Okay I have had some real problems for some time regarding my 1970 F-250 starting. When it gets warm and sometimes even when cold, it struggles to turn over. I get a good loud clack from the soloniod when I turn the key, but the starter just works real hard to turn the truck over. When warm it does get worse. I have replaced the main battery, and both the battery cables. I can't get at the starter because the exhaust system is in the way of removing it.

Now it just does not want to turn over and both of the battery cables get extremely hot after just a few clicks of trying to start it.

Any Ideas where I should start before I just pull the whole stinking engine and replace the header system and starter etc.! How do I go about using a meter to trace the electrical system to see what is going on? Any instruction manuals that you reccomend?

Thanks ahead of time for the help, I have said it before this site rocks!

 

This ol moderator reads this to be another starter cooked by hot header pipes, oh but I forgot, header pipes don't cook starters. What was I thinking?

John

 

Yep, I agree,

That exhaust has cooked the starter.

Better put a heat shield over the next one

 

I had a suspicion that it was a cooked starter. Man what a pain. Do you think I can just unbolt the headers and they can be moved enough out of the way to squeeze the starter out of there? Or do I have to lift or jack up the engine a little also?
Sheeesh, I know they make headers that line up and go aft from the exhaust manifold before they dive down, but then I need to have my exhaust modified to meet up at the new location.! Man I need a mig welder and a pipe bender!

 

I have the same concern with my Hooker Super comps. Just unbolt them and replace the starter.

I think Sanders or Thorleys are the only ones that offer shorties that will work.

John

 

Along with a heat shield, might also want to consider going back with a high torque mini starter. Should give you more clearance as well as save weight which never really hurts. Also said to provide better performance while drawing fewer amps.

Problem is, I haven't seen one online for an FE. You didn't say what engine you have, but if it's not an FE I know they make them. If it is, I'm not sure if they're out there. More searching required. Good luck.

 

Eureka, I finally found one for the FE. They call it a Gear Reduction starter.
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/I...22223110392878
A little more pricey, but definitely an appealling option. Good luck.

 

I have a 1970 F-250 with a V8 390.

 

Okay, this was a major pain in my butt. My son and I got lucky and all the exhaust header bolts on this side came out without any trouble. I purchased replacement ones anyway.

I bought a Gear Reduction starter from Jegs dot com for about $149.00. It was their Jegs brand performer.

So with the exhaust headers disconnected, we disconnected the rear exhaust pipe hanger bolt, and my son grabbed end of the pipes and placed his foot on the rear tire and pulled. This allowed the header collector to move forward the maximum amount until they hit the engine block mount and frame. This gave me jjuuuuusssstttt enough room to back the old starter out of the block. The trick now was figuring out where to move it with my finger tips so we could get it out. What we discovered was that there is a internal wheel well body bolt attached to some re-inforced rubber agains the fire wall. We took that bolt out and we were able to bend the internal wheel well sheet metal up and out to make an opening large enough to pass the old starter out and the new one in.

We also purchased and used some of that new aluminum covered fireproof nomex fiber fabric covering to wrap around the new starter to give it some extra protection in there. All in all it took about 6 hours of painful, body contorting work to change the starter out. I love Fords, but that is the stupidest design I have ever seen.

I must say that the new gear reduction starter sounds really cool when it starts up! I can just sit there and start it, then kill it, start it, then kill it.......

 

Did you wrap that shield tight or loose on the starter so that heat can disipate from the starter after it is has being used ?


Quote:I love Fords, but that is the stupidest design I have ever seen.
~~~~~~~~~~

Welll Close

IMO, the stupidest idea was GM's mounting the starter solenoid right on the starter.

at least Ford put theirs on the fender .

 

How much easier will the Gear Reduction starter be to get in and out?

 

I wrapped it fairly tight becuase it would just blow off with the wind flow through the engine compartment. It is only held on with two aluminum straps in about the middle portion of the starter so the forward end and the aft end are flapping open. Well I used a little duct tape to help hold it in place on the one end so maybe I should remove that and make sure that it opens. I just don't want it to flap in the wind and rip it off over time.

No actually removing and installing the new one will still take unbolting the exhause header pipes and bending the wheel well out of the way. HOWEVER! I can now reach the starter power cable to remove it and replace it without removing the exhaust header pipes! That was a major imporvement! Before the end of the starter power terminal lug was right against the inside of one of the header collector pipes. You could eventually losen the nut and if you sloted the battery cable you could put a new one on. But you could not remove the nut completely without disconnecting the header collector. Stupid set up.