A mechanic tells me the starter on my 93 F-100 XLT is bad. He doesn’t want to use a rebuilt replacement and wants to charge me $200.00 for the part + labor. Sounds like too much to me. I’m thinking I’ll buy a junkyard or rebuilt starter and slap it in myself. Is this a good idea-any snafus I should be aware of? As you can tell, I’m not much of a mechanic, but I’m not afraid to crawl under the truck and give it a try!

Thanks in advance.

 

You can go to www.rockauto.com and reman motorcraft for about 70$ or get a new bosch for about 170$. Either way a better deal. They are easy to put in, just make sure you disconnected the battery.

 

Yes, do it yourself, it is very easy to install, and as ford4.9 recommends DISCONNECT THE BATTERY!
Cheers! also buy some beer with the money you saved!

 

Two bolts and two wires. That's it. Piece of cake! I went with a reman from Autozone just because of the lifetime warranty. Those parts have done me good and $140ish knowing that I will never pay for that part again is pretty good piece of mind.

Mike

 

the starter on my 95 F-150 just went bad also. Got it started with a hammer after bypassing the selenoid with a screwdriver didn't work. Dad says not to get a junkyard/salvage starter (he was a mech for some years in hs/college) but to either get a rebuilt or new one. Told me about the times where you could just buy the bushings and rebuild the thing yourself or get an already rebuilt one for $40. kinda like how alternators used to only cost $30 new. Thanks for all the info. And remendin me to disconnect the battery. Wouldn't wanna get stuck under there with sparks flyin through me.

 

After 91 the starters changed. Smaller gear drive starters. They last longer, are more expensive and its hard to find rebult ones. $200 is a little higher then buying it your self,but not too terrible.

 

wellp, I did it. I called around a few places and got quotes on prices. AutoZone gave me the best quote. I got a duralast (with the lifetime warranty) whice was only $5 more than the truevalue or whatever it was called, which only had a 1 year warranty. Got the whole thing done in about a half hour, just took me a little while to find the right socket lengtheners and such to get to the bolts. $90 and no need to worry about the darn thing ever again. Mine was 2 wires and 3 bolts though. And a lot of grease, but hey, thats the fun part.
Cheers (for the beer bought with the $$$ you just saved)

~Matt

 

About these new offset starters 1991 and later, they bolt into the bell housing.

Does this mean that no Automatic Transmissions from 1990 and older will fit a 1991 and newer?

Or what all would you have to change to for example to put a 1983 through 1990 starter on a 1995?

 

I am also curious about this starter. I have replaced the starter in my 90f-150 and it has eaten all the teath on the flex plate. Sounds like I might have gotten the wrong one. Mine only had 2 bolts, did the new ones have 3?

 

Looks like the new ones have two bolts. It is also a gear reducer starter.

 

well, I suppose technically it has two bolts. I realized right after I posted, that there were really only two bolts, and two wires. But while the first wire is simply slid into place, the second wire is held on by a washer and nut. so three things to loosen/tighten. Sorry about the confusion. The starter itself is mounted to the frame by only two bolts.

~Matt