1989 7.3 replacement starter
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More Turbo
Joined: Nov 2010
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1989 7.3 replacement starter
Hey guys, getting back to my IDI this summer, been a few years since I drove it. Having trouble getting it started, replaced the fuel solenoid last summer and has fresh 850cca batteries. I do need to bleed the fuel system and replace the water seperater on the fuel filter(has a small leak). Not sure if that's a gasket or something else causing the leak. Besides that it seems to crank slow and not fire up. The glow plugs are working and have motor craft glow plugs in it. They stay on approx 8 seconds then go off. I'm thinking a new starter will help.crank it faster and stronger. It's the original from 1989. What is the best starter? Should I go with the gear reduction style? Thanks
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 5,316
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Fresh batteries but are they fully charged to 12.6V? How are your cables and connections? Where is the weak link in your slow starter? The solenoid? Your engine should turn over adequately with a stock starter.
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More Turbo
Joined: Nov 2010
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Cables are stock, not corroded or broken. Batteries have been on a trickle charger and charged up. The solenoid works since it engages the starter. Am.o missing something on the solenoid function? I'm suspicious of the starter since it won't even cough to life with ether. I'm getting fuel at the injectors since I've cracked them and pushed fuel at each one. It has an E4od or id pull start it
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 5,316
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When I'm installing a fully charged battery I always clean the terminals and cable connections with a terminal cleaning tool you can get for 5 bucks. Then make the connections. Clean and tight is right. Cables should be free of corrosion and properly treated with grease to prevent corrosion.
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 5,316
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Do you have a DVM? Take a voltage reading on the trickled batteries. I always disconnect the battery before charging and a 10 amp smart charger would be better than a trickle.
Before charging a battery always check the cells for proper electrolyte levels and top off with distilled water.
Before charging a battery always check the cells for proper electrolyte levels and top off with distilled water.
Last edited by BigBlue2; May 24, 2026 at 09:13 PM.
Tuned
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 440
Likes: 61
From: Craigmont, Id
Depending on the miles the starter maybe is getting tired. I had to replace the original in mine at about145k miles. It just got slower and slower. I went with the powermaster 9050. The only complaint I had was the battery terminal would not bolt onto the starter, as I recall the cable had a 90 degree bend and needed to be straight. I made an adapter which work. About 6 months later the positive cable on the passenger side battery decided to give up, It was corrioded inside the terminal. Cranked fine and the next try was totally dead. So I replaced those cables with ones that fit first generation power stroke as they were a few inchs longer. Have had no issues since. Certainly spins fast. The regular starter should be fine also.
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Mi'kma'ki
You can't have oem battery cables from 1989 (37 years old) that are not corroded. You can't see the corrosion from the outside. I'm not even sure tinned marine cables could last 37 years and be corrosion free or not. I guess under the right conditions perhaps, but not oem cables from the 80's nor even the 90's.
It's very safe to say, that any remaining IDI trucks still with oem cables, desperately needs a set. After that, the reman starters autozone sells are the HD gear reduction starters and I've had fantastic results with them over the years on both of my trucks. Both of my trucks got new battery cables before putting them into service too, when the trucks were about half yours age.....and they both really needed them.
It's very safe to say, that any remaining IDI trucks still with oem cables, desperately needs a set. After that, the reman starters autozone sells are the HD gear reduction starters and I've had fantastic results with them over the years on both of my trucks. Both of my trucks got new battery cables before putting them into service too, when the trucks were about half yours age.....and they both really needed them.
Last edited by FORDF250HDXLT; May 25, 2026 at 06:45 AM.
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More Turbo
Joined: Nov 2010
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Perhaps there is corrosion under the insulation but the terminal connection is clean. I do have a local guy that rebuilds starters, maybe I'll pull it off and bring to him. I'll do a test start with good jumpers right to the starter to bypass the old cables. If it gets better cranking I'll replace the cables
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,505
Likes: 5,563
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
i use a reputable local rebuild shop for all my starter and alternator work. he built me a 150 amp custom unit for my 88 back in late 89 and challenged be to wear it out. it is still going strong with close to 450,000 miles on it. the starters are a different story though, i am on my third rebuild.
there are two short videos up in the stickies titled how to tell a good starter from a bad starter. you can very easily hear the difference between a worn out slow spinning starter and a good one.
here is the redirect link:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...d-starter.html
there are two short videos up in the stickies titled how to tell a good starter from a bad starter. you can very easily hear the difference between a worn out slow spinning starter and a good one.
here is the redirect link:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...d-starter.html
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,505
Likes: 5,563
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
i never even realized how bad it had gotten until it was almost not wanting to start at 70 degrees. that poor starter was bad for almost a year before it was changed in late October while prepping the truck for snow plow season.. after i put the started in 4 days later i was amazed at how fast it spun over and fired rite up.
on a side note, that starter and the truck has less than 3,000 miles on it in the past 11 years as the truck because a backup from daily driver status.
on a side note, that starter and the truck has less than 3,000 miles on it in the past 11 years as the truck because a backup from daily driver status.
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More Turbo
Joined: Nov 2010
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Ive had the truck since I was 17, the engine was in my dad's truck he bought new. I quickly wrapped it around a power pole and took the motor out. It's been sitting for 2 years with other projects in the way. Long overdue to get driven again. Once it's running I'll swap the zf5 back in and sell the E4od. It was a reman unit from Ford and only has to miles on it. It'll be my weekend driver