Do I I need a new starter?

19Fordy

19Fordy

Well-known member
20 Years ago I converted my 8BA to 12V but kept using
the 1940 6V starter. Today I pressed the starter button and engine didn't crank over on the first tap of the starter button like it always. Tried again and all I get is a "whirring sound" like an electric motor is running. Engine doesn't crank over.
Does this mean I need a new starter Bendix/spring?
Are the new high torque starters worth the money or should I
convert the old starter to 12V like Fordbarner Ed Pitts did in this thread?
All ideas welcome.
http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=137010&highlight=12+volt+starter
 
Years ago I ran a 6V flathead starter on 12V that resulted in harsh ring gear engagement. I started to see ring gear damage, so had the starter rebuilt for 12 V. Bendix engagement is now much less aggressive and starter looks and sounds like it should. Cost of rebuilding vs a new high torque may be a toss up, but rebuilding the stock starter is better imo, especially if you have a good rebuilder in your area.
 
V8 Bob said:
Rebuilding the stock starter is better imo, especially if you have a good rebuilder in your area.
Click to expand...

Exactly - and they can be hard to find. We do have a good one here in Columbus, OH

Also, I like the original Bendix style setup - not the modern repop ones. I am still running a 6V starter - just rebuilt it myself as my nasty engine coughed back and bent the damn armature shaft. Argggggggggh. I did find/buy a NOS armature shaft - to keep in my stash in case I do it again! LOL
 
Ok. Thanks for the replies.
Can anyone recommend a person for rebuilding my starter
and converting it to 12V?
 
Fordy, here is a post that covered this issue. Ed

Here is a post from Ronnie with a comment from me. This works and is a lot cheaper than 185 bucks. Ed

"Take your flathead starter apart. Keep the long through-bolts and end plate with the armature and bendix. Turn the armature if required. Don't under-cut the copper bars on armature. Use the starter from 332, 352, 360, 390 or 406 c.i. Ford FE engines as the conversion starter. Disassemble the FE starter. Keep the end plate with brushes and case with field coils. Check the bushing in the end plate and replace if necessary. The wire size and number of windings on the FE and flathead armatures and they are the same.

[FONT=&quot]Now is also a good time to install new brushes. Install the flathead armature into the FE case. Install the FE end plate with brushes. Put long through-bolts in starter.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]You now have a flathead starter capable of cranking an engine of 300 to 400 c.i. ,up to11 to 1 compression ratio. The finished starter looks like the flathead starter and you did it yourself."[/FONT]

This works. I have done this for two 12 volt starter conversions. On the last one I got a rebuilt starter from O'Rileys to use the case. It was for a 1964 Ford Galaxie; 390 cu in. engine. The part # is 03-0214 and the line is ULT. Cost was $39.99 plus 20 bucks for the core. So, for 60 bucks, you can have a 12 volt starter that works great.
Ed
 
Here is the starter using the later FE case. Ed
 

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Here is a side by side. You take out the bottom one out of the FE case and use the top one out of your 6 volt starter.
 

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It could be that your starter drive just has congealed oil on it, that cleaning will fix----or a bendix spring bolt broke, most starters don't come with the drive, the whir means that the starter is probably working
 
Sounds like the Bendix spring broke. Had the same adventure not long ago. You can get just the spring or the entire Bendix unit.
Like Kurt said, if it spinning it's probably just a Bendix issue.
Let us know what you find.
 
Last edited:
Kurt in NJ said:
It could be that your starter drive just has congealed oil on it, that cleaning will fix----or a bendix spring bolt broke, most starters don't come with the drive, the whir means that the starter is probably working
Click to expand...

A similar thing happene to me. Starter would spin, engine wouldn't crank. The findings were, someone used an incorrect bolt on the bendix and reused the lock. The bolt wound up falling out and the bendix was just spinning on the shaft.
 
I broke the spring on my 40 and Model A years ago, I replaced them with the modern torpedo style drive, bullet proof, only 25 bucks, a little harder to install to the 8BA engine,you have to do some grinding to make it fit. Walt
 
I converted my 8BA starters to 12V using a Ford Y Block starter on one and a FE starter on the other years ago. Both work great. When my Bendix spring broke I installed a new torpedo style drive. Been working for 5 years now with no problems. As Walt said a little grinding had to be done but, to me, well worth it.
 
Ed Pitts said:
Fordy, here is a post that covered this issue. Ed

Here is a post from Ronnie with a comment from me. This works and is a lot cheaper than 185 bucks. Ed

"Take your flathead starter apart. Keep the long through-bolts and end plate with the armature and bendix. Turn the armature if required. Don't under-cut the copper bars on armature. Use the starter from 332, 352, 360, 390 or 406 c.i. Ford FE engines as the conversion starter. Disassemble the FE starter. Keep the end plate with brushes and case with field coils. Check the bushing in the end plate and replace if necessary. The wire size and number of windings on the FE and flathead armatures and they are the same.

[FONT=&quot]Now is also a good time to install new brushes. Install the flathead armature into the FE case. Install the FE end plate with brushes. Put long through-bolts in starter.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]You now have a flathead starter capable of cranking an engine of 300 to 400 c.i. ,up to11 to 1 compression ratio. The finished starter looks like the flathead starter and you did it yourself."[/FONT]

This works. I have done this for two 12 volt starter conversions. On the last one I got a rebuilt starter from O'Rileys to use the case. It was for a 1964 Ford Galaxie; 390 cu in. engine. The part # is 03-0214 and the line is ULT. Cost was $39.99 plus 20 bucks for the core. So, for 60 bucks, you can have a 12 volt starter that works great.
Ed
Click to expand...

Now, THAT'S a nice piece of tech advice. Brilliant.

While on the subject, my buddy did a 12V conversion about 15 years ago and has replaced about 4 Bendix springs since. They last a while but eventually snap from the shock.
 
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