Early Starter M38

Boze · Post by **Boze** » Sun Mar 07, 2010 3:55 pm

I bought my M38 some time ago and the PO had installed an odd way to start the motor. He drilled and hole in the dash panel and ran an old gear shift rod through it into the engine compartment. Then he welded a fork on the end of the rod and bolted it to the starter switch lever. The cab side had a knob like a tranny shifter. To start, you would push the rod forward about 3 inches to engage the starter. There was no foot switch.

In my restoration, I replaced the tub with one from MD Juan and I now have, I think, excessive distance between the foot switch I installed in the floor and the starter switch lever. Is there some sort of part that attaches to the lever and comes in contact with the bottom end of the foot switch plunger? Right now I have it jury-rigged and it doesn't hold in place very well causing problems from time to time when I try to start the engine. I am confident the foot switch is correctly installed. The Jeep is a 1950 with the early model starter. Thanks for your help.

Post by **wesk** » Sun Mar 07, 2010 11:08 pm

MD Juan tubs seldom fit well. The starter switch location is seldom considered by the tub installer during the install and then when it doesn't line up it's too late. That leaves three choices.
1-relocate the tub.
2-jury rig an extension to either the kick pedal or the starter actuator arm.
3-Convert to a key type starter and have the 12 volt key type starter rewound for 24 volt. (it may hold up as a 12 volt starter if you exercise care with length of operation).

Boze · Post by **Boze** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 1:35 pm

Wes,

In other words, does the starter actuator arm only get "pushed" by the bottom of the plunger? Seems that there would be something to go through the hole in the end of it. If not, I will fabricate an extension to the bottom of the plunger and weld it on so there is no more loosening. I wish I had a detailed close up photo of the starter plunger in contact with the actuator arm - but all i ever see is the photos of the starter separate from the plunger and engine. The tough part will be measuring the travel of the actuator vs. the travel of the plunger before the switch closes.

Relocating the tub would be a pain in the a** and I think the frame in the rear would be exposed somewhat. I have had that thing seven years and I am still discovering problems!

Thanks for your help.

Post by **wesk** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 9:03 pm

Yes, just push. The hole in the arm has no purpose on this installation. You set the arm's travel based on the pedal rod pushing the pinion gear into full engagement with the flywheel ring just before it closes the switch. I would set the pushrod firmly against the lever and then back off say about 1/16" to 1/8" so it isn't normally applying any pressure to the arm.