it starts turning over. As you know, big starters are expensive to rebuild. It's not a hard machine to start, so the starter hasn't been overworked. And I may start the dozer 2 or 3 times a week. Has anyone had similar issues?
Hard to diagnose from a distance but I'd be checking wiring and the relay. Either that or find a new starter rebuilder!
Week or bad batterys or low voltage will eat staters .
Which starter is it? Should be a Delco 50MT, not a 40 or 42MT.
I'll have to look and see what starter it is. I'll also check into the voltage issue.
Crappy grounds would be first suspect. Burned contacts in battery switch would be the second. Voltage drop test should tell you where the problem lies. I'm willing to bet you may need a new solenoid again. Low voltage destroys the plunger contacts.
I have to ask ………..what kind of rebuild are you getting? I have heard 1000 times that a customer had a starter "rebuilt" only to find that some shop just did a quick brush job, or just stuck a new solenoid on an old starter.
I'm thinking the same, except he says it starts fine for a while and gradually craps the bed. Now he's reporting that from the time the relay clicks, there's a long delay till the starter cranks slowly. Too me, that sounds like a poor ground/cable/lug. Just my thoughts, that is why I suggested voltage drop test.
Agree on the bad ground, replace the ground switch if it doesn't have a distinct click, follow and clean where the cable ends into the machine.
New cables are cheap.
sounds like a ground problem , I have john deere power unit in a machine and had the same problem , rebuilt the starter no help , and my rebuilder said to run the ground cable to the starter fixed it. replace the ground cable and go from the battery and hook it to one of the bolts on the starter
Not saying a good ground isn't important but we need to keep in mind that all connections from the battery to starter and back to the battery are equally important. One could start by doing voltage drop tests starting at the + terminal of the battery and check from one side of each connection and from one end of each wire to the other to help locate where the voltage is dropping the most. Same with the two large terminals on the solenoid while attempting to start. Do this all the way back to the - terminal on the battery.
take the solenoid off the starter open it up you likely will find rust-corosion buildup. cheap foreign rebuild parts had one do same thing less than 6 mos.after rebuild