Let's talk starters.

[67Monaco]

Ok replaced the battery with the AutoCraft 800CCA marine starting battery and it was a bit slow but not bad on the cranking last week when I put it in. Didn't have time to futz with it as my time was up out at the yard. Went back today to find a no crank situation. Thought the new battery had died so I jumped it with the starter pack. Nothing. Tried to jump/charge it with the truck, nothing. Swapped the battery out of the truck into the car and still no crank. But the car battery into the ram and she fires right up so it's not a power source issue.

Jumped the starter relay terminals as I've done in the past to crank without the ignition key. NADA. We have solenoid click but that's it. I'm thinking the long cranking the truck monkey said he had to do to get it off and on the trailer to swap cars around coupled with the real moist air down here finally killed the starter. Didn't have a BFH with me to beat on the starter so i don't know for sure but I figure it's time to go. It's the original.

With that. Who's doing what and why? I like the old time chrysler cranking sound, but I don't know what I'm gunna get these days and lest us not forget the header issue. Thinking about going small hi-torque mini i.e. like from a dakota or similar.

 

[Wollfen]

The mini starter is definitely the way to go, those things are stronger and can turn the motor over easy even when the battery is over half flat. But if you want to go the original style starter then go to your local auto store and trade yours in, its about fifty bucks to do so when you hand them a core.
You can get the mini starter remanufactured from the same auto store for about $75 with a core or $100 with a core.

 

[saforwardlook]

I am a purist, no doubt. But when it comes to starters, I use only the small high-torque ones anymore. Yes, the sound is a little different, but I will live with it. I just put any of the old, heavy, slow ones that I take out onto my scrap metal pile now. But I am still on the fence relative to my 1960 Chrysler and its original type starter, even though it is even more trouble than the later Chrysler ones. In that case, the sound is really different.

 

[65sporty]

Go with the modern mini starter, but I don't really care if it sounds like the original

 

[Patrick]

Just did mine and I was amazed at how much faster it cranked and how quickly the engine caught. Sure the sound is different but you only hear it for a short time before the burble of the V8 makes you forget all about it.

 

[twostick]

Clean all the cable connections and make sure the starter is bolted in tight (ground) before you write it off. If it's determined it's FUBAR, mini starter all the way.

Kevin

 

[Big_John]

Easy to fix the old starter. It's usually just the post that makes contact for the starter solenoid. Less than $5 the last I checked.

 

[67Monaco]

Just did mine and I was amazed at how much faster it cranked and how quickly the engine caught. Sure the sound is different but you only hear it for a short time before the burble of the V8 makes you forget all about it.

Burble.... ha. Apparently you're not familiar with any videos ice posted with it running. But thanks you're absolutely right about the sound.

 

[67Monaco]

Ok most seem to agree that a mini starter is a viable way to go. So now, stock replacement or aftermarket like a mallory? If I go stock replacement what year should I shoot for? I've seen people use 93 Dakota 5.2L as a starting point. I'm not in a position to be able to grind or mill studs or castings.

 

[68plymouth383]

I believe you'll want the special late model starter lugs, and attaching hardware. I'd make a trip to your local picknpull and pull a starter from a 98 dakota, ram, durango, or full size van. Ether a 5.2 318 or 5.9 360 late model will have what you want. You'll have what you need then to install it, and if you want a new rebuilt one from there you'll already have the core.

 

[68plymouth383]

I haven't seen a video of it running.

Burble.... ha. Apparently you're not familiar with any videos ice posted with it running. But thanks you're absolutely right about the sound.

 

[67Monaco]

From about ten months ago when I was working on the wigwag flasher issue.


[video]https://youtu.be/NAgCxZSe5Hg[/video]

 

[saylor]

+1 for original starter sound. to me it is worth it.

nothing else sounds like it on the planet than a big mopar starting up.

 

[68plymouth383]

Sounds good.

From about ten months ago when I was working on the wigwag flasher issue.


[video]https://youtu.be/NAgCxZSe5Hg[/video]

 

[BIGBARNEYCARS]

Nothing soundz like ah big block mopar after it startz either. I prefer the errvrooom to the eerrr eerrr eerrr

 

[67Monaco]

welp went out to the car again this afternoon, 95 degrees not too bad out. Did the rappy tap tapppy thing on the starter to see if it would budge, got about a quarter turn from the engine and nada. Seems to be dead shorted now. BIG arch when I jumper the relay. So I guess I know what I gotz ta do, resign myself to the fact that I'm going to be fire ant food while I wrestle this starter out.

I just can't remember if I had dropped the drag link off the pitman arm when I put the starter in the last time. Other thing that sucks is mt tools are in a storage container in Ft Myers. So I gotta make do with what I took with me as a road kit, or buy some.

 

[Wollfen]

The starter should come out real easy with no need to unbolt anything else. I usually take 10 to 15 mins to swap one out.

 

[67Monaco]

The starter should come out real easy with no need to unbolt anything else. I usually take 10 to 15 mins to swap one out.

I think I had the header hanging, and the shift linkage disconnected when I hung it the first time when I put the headers in.

 

[67Monaco]

Welp the new starter is in. Turns over like a beast. Hangs when it starts. Overall I'm very happy with the size, weight, and ability to spin the 440. Now if I had a lift or a way I could get under it to see how the teeth were meshing I'd feel a bit more comfortable. There is a little wiggle room with the upper bolt hole so I may break it all loose, pry the starter to the outside and retorque and see if that helps. May just need another shim or two. But without being able to see it, It's just going to be trial and error.


Oh, and the header had to come off the head, the collector unbolted, and the drag link dropped to get the old starter out. New one dropped in from the top.

 

[thrashingcows]

Did you go mini starter then? I've been running junkyard mini starter in all my mopars for years, and never had a problem with a single one. Nore any of the issues others seem to have with clearances and such. I never pay more then $25 for them, and I have used them from a V6 magnum, and the 5.2/5.9 magnum motors.