I believe it's one year. Powermaster has not responded to any emails to tell me otherwise, suggest a possible problem, repair parts, or factory repair option. I'm not impressed with their customer service, or lack thereof.

 

The saga continues... The starter has cranked immediately all week while we had warmer temperatures, but today with temps dropping below 40* it failed to crank. I pulled the starter when I observed the no crank scenario and bench tested the solenoid. It will not pull in and make continuity across the large lugs. If I remove the cover and manually push the plunger closer to the coil than the cover holds it, it will eventually snap in and make contact. I considered shimming it, but the solenoid plunger also pushes the drive gear into the flywheel teeth and the required amount of shims is such that the drive gear would be pushed out from the starter body at all times. There is nothing causing drag on the plunger or starter drive gear assembly that would inhibit it being pulled into the starter body, both move freely inward with only normal resistance from the springs.

I tested with a motorcycle battery on a charger (it was low), but I also tested using the pair of Group 31s in the truck and larger wire just to be sure it wasn't an issue with the small setup wire I used on the bench. Same results.

The problem seems to be related to a weak field coil. The field coil measure 1.0 ohms from hot lug to starter body, using my cheapie multimeter. I don't know that there's anything I can do at this point to repair this, absent availability of a new field coil as that's the only thing I can think that might cause it to not pull the plunger in completely.

In the interrim I suppose I could either push start the truck or drill a hole in the solenoid cover and manually actuate it. Good that there are at least options available. Fortunately I have another truck and a couple motorcycles so it's not a huge inconvenience..

I would still like to repair this starter. $195 is a lot to throw away over what's probably a fairly cheap component. Powermaster did finally respond this week to my emails, no information, just asked for my phone number. I responded today so we'll see what they say. In the interim I may pick up another starter.

 

I picked up a reman starter of the same Nippondenso style from NAPA, they did not have new in stock and couldn't get it for several days. I tested current draw from both solenoids. It was pretty high so I stepped up from 20ga test leads to 18ga, the biggest I had. Old solenoid is pulling around 16.5 amps, new around 33 amps. This is with larger gauge test leads than pictures I then piggybacked 2 20ga test leads on the ground and two on the positive and measured 45 amps on the new starter, and still around 16.5 amps on the old.

Does the solenoid really need at least an 8ga wire to it? I have some 8ga wire, surely some 4ga and likely some 6 as well. Not sure what lugs and terminals I have. The terminal on the solenoid is a tiny screw so I'm slightly worried about putting a large cable onto it, in that the terminal on the solenoid may be a bit fragile for that. Also I doubt I have any terminals to mate such a large cable to such a small terminal. Powermaster instructions state "The switch wire should be capable of handling 75A intermittent and 15A continuous, typically a 10AWG wire."

I will increase the size of the wire to the input side of the fender solenoid from 10ga to 4ga as it's a quick easy run, though I doubt there is much voltage drop over a 4" length. What size wire or cable should I run from the fender solenoid to the solenoid on the starter? For ease of installation I'm leaning towards a new 10ga wire though for the amps I'm seeing 8ga or even 6ga is more appropriate for the load and distance to minimize voltage drop. Mind you it is intermittent use as the solenoid does not normally operate for more than a second or two and it actuated just fine off 20ga wire on the bench, so maybe not important to go so large?

 

I put a 4ga from the main distribution to cab/glow plug solenoid to the starter solenoid. keep in mind all this cable powers is the starter solenoid on the starter, there is no power distribution off the fender mounted starter solenoid and the fender mounted solenoid is energized by the factory wiring from the ignition switch.

Just moving and retightening these connections on the glow plug solenoid has increased voltage on the gauge in the cab from 14+v to 14.5v with zero voltage drop with accessories on. Before this I'd see a very slight dip in the needle when turning everything on. Clearly those connections needed a cleaning as something wasn't 100%, especially with the headlights, radio, amp, and blower motor all being on relays from the RTMR.

