Looking to buy a high performance starter for my truck because I just purchased 2 x Odyssey 65-PC1750T batteries and I want to have the best damn starting diesel truck in southwest michigan (regardless of temperature) you ever saw!

I'm also looking to get some brand new high performance battery cables (if those even exist)

Any recommendations on some great battery cables and an awesome high torque starter that will fit on a 1996 F250 7.3L Powerstroke?

Thanks in advance,
Larry

 

Get a 02 super duty starter. It has two mounting holes unlike ours but they still work. SD starters are gear reduction. As for cables you will probably have to make your own if you are wanting thicker gauge cables.

 

Denso makes a great high torque starter. Just make sure you get an actual Denso and not a knockoff.

 

This has worked for years for me. powermaster starter powerstroke | eBay

 

Hey brother, the supplies list and lengths are from Talyn, I just modified the lengths and tweaked it a bit to make it work for me. This is what I came up with.

list of supplies

9’ 10" of 2/0ga red welding cable

8' 10" of 2ga black welding cable

4 - 2/0ga copper eyelet, 3/8” hole

4 - 2ga copper eyelet, 3/8” hole (battery end of ground cable and ground to frame)

2 - 2ga copper eyelet, ½” hole (motor end of the ground cable)

2 - Mill spec + battery terminals (Borg warner p/n BH315P)
2 - Mill spec – battery terminals (Borg warner p/n BH315N)
4 - 2/0ga solder pellets (Borg warner p/n CT474)

4 - 2ga solder pellets (Borg warner p/n CT471)

2’ - 3/4” double wall adhesive lined heat shrink
17' loom( to loom all the wires)

10GA wire.(I had both colors)
Assorted terminal ends for 10GA

I got 1' of each red and black heat shrink.
Welding supply didn't have red 2/0. Black 2/0 works just as well, it's just a color after all. Just use the red heat shrink to determine which is your positive wire




MEASURE ALL YOUR EXISTING WIRES AND TERMINALS FIRST!
Luckily I measured all the existing battery wires and which terminals went where first, then labeled it. This is a rough estimate of what I calculated, adding in extra for loosing wire length when cutting and soldering. But final cuts were done by verifying length before the last eyelet was soldered. I would solder one terminal, then marking with a paint marker for the end terminal then cut it. I had a few inches of scrap wire left over in the end, but it was better than not having enough, and allowed for a little bit more freedom of wire length.



***These were the lengths I needed prior to cutting and soldering. Yours might be different slightly***


Pass battery + to drivers battery 55” -- 2/0ga
Drivers battery + to starter 55” – 2/0ga
Both batteries – to engine ground 42" – 2ga (EA.)
Engine ground to frame 20” – 2ga
Both battery grounds to body 10” – 10ga(EA)
Positive to starter relay(on fender) - 15"



I ordered a few extra of each solder pellet and eyelet in case there was a faulty pellet(didn't melt completely) or and needed to re-make a connection.

Cutting and soldering(Talyn's directions, no change here)



1. Strip about a ½” off the end of the cable, a little more won't hurt, it'll be covered in heat shrink anyway.



2. Cut about a 2” piece of heat shrink and slide over end of cable about a 1’ from the end(so you can heat shrink over the terminal afterwards)


3. Place the copper eyelet in a bench vice with the cable end pointed up (vice the bottom/middle of the eyelet, so you have plenty of room to heat up the solder pellet in step 4)


4. Drop in the corresponding solder pellet for the eyelet you are using


5. Use a propane torch to heat the eyelet until the solder melts (takes a minute or 2, should be a nice silver color when fully melted)



6. In one smooth motion push the wire down into the eyelet( don't get excited, let it sit for a minute or 2 to cool down before moving on, you don't want to pull out the wire, the solder won't re-melt)


7. Slide the heat shrink over the eyelet covering the connection (red for positive, black for negative, or purple, whatever you want)


8. Use the propane torch or a suitable heat gun to shrink the heat shrink(nice and even, you don't want burnt looking heat shrink taking away from all the hard work you just did!)


Repeat steps 1-8 for all cable ends
Then all you have to do is connect all your wires to their designated terminals and locations and you are good to go!

Compared to what Ford wanted for a replacement harness, these are cheaper to make, and better quality IMO, and will definitely last you another 20 years.

Build time took about an hour for building, just because of the wind working outside and using a blow torch. Install took about about an hour all together taking apart, measure and back together with your new wires.

 

Should include that in the mod section! Tom?

 

Agreed 110% on the starter.

As for the cables, no need to go bigger

 

Bigger is better, anyway that welding wire makes one heck of a battery harness.

 

This exhaust in the back creates a loud sucking noise especially in cold weather (it never did it in warm weather), I'm just wondering what technically is going on here? Some guy I think said EGT valve but I'm not sure... I bought this truck and it was already modded a bit, trying to learn what's what here! =)

Here is the pic of what I'm talking about

 

Exhaust back pressure valve is closing. Unplug it.

 

EBP valve, got it! Thanks, why and where would I unplug it?

 

Its the plug that goes around on the right, to the back by the turbo.

 

What will happen if I don't unplug it and also what will happen if I do? It does seem to have more sluggish horsepower when that thing opens up, that's for sure.

 

It doesn't hurt a thing to unplug it and leave it unplugged. Its suppose to help warm up a cold engine by creating back pressure on the motor. Stupid design.