While starting my Plymouth PA today, the starter button failed to spring back. When I looked under the hood, the starter pedal is somehow to the right of the button. I cannot figure out what is going on. The pedal is thick heavy metal. I don't think it bent. The contact lever and shift yoke are fine. Has anyone had this issue?
The starter arm looks bent (yellow arrow), look at it from the back of the engine block. Could have come apart and maybe even dislocated the return spring. If you need a new assembly I believe they are not too hard.
Billy,
Here it is from the driver's side. I agree that it looks bent, but it makes no sense to me. That metal is so thick and strong. I have looked at the return spring. If it is dislocated, I can't see it. the spring and the base of the spring look fine. I admit, before this problem I didn't pay close attention to what it looked like. I keep thinking that I ought to be able to see something that shifted or broke.
Tony
That sure looks as if it has had many repairs in the past. I can check to see if I have an extra floating around after some extensive digging.
I have a 31 with bent starter pedal . I also have a 32 engine with a bent starter pedal and 2 other spares that are bent. Don't know how this happens but it seems to be a common problem.
Quote from: 31plymouth on December 14, 2021, 02:30:31 PM
. . .Don't know how this happens but it seems to be a common problem.
Total guess here. . .
The floating power mounts on the PA are pretty flexible. If/when the engine kicks back on starting it probably moves quite a bit. If it moves enough that the button stem comes off the starter arm then when the engine returns the starter arm will be beside the button and might bend.
My '33 has a similar starter arm/pedal but no button setup, the arm/pedal extends into the passenger compartment so it does not have this possible failure mode.
What about heating up the rod and bending it back into shape
I have a 31 PA and I have the same problem. I carry a 2x2 piece of wood that I use as a pry bar to rock the engine, then the starter pedal snaps back. I too am interested in a fix for this problem. I was thinking that maybe the engine mount spring was weak or one of the motor mounts was bad.
Thanks, everyone! I am going to pull this starter pedal and install another one. I am going to try to heat up and straighten the one I am taking off.