[Boatanchors] PE-73 Dyno starting solenoid running hot

[David Stinson]

One tip on the PE-73 (indeed; any dynamotor):
When you first fire it up, leave the end bells off for a
few hours of operation.  Over the years, moisture gets into 
the windings and core.  The heat of operation will drive it out
Mike Hanz mentioned this to me many years ago.
I opened the end bells of my PE-73 after its first couple
of hours of operation and poured about a teaspoon of
water out!  I was amazed.  
There's also a 1942 or 43 tech order around here somewhere
that instructs radio operators to take one of the end bells off
the PE-73 to provide better cooling on flights over 30 minutes.
This isn't the problem with your over-hot solenoid, of course.
Just an aside.