Explain remote solenoid?

[Wagonman100]

This has been a debate for a very long time. Some people see the remote solenoid as a crutch for inadequate wiring, others will do nothing else. I can see the logic of both. One big problem comes from the removal of the factory heat shield from the starter and to a much lesser degree the removal of the front starter brace. These are usually left off in a starter swap or removed during a header install. Larger wires and new cables and a heat shield will go a long way to provide the proper amount of current to the stock components. With stock exhaust manifolds there is enough space between the exhaust and starter that the heat shield probably isn’t needed anyway. But take off the shield and put some thin wall headers right next to the starter and you are getting the components much hotter and resistance goes way up, requiring more current to operate. The remote solenoid works because it provides more current to the stock components and allows them to operate as they should.

I remember 32 years ago when I rebuilt my ‘76 Malibu and swapped in a 355 with headers. It originally had a 305 and cast iron manifolds and the heat shield and front brace were already missing and were not added to the new engine because I didn’t know they were supposed to be there. I drove the car as a daily driver with mostly short trips. Any longer trips I took I shut down the car and didn’t have to restart it for a while, so I had not trouble starting it. One day I drove about 50 miles and needed to stop for gas, I got back in the car and it wouldn’t crank. I didn’t know about heat soak and didn’t know what the problem was. The station owner helped me push the car away from the pumps and after about 10 minutes it fired right up. I later heard about the remote solenoid setup and added it to the car and never had any trouble starting the car ever again, no matter what the circumstances. I have installed it on three of my other cars since then and did it on a friend’s Nova that had bad heat soak issues and it always worked great. I even had a flex plate issue on my El Camino and while the bad flexplate did chew up a couple of starters, it wasn’t because of the remote solenoid. It would have done the same thing without the remote solenoid.

 

[84 El Camino 231]

IMO the remote solenoid can be helpful, I used this trick for my International Harvester as opposed to rewiring the starter solenoid circuit with heavier gauge wire. I haven't needed to do this for GM. For GM I believe, the solenoid windings are actually double wound so if you still experience difficulty or prefer to keep original configuration the solenoid on the starter may be defective with one open winding causing this symptom.

 

[Lowdollarbuild]

Exactly. There is no "bypass" of anything. By getting a solid 12 volts to the stock solenoid, it works even when hot. Anyway- you answered my question- thanks Steve.

My only reason for using the ford solenoid was when the neutral safety switch used the ground circuit & ignition +

 

[Bonnewagon]

This particular 400 came with the Pro-Form high torque starter. It is the correct part number for a Pontiac/Oldsmobile. It constantly hit the flex plate and we can't figure out why. I swapped in a Pontiac 301 starter just as a test and it engaged the flex plate perfectly every time. That proved the Pro-Form was defective. But the 301 starter had no heat shield and was very close to the headers so when hot it was DOA. Thus we had to decide how to proceed: another high torque starter or a big fat stock starter. After researching on here the conclusion by the Oldsmobile guys was that the Powermaster 9510 was the best starter and since it fits a Pontiac too we went for it. Then considering the age of this car (1980) we felt the wiring may be less than optimum and looked into the remote solenoid. After more research I absolutely agreed that it helped but for the life of me I could not understand why. Now I get it. You guys are the best- thanks!!!

 

[pontiacgp]

sooo, I have to apologize for going on and on and not listening to reason....I get that way sometimes due to some stuff but I don't like using it for an excuse, unless I'm up on a murder charge...

 

[Bonnewagon]

UPDATE: I replaced the 301 starter with a Powermaster 9510XS Torque model along with a Vulcan remote high torque solenoid. I drive the 400 until it is super hot and it starts right up every time no problem. Overkill? Perhaps, but it seems like a bullet-proof starter set-up. Thanks to all who responded.

 

[84 El Camino 231]

Marine engines are wired this way too, b/c it's a long way from the ignition switch to the starter.

 

[anton shylene]

I use remote solenoid as a theft prevention it works fine for my ride.