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I have to repace my starter, has anyone did one on a ford yet? Just wondering if theres any problems I should watch for. It looks kinds close down there.
I do not know about Fords but if is anything like chevette
easy but a pain in the neck at least the solinoid is on the fire wall on a ford ?? that is a place to look ,is the solinoin good ???jump it DanNo problems changing mine out. You might need a u joint on your ratchet extension but I didn’t, just a couple of extensions to make one long one.
Well that was easy. Took about 15 minutes of actual wrenching. Hardest part was finding a replacement. In case anyone has to change theirs, ’71 thu 77 take 1 # and ’78 on takes a different one. According to Autozone, Advance Parts, O’rileys and the rest, the one for the early years (mine) is no longer available. The only difference in the two is is the electrode, one is on the side the other is on the back. New starter, selinode and cable. Back on the road.
Mine is built on an English Ford Escort. Not so much a kit car as a complete replica built in South Africa on a new 1986 frame. I put a starter on it once with no trouble. The trouble I had was finding the correct part which I finally got out of London.
BEFORE YOU TEAR INTO IT, LET ME OFFER YOU THIS. Five or six years ago Bebop started to click when I turned the key. The battery had been in it about seven years so I put in a new battery. A couple months later it started to click again and slowly progressed to more clicks each time I drove it. I said to myself, OK when it clicks ten times I’ll put a starter in it. In a few months it clicked ten times before starting so I found a starter with great diffuculty and put it in. A few months later it started to click again! I said to myself , WTF? I put in a junk yard voltage regulator and took the old starter down to a generator shop in Fort Worth and the darned thing checked out OK fine and dandy.Heres what I did and didnt have any more trouble since then. I got the ignition switch off and soldered in a new copper wire, heavier in gauge, from the switch to the started solenoid. It worked like a champ. I never had any more starter problems. Small gauge ignition wires get old and brittle after many years and begin to lose their conductivity. Try it! Maybe it will work for you. RandyRandy in Chandler Arizona, great B-bopp'in teritory. I must have the only one in the country made by Rich Industries in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, on a 1986 Ford Cortina (english ford escort) It's a 1600cc straight four cylinder front engne, 4 speed, changed from right side driver to left side with several shafts and u-joints. BEBOP because I once had an MGB with license plate MG-BEPOP in Virginia.
Well, I thought I had the starter thing licked. Last month I replaced the starter, celonoide, and starter wire from cel to starter. Here’s what shes doing now. Drove to work Thursday, got home and had to stop 1/2 way in the garage to move something the wife had set out right where I park (we wont go there). Got back in and tried to start her up. She made the most god alwful sound like the engine was falling out, battery dead or so I thought. Pushed her in, and when on in to eat. Came out about 45 min to hour later, started right up. ??? This morning I went through checking grounds, cable connections, fuses, oil was 1/2 qt low (filled it) radiator tiny bit low (filled it), she stared right up, took her around the block about 15 min drive, got back shut her off and DOA again??? I looked at the ignition wire set up WHEW what a #$%. Before I try to do the wire on the switch (I’m not sure thats in my relm of expertize). Anyone got any other clues??
Montie, could be condition known as heat sink, the starter or relay get hot, shut down and don’t work till cooled down again. Did you happen to move the starter relay to a different spot? If not, try temporarily moving the relay to see if it helps. You may need heat shield over the starter. Also, how old is the starter relay? It’s for sure heat overload on some part of the starting system.
Hope this helps. Good luck!Montie, the next thing i would check, is the ground at the block. If she sounds like the engine is “falling out” a poor ground will do that. Dan
“God awful noise”…faulty starter drive?…worn ring gear?
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"A faulty solenoid, aggravated by heat sink issue would make the starter drive partially engage due to severe voltage drop that doesn’t fully engage the starter. Causes all kinds of noise due to partial engagement with the flywheel/flexplate. Again, relates to voltage drop due to heat that causes more drain on the system, thus the no problem once it cools off. Ford starters are mighty picky when it comes to any voltage drop, be it relay, ground, or starter itself. I’m now bettin’ on a weak wiring connection, or the rebuilt starter is a dud. One quick way to check is to use a can of dust off or other canned air, held upside down to cool off the part. When it happens again. spray a good amount on the starter, if no good, spray the relay, if still no good spray yourself to cool off from all the aggravation this is causing 😆
Well I spent all morning removing and cleaning terminal ends. Started with ground, at battery, & what ever that smaller extra ground comming off the ground is. Then under the car pulled the ground off the block, someone used a bolt about 1/2″ too long and just added 3 thick washers to take up the space (I hate following idots) had the right length bolt so fixed that, after I wire brushed the daylight out of the block, bolt, terminal end, washer and anything else that got in the way. Now the positive side, cleand both ends there. Thought now a test drive
, nothing but rapid fire clicking. Gee, a noise I recognized, low battery. After several hrs on the charger (we had other plans for most of the afternoon). A test drive this evening. Started right up ran fine, , yea!! Not so fast!! I noticed the amp gauge was not acting the way it usually does, jumping all over the place but always on the plus side. It was sitting still at about a -5, when I turned on the lights it went to a -15. Guess I’ll be heading to Autozone tomorrow after work to have the alternator checked. They checked it last month along with the starter, they said it wasnt putting out max but was in the low ok range. Oh after the ride this evening she started right up when we got home, so I guess I’m making progress. Still not back on the road.
Had things checked at Advance, test said no voltage going to battery. I pulled the alternator off and had it checked, it checked ok but the bearings were really worn so had it rebuilt. The battery is now being charged and checked to make sure it’s good at Advance, it’s only 2 years old from them (Optima brand). Taking the voltage regulator to be checked tomorrow too, have to take it to Dayton starter where I had the alt rebuilt. I think I may have more than one problem. Once I get the charging problem solved I’ll get further into the heat sink idea or last resort the ignition wire. I’m missing out on some really nice drivin weather.Back on the road!!
I may never know for sure what was wrong. The Optima battery checked good at Advance, but when I told him all the symtoms his thought the battery may have a dead cell, so they replaced it “no charge” it was only 2 years old and still under the 36 month warranty. After getting everything back together, we just got back from the trial run. Everything seems to be OK YEA.
DanR
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