I kept the old 10ga wire to the solenoid for now. I'm trying to source some 8ga #10 ring terminal as on the starter mounted solenoid connection. The 8ga 5/16" ring terminals are easy. The 8ga to #10 may be a tough cookie, online it looks like I may be buying a LOT of them to get one 50 cent ring terminal. I'll check NAPA tomorrow when I give them the old starter to get the $110 core back. If the core was less I'd have kept this and continued to seek resolution from Powermaster and kept as a spare or sold it, but for $110 I think it makes sense to give it back. The powermaster and NAPA starters don't appear significantly different so far as motor construction or solenoid construction, both Nippondenso style offset gear reduction starters. I'll note the NAPA starter has a plated steel solenoid plunger whereas the Powermaster has a copper plunger.

In any event, the plan is to run a new 8ga from teh fender solenoid to the starter solenoid. I wouldn't want to run any bigger for fear of breaking the screw on the solenoid lug, but the current I feel justifies going larger. I'm curious though if the recommended (from Powermaster anyway) 10ga wire to the solenoid was marginal and with age or dirty connections could become inadequate, and if that wire was inadequate could it damage the solenoid coil?

 

I am watching this thread. I have noticed that when my temps get down into the single digits.....or below zero I have a slight delay in my starter engagement. Mine is the same Power Master starter.

 

I just put a DB electrical / Denso starter in mine and have been very happy so far, the price is hard to beat as well. With the cold weather we've had over the past couple of weeks I am glad I ditched the old starter, it struggled even when everyting was warm.

I had some terrible luck a few years back with starters in the wife's 4 runner, I was swapping them every 6 months because the solenoid would freeze up. I wonder if a water leak from the block might have been causing problems but I never found out before we sold it.

My truck currently has a 12 or 14 gauge wire to the solenoid and I've never had any issues with the starter not engaging, aside from past issues where battery voltage was way too low.

 

Cardunkle / Jayro88 -

anything new to add to your experience, I've delayed about as long as I can, it's almost boat pulling season and I want to know it will "Just Start" every time,

don't mind spending the money on a powermast but just want it to work and now leaning towards a Napa nippon

 

My Powermaster is still working well. The cranking speed did slow down a bit when it was super cold, but I think it is a battery issue. I am planning on upgrading to a pair of Group 31's and a G3 alternator to take care of that.

I don't have any experience with the Napa one you mentioned. I know with the Autozone one I had it would grind the ring gear from time to time. Powermaster never has.

 

Nothing new here. NAPA Nippondenso starter is still working fine. Turns the engine over quickly and so forth. I dislike that since new the NAPA starter sounds like it spins for a moment after releasing the key, as if the drive bendix is slow to retract. My engine lifted a head the other week so I'll try to bench test and check the bendix operation before reinstalling it. After my experience with the short lived PowerMaster, which had new upgraded cables and new Group 31 batteries since day 1, and my experience with their lack of support and no parts availability, I can not recommend spending the extra money for a PowerMaster starter. In my experience you don't get anything extra for the addition cost aside from some branding from their marketing *****.

If I wasn't in a pinch for time I'd have been just fine going with one of the IDI starters available from DB Electrical. I have one of their GM reverse rotation marine starters on the 454 in my boat and a 105 amp marine 10si (ancient tech, I know, but 3g is not ignition protected) from DB as well. Both have been in service for years with no issues. I did have a DB Electrical 3g 130 amp alternator fail in well under a year, they replaced it with another new one but only after I sent the old one back. So shipping time x2 and I ate shipping on that. I did not have time to wait more than a day or two so I got a reman 130 amp 3g locally which has been fine and has a likely useless "lifetime" warranty for PepBoys. We'll see if they honor that in 20 years, doubtful. I gave the DB replacement 3g to a buddy who had a 90 amp small case 3g on his Mustang, and I took his 90 amp in trade to upgrade from the 1g on my 460 truck if I ever get around to that project. The replacement DB alternator is still working a year or two later but the car doesn't get more than a couple thousand miles a year so who knows.