All Small Six New Starter Cautions!

[Rev.LowBuck]

Here's my story, told in the interest of saving someone time and money.
'63 Falcon with a '68 200, Large Log Head, Autolite 2100 on a VI adapter, Header, DSII Ignition, C4.
This car starts instantly every time I hit the key unless it's been sitting for a few days, then it starts almost instantly.
Runs like a champ, I drive it almost daily.

My Nixon era starter died in early January because the worn out drive gear managed to wedge itself against the flex plate. Some of you may remember helping me remove it as the starter was pretty well jammed in the hole.

Bought a new 3 bolt starter from Auto Zone with a lifetime warranty which was good for about 8 weeks until problems developed. The starter gear would engage the flex plate momentarily and the back out and spin to a stop. The problem worsened over several days until it was useless.

Took the starter back and got a new one with the opposite problem. The car would start and the starter would stay engaged. Returned it with the thought that I may have gotten one for a manual transmission which has a longer reach for the drive gear.

Picked up the THIRD starter. Triple checked the part numbers to be sure this was a unit for automatic transmission. Same problem, starter gear just hung on the flex plate while the car was running. I could start it about 3 times listening for the starter to let go, rapping on the solenoid, pulling the ignition wire off, whatever I could think of, then it would burn the fuse between battery power and the relay to the ignition module. Now I'm chasing wires. Replaced the solenoid, checked the function of the starter switch, checking voltage across the solenoid, etc. etc, ad nauseam...

I called my 85 year old dad who has seen it all. He's a GM guy, so of course he said it sounded like the starter needed a shim. I told him Ford starters don't use shims and continued to chase wires. Dad called again and told me to back the starter mounting bolts out 1/4 turn.

The bolts were pretty snug, certainly not overtightened, I backed the bolts out 1/4 turn and the problem went away!
I started the car 3 times, letting it run for a couple minutes between starts and the fuse seems to be OK. Not sure why the fuse was being overloaded in the above fiasco but if it ain't broke anymore, I won't fix it.

It appears that the remanufactures are playing faster and looser with tolerances. I can't find a shim for this starter. I guess I could use 3 thin washers but I don't want to stress the mounting ears on the starter because that's not how it was designed to mount. So, I guess I'll just listen carefully every time I hit the key and adjust as needed.

 

[Kritas]

I'd guess that the tooling at the MIC manufacturers is wearing out.

 

[philford]

what Id do is make my own eccentric bolt. the image isnt; a perfect example but should give you the idea.

as you turn the head of the bolt the eccenttic moves and so it becomes a lateral adjustment, then you can situate the bolt so you have correct clearance and then whithout moving the head of the bolt, tighten the nut.

how Id make one is to take a larger bolt, put it in my lathe, but offset from center in the chuck, then turn the threaded portion or the shamk and thread it. Id use a tap for the threading but size it right to be tapped to whatever standard size, maybe 1/2" threads or so. you cna file a notch in the head so you arent; confused. as you turn the bolt by its head, itll get tighter , looser toghter looser.. like that. ( betweeen the gears) you want some backlash not a tight fit.
I thik if you put your mind in that way you'll understand what I mean. thats better than using too small of bolts to move it over because that way it can move too easily, the bolt has strength in oe direction but not sideways if you get what I mean..
the eccentric portion can fit the hole inthe starter properly.
if my explanation didt make sense just ask Ill describe it differently but thats probably enough that you get the idea.

eccentric bolt at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

 

[frozenrabbit]

Try to find an old starter/alternator repair shop and have OEM units rebuilt. 'New' seems to be hot garbage across the board on everything.

I cleared out an old shop guy's stock several years ago.

Related off topic, I put cheap cheap cheap-o set of ebay brushes in the alternator of my daily '94 Ranger. The 'brushes' lathed through the rotor contact rings, and the brushes had basically zero wear, never even seated to the rotor. Definitely NOT carbon brushes.

 

[drag-200stang]

I assume that you checked the trans. to block bolts are tight. and converter to flex plate.

 

[philford]

if you are ever stuck for a set of brushes just look for something similar and a bit bigger, they are very easy to file down to size, its like filing a pencil lead. Just be gentle and go slow.

what Ive done in the past with alternator slip rings. or for starters, put the rotor in a lathe, if no lathe is available to you a drill press with a center mounted to the table will work, spin it, then file and use emery cloth and dress them smooth.. they end up a little thinnner and work fine , If you want to replace the slip rings they are cheap but maybe thats best left to an alternator shop. its just a copper ring. if you can't buy thise they are pretty easily made on a lathe. as easy to make 10 as 1 though..

Ive never seen brushes that I thought were eating them, but if the slip ring or commutator is a bit rough it will eat brushes.
grease will kill the electrical contact. brake parts cleaner and a toothbrush is what Ill usually use to get everything clean and grease and oil free but you can make sure whatever you use wont eat the wire coating. on a really old motor maybe it was a less solvant resistant "varnish" i used to coat the wire. if you used a strong solvant that was capable of melting the wire insulation it could spell trouble. Im not seeing trouble with iusing brake parts cleaner on at least stuff thats not over about 20 years or so. epoxy and polyurathane date back probably 50 years sor so. I dont know what thye use as a wire coating now. somethign super old might have been shellac coated wire or something.