Ford hi torque starter recommendations?

M

mikhett

Senior Member
I WANT to replace my stock starter with the mini High torque starter.I see many different brands.CAN ANYONE RECOMMEND ONE?THANKS!
 
I had good luck with a Powermaster brand unit . Great starter, problem - free for 6 yrs. , then I sold the car . Still in it , as far as I know .
 
Just double checking.... I assuming you've already ruled out other potential problems?
Undersized battery cables, dirty/loose battery cable or solenoid connections, loose battery ground cable to the block, etc.
I fixed 2 "bad starters" in the same week by cleaning and tightening the nut & stud holding the power cable lug to the starter. The nut had worked slightly loose, arced & damaged the threads which kept the nut and washers from actually tightening onto the cable lug.


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I will double check.this all started with a "NO CRANK",condition.Starter relay was not clicking.replaced starter relay.Engine starts but is noisy like a rattling sound which I assume is the bendix drive not retracting.Engine never mad noise before.I checked the oiland its up to snuff.
 
Take off the big cable to the starter from the starter side of the solenoid, hook up a 12v test light to the now empty stud terminal. The light should go on & off when the key is turned to the 'start' position and back. Just like the starter would have done. If the light works correctly, pull the starter and check it next. If the light doesn't turn on/off consistently the solenoid is sticking or check the power to it from the ign switch.


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When the stock starter is rebuilt correctly, it may outlast anything new on the market. My 55 starter was used from new until the car was converted to 12 volts, (early 90's)
then redone just because it was out in 2001. It needed brushes, and a spring on the Bendix. One overhaul in 60 years isn't bad.
 
I remember back in the early 60s and the owner of the shop I worked in used to go to the junkyard, and buy a pickup load of "core return" starters and generators, and we would rebuild them for resale in his shop. In those days, several sizes and types would fit almost every American car. We had an assembly line set up, and the two of us would do about 150 units in a very short time. In the 5 years or so that I worked there, I really don't remember any that came back as not working. This is not so today when a (and I love this word,) "reman" unit has an immediate failure rate of at least 50% or so. (Chinese)
Anyway, (whew!) it's not hard to do a starter or generator, and even the 1st generation alternators. Getting quality parts to do so may be the hardest thing. Any old Motors or equivalent shop manual will give detailed instructions. The important thing is to do the entire unit, not just clean up and brushes. The armature MUST be turned, the bearings MUST be replaced, along with the brushes, and checking the fields and armature for shorts.
The attraction for me at least, in a mini starter is the compact light package, the increased spin, and the absence of that old wheezy after run that pulls the drive back on the old starters. They also require much less current to operate. BUT, the attraction for the original still remains for most people.
 
I always use a local shop, they just converted a GM truck starter of mine to a high torque. Maybe this can be done on Fords as well, worth asking. I don't like using after-market components without a good reason.
 
Back in the 60's, GM's high torque starters had a larger diameter armature and thinner pole shoes/windings. Don't know if Ford did a high toque version, or if parts (aftermarket) are available to convert one.

Sal
 
I have a 12 volt mini starter that enters the ring gear from the front side of the gear on my 51 merc..hi torque slo rpm great little starter..built by a co in mi..couple hundred bucks,,good ridiance to old merc starter
 
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