Stranded RIGHT NOW! Saturday afternoon

[lemonshindig]

The standard starter is fine, although a lot of people choose to install the $50 mini-starter from DB Electrical, the ebay seller.

Pull it and have it tested, it's free. Also, there needs to be a good connection between the starter and the mounting surface of the bellhousing. That's the starter's ground.

[Kenster]

Originally Posted by lemonshindig

The standard starter is fine, although a lot of people choose to install the $50 mini-starter from DB Electrical, the ebay seller.

How do the mini starters differ from standard ones? I have seen a picture of them. Do they work as well? Do they hold up? Any special installation requirements?

Pull it and have it tested, it's free. Also, there needs to be a good connection between the starter and the mounting surface of the bellhousing. That's the starter's ground.[/QUOTE]

That's the one surface I haven't got to and it's a frequent problem in old tractors like my '52 Ford 8n. (Which is a LOT easier to get to the starter.)

Since I'll be removing the starter anyway, I'll pull it and put a wire brush on the mounting surface then reinstall the starter and see what happens.

[Kenster]

I think the engine is turning over just fine. When I've tried to start it I can see the fan blade turn a quarter to half a turn. Sometimes several times.

[RichA]

The mini starters use a smaller electric motor, but run it through a gearbox to get more torque. They work well--the design is pretty much standard on modern cars. Often, the biggest trick is getting the right one for your car. Search "DB electric" on VMF for some good info.

[bartl]

Grab your old starter and head to the auto parts store. IIRC, a '94 F-150 5.0 starter (which was a PMGR unit on my truck) will work on A/T applications. Don't know about manual trans. Pull a new one from the box and compare nose depths, etc. You'll need a length of 12-14ga (I'd recommend) wire with eyelet lugs on one end and female slip-on for the other end to connect the starter's integral solenoid to your existing solenoid (rearward side), and reposition the big starter cable to the front side of the fender solenoid.

[Kenster]

Bartl, Is that a better setup than the standard starter setup? If so, why? (I'm always trying to learn something new.) What's the advantage?

To clarify that wiring... By "female slip-on" do you mean the tiny elbow connector that pushes on to the small terminal on the fender mounted solenoid?

So, I would run a wire from the new starter's built in solenoid to the rearward small push-on terminal on the wall mounted solenoid.... AND

Move the starter cable from the large, rearward post to the front post that will now be shared with the POS battery cable?

Sounds like that takes the existing solenoid out of the starting equation. Seeing as they seem to be inherently weak, I guess that's a good thing.