I'll first apologize that this is so long...but I figure the more information I give, the better chances I have of getting some help?and sometimes it helps in figuring things out yourself if you put it all out there...but thanks in advance for taking the time to read all this.
OK...here's the deal...63 Beetle, converted to 12v, stock trans, 6 mo. old 12v starter (200mm flywheel), and brand new ground strap. Battery is totally charged.
Here's all the Symptoms and everything else I know:
-Slow crank (sounds like dead battery but battery is 100% charged)
-After a couple revolutions of the engine, starter stops, the gear hangs up on flywheel and will not retract...have to disconnect battery and turn engine over by hand a hair or just tap the ground cable to the negative terminal once or twice to get it to retract...this happens 85% of the time, sometimes it will retract.
-Until I disconnect the battery, the starter is still engaged, gets really hot, volts drop to 8-10...pops right back up when the starter disengages.
-Sometimes, it will crank slow, then crank normal for a second or two, and then go back to slow crank.
-I know it's not a ground issue...I took a set of jumper cables and connected the negative terminal and various places on the car, thus eliminating the ground system, still did the same thing...I replaced the ground strap anyway.
-It has always done this *ONCE IN A WHILE* on an extended crank since I did the 12v/engine conversion...it did it the first time I tried to start it with the new engine/12v...but has always started.
-I had to make a starter bushing when I put it together...it fit really well, I don't think that's it.
-It started doing this all the time (to the point it wouldn't start) when I tried to start it on a really cold morning (other car broke down, was trying to get to work) and I killed the battery trying to start it (Kadrons, no chokes, it has always taken some cranking to get it started, even in good weather)
Here's what I don't know...there is a box on the right side of the transmission with wires to/from the starter and alternator (was 6v generator) and there's nothing in any of my wiring diagrams to tell me what it is...I'm thinking it's some sort of starter relay...and if it is, I know it's still 6v (didn't change it) and weather it's the problem or not, it's probably burned up from the extremely cold start/killed the battery from cranking episode.
The smallest wire mounts to the side of the "relay", I'm thinking that's switched power coming in to the "relay" (didn't have my test light with me today) because that wire broke off when I did the
12v/engine conversion and the car wouldn't crank. The bottom terminal of the "relay" goes to/from the starter post where the positive battery cable goes...and the top terminal of the "relay" goes to the spade terminal on the starter. The starter gear only kicks out but does not turn if you disconnect that.Is that a starter relay and do you think that's the problem? None of my wiring diagrams have it in them (only have a Haynes and a Chilton book) nor do they show any sort of relay in that system...and I don't recall seeing it on any of the other cars that I had in the past.
My second question is in bypassing it. Should I? My wiring diagram shows that the battery cable goes to the starter, then to the alternator and the spade terminal goes to the ignition switch. Would I be correct by taking the small wire on the side of the "relay" and hooking it to the spade terminal and taking the rest out of the loop? I'm thinking the way this "relay" works (well, worked...) is the small wire turns it on and then the "relay" puts full battery voltage to the switched (spade) terminal.
Am I on the right track? Am I totally off base? Is there something I'm missing?
Thanks again for reading all this. Any input is greatly appreciated.
-mikey