When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
My ‘78 F-250 has a 400 (manual) and I bought a gear reduction starter for it (for a manual transmission). I did some research and wired it according to what I found online. Now when I turn it over I hear the starter spin but the motor isn’t turning over so I assume it’s not engaging the flywheel. Here are some pictures of how it’s wired. Hopefully someone has some advice and experience with them. Thanks in advance!
Not sure of teminals but the mini starter have there own solinoid that must be energised with the stater motor to engauge the engine..
Right, I followed this diagram and other information that said the same thing so you can use the fender mounted relay as well as the solenoid on the starter.
On mine I just left the output of the original solenoid to go to the starter and then jumped to the solenoid terminal on the new starter.It's posible the starter motor is taking all the current from the batter and not enough is passing through the original solenoid to activate the new one.
Last edited by beartracks; Oct 1, 2025 at 11:30 AM.
On mine I just left the output of the original solenoid to go to the starter and then jumped to the solenoid terminal on the new starter.It's posible the starter motor is taking all the current from the batter and not enough is passing through the original solenoid to activate the new one.
Okay, the starter came with a little jumper wire that was ran from the big positive stud to the little one so I just ran the starter cable to it. When I turned it over it sounded funny like it wasn’t making the right contact or something and then it went to just spinning like it does now. I then rewired it even though I thought the other way made sense too. Maybe I should go back to the original wiring.
Here's the instructions that came with a Power Master unit I bought.
I do have that one hooked up to a different type of solenoid & it works great. It looks like the one in the box in the second pic second. It didn't want to work with our regular everyday solenoid.
I've also got the mini starter for a 91 f250 with a 460, its essentially the same as the power Master unit. But its also complete garbage too. Warranted 3 times in 2 months because the bendix wouldn't kick out to engae the teeth.
Last edited by Fleur de lis 82; Oct 1, 2025 at 01:24 PM.
Here's the instructions that came with a Power Master unit I bought.
I do have that one hooked up to a different type of solenoid & it works great. It looks like the one in the box in the second pic second. It didn't want to work with our regular everyday solenoid.
I've also got the mini starter for a 91 f250 with a 460, its essentially the same as the power Master unit. But its also complete garbage too. Warranted 3 times in 2 months because the bendix wouldn't kick out to engae the teeth.
I wonder if it would be different if I tried a bigger wire. I just used one I had around and it’s 14 or 16 gauge.
That it does. That one of mine is an El Cheapo from O'Reilly.
I did swap out all of my power & ground cables for new & heavier. I just bought new pre-made 60" battery cables of the heaviest gauge I could get & a box of copper ring terminals. Cut the cable to my desired length & crimped on a new terminal. Was cheaper than just buying the cable, which is stupid.
You have it wired correctly. Take it out and bench test it. If it actually works like normal,measure the gear travel to see if far enough to engage flywheel. Check the face of the flywheel where the gear should engage for evidence of the gear hitting the face of the flywheel.
So what I’ve done since then is I got the motor turned over by hand, tried to start it and it made a bad grinding sound again. So I took it off expecting to find teeth missing and fortunately everything was intact. The gear on the starter is hitting the face of the flywheel and not meshing correctly or not reaching far enough. I have not bench tested it yet but I compared it to the old starter and the gear on the new starter is 1/16” bigger in diameter and has 10 teeth rather than the 9 that’s on the old one.
I ordered it from Bronco Graveyard, and I called them and the guy I talked to had some suggestions and gave me the number to the manufacturing company. I called them but got no answer and they never returned my call.
Does anyone have any other suggestions? I will bench test it when I get some time and make sure the bendix is fully extending. Could I swap the bendix from the old starter or something? Thanks!
Are you certain you have the right starter? Could it be missing the flywheel when it engages?
What I ordered should have been correct because I really had to specify, but there are no markings on the starter to know for sure as far as I can tell.
A ground can be a confusing problem. The starter grounds through the mounting face, and can do what you say run the motor and not engage. I have fixed several with a wire brush and clean everything. It can happen. rust, grease, paint, oil, dirt, mud, sand. it grounds enough to run the motor, not enough to engage.
A ground can be a confusing problem. The starter grounds through the mounting face, and can do what you say run the motor and not engage. I have fixed several with a wire brush and clean everything. It can happen. rust, grease, paint, oil, dirt, mud, sand. it grounds enough to run the motor, not enough to engage.
Okay maybe I will have to try that. I bench tested it and it definitely extends so it’s not a faulty starter I guess. Will the different gear on the bendix make a difference? It looks like the teeth are the same size just by looking, but I’m not sure if the extra tooth and the larger diameter will let it mesh with the flywheel.
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalytic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.
