Other starter choices

[John Hofstetter <hofs@domain.elided>]

>From: "Jerry Whitteridge" <jrwhitt@domain.elided>
>Subject: Solenoid problems - It wasn't
>
>Thanks to all of you who pointed me to te fact that my problems were
>more starter than solenoid related. I pulled the starter yesterday and
>put in the older spare I had. What a difference ! Now I need to get
>another spare (that I will keep in the truck). I'm going to do the
>remote solenoid anyway so I wont be caught in the summer again, but are
>there any "better" starters to go to if I go into the parts store or
>are we stuck with  just the design we have stock ? 

Jerry, 
You have other starter choices, but you pay for them. For example, I'd 
like to have one of the mini-starters that Summit sells for about $160, 
but I know that I can get 4 or 5 rebuilt Delcos for that price and not 
have to put out all the money at one time. I believe that the $160 one is 
one with Summit's own name on it, and that the name brand one sells for 
considerably more. (I can't remember, tonight, what the name brand is for 
the mini-starters)

In my experience, the starters usually don't cause much problem unless 
they have to do an awful lot of cranking. The problem is usually with the 
Delco Solenoid, and usually only with the switching part of the solenoid, 
a problem which is eliminated with the use of a fire-wall mounted Ford 
type solenoid. I've also had some problems with the big nut on the 
solenoid coming loose and this causing the starter not to work, usually 
in hot weather. 

As someone pointed out just today, I think, the battery sometimes causes 
problems that seem like starter problems, and dirty battery connections 
can lead to the same wrong diagnosis.

John H.