Beefier Starter Re-Build Possible?

[Kigiin]

In my continual mental masturbation over what starter to buy after my second starter has gone only ~80k miles, I am wondering if a re-built starter could be made to last much longer.

My independent mechanic told me this morning that an excellent re-build shop has re-opened after the owner has un-retired and moved back into the area. My question is: can anything be done in the re-build process to "beef up" the starter contacts? Also I wonder why my starter only fails when cold, and then not even consistently when cold. What is going on to cause this failure when cold but never when warm/hot?

 

[AimCOtaco]

I can't imagine anything other than a re-design or serious retrofit would make a difference. One could use a heavy duty universal type electrical solenoid (mounted on the firewall or similar accessible location) and bypass the factory contacts which would make it a quick fix if it ever failed. Seems like the starter it'self lasts and lasts and it's just the built in solenoid that is an issue.

The other popular solution is to add a section of cable from the starter motor hot and run it out from under the manifold. That way if stranded you touch a jumper cable from battery hot to starter motor directly for cranking without need for the contacts.

Either of these options should not be too expensive to have a mechanic perform if they are already doing the starter or accessing it for repair. I think a top grade solenoid would run in the $50 neighborhood.

 

[KlausVanWinkle]

I just did mine. Should have done that lead cable idea.

let us know how quickly you can change it a second time. I bet I could do it in 2 hrs now.

 

[APKhaos]

2 hours is very close to what it took me the second time. Maybe a smidge less, but I was pi$$ed at the time. The contacts welded themselves together on the first start-up attempt after doing the TB/WP/Serp job. Just when it was all buttoned up,...........Hey! Its STARTER TIME again!

 

[MoJ]

80k miles doesn't seem unreasonable. That aside, it's the number of duty cycles that would prove a more direct correlation.

 

[staggrlee]

Found these online. If this actually works, I'll wire it this way with a remanufactured starter when the time comes.

You can get a good sealed Cole-Hersee solenoid for <$30. Seems like cheap insurance to not having to go diving under the intake again.

 

[100 TD]

If the lecy is an OLD unretired gentleman, he may be able to braze some silver solder on the contacts to give you much longer life, but you have to use the correct grade alloy.

 

[04UZJ100]

As anyone with an 03 or later had to rebuild the starter? It seems they made some significant improvements for that M/Y and later.

 

[OregonLC]

I thought someone had already figured this out? Didn't they run a set of heavy-gauge wires out from the starter to a jack in the engine bay so that they could manually start in the field in an emergency?

 

[AimCOtaco]

Found these online. If this actually works, I'll wire it this way with a remanufactured starter when the time comes.

You can get a good sealed Cole-Hersee solenoid for <$30. Seems like cheap insurance to not having to go diving under the intake again.

That schematic is not quite correct for what I was describing. That schematic is for voltage drop in the key circuit (the factory wiring won't deliver enough juice to cycle the solenoid, ours cycle but the solenoid it'self is shot).

To do what I was saying you would send the key signal to the new solenoid and it would switch battery power direct to the starter motor. The old solenoid on the starter would just sit there doing nothing.

 

[APKhaos]

That schematic is not quite correct for what I was describing. That schematic is for voltage drop in the key circuit (the factory wiring won't deliver enough juice to cycle the solenoid, ours cycle but the solenoid it'self is shot).

To do what I was saying you would send the key signal to the new solenoid and it would switch battery power direct to the starter motor. The old solenoid on the starter would just sit there doing nothing.

That's right. The schematic does not do what you originally described. I would certainly be possible to install a remote solenoid to functionally replace the stock solenoid. Need to be a bit careful with routing the high current cables from battery to new solenoid to starter, but that's not rocket science.