Hi Dan,

I've had the same issue on my 84 245, only with that one it consistently failed to operate at temps below -20 F. Five minutes with a hair dryer and it would turn every time.

I took it off and the starter itself was in pristine condition. I disassembled the solenoid and don't remember any particular difficulty, although there may have been some soldering involved. I cleaned it up and lubed the piston but the only obvious fault was fairly heavily oxidized main contacts.

It's working fine, although I can't say it's run below the critical temperature. I should have tested it in the freezer. I remember wondering at the time if some dielectric grease would be appropriate on the contacts. Perhaps someone could advise. I was able to source a new solenoid for about $20. just to have on hand.

I wonder if they replace the solenoid on rebuilds or if they just test the old one and slap it on. I'll bet there's a lot of starters replaced because of a solenoid problem.

My winter car, a 91 245 started with the same behavior this past winter. I haven't removed it because it's always worked after 2 or 3 attempts, but I probably should. I hope you'll tear yours down and tell us what you find.

regards, Peter