So I have noticed a decent amount of newbie's lately and I had an issue yesterday that cost me $189 and counting. Some of the regulars may remember that my bottom starter bolt backed out in the middle of a blizzard back in February, but I got lucky at the time and a friend lived close by and had a bolt that seemed to work. Later on I found the original bolt out in the street in front of my house after the snow melted and I kept it. (more on this later).

Fast forward to yesterday and I noticed my starter making a funny noise when starting the truck. I get under there and check it and the bottom and top bolts seemed okay. I take a trip over to my office to see a patient who was hurting and after adjusting her and her husband, I jump in the truck and turn the key....brrrrrrt. The starter makes that screeching noise then the sound of an electric motor spinning with no resistance. I get under and the there is a gap between the bell housing and the starter. I check the lower bolt and it's a little loose. So I grab my handy dandy Gearwrench 12 point socket set and stubby ratchet set I bought from Guzzle (Replacement O-rings for Ford Diesel Engines ) and pull the lower bolt. I put some red loctite (that I also got from Guzzle) on the threads and as I am attempting to tighten the bolt I notice that it won't tighten and realize that the bolt must have been just a tiny bit smaller than it should have been which made the threads strip out. Then I notice that though the top bolt is in and tight, the tab that the starter body is supposed to be attached to and bolted into the bell housing through has broken away from the actual starter!!!





So needless to say, I needed a new starter, had forgotten my cell phone, but luckily still have my parents phone number committed to memory and called my Dad. He started on his way over and I got under the truck and started unhooking wires, but the salting I did and what the county and city did around here this winter had really taken a toll on the connections. The large lug that the main starter wire attaches to broke right out of the body of the starter and I had to go home and get my compressor and ziz wheel to cut it off the wire. Then the smaller wire, that lug broke off from the force generated by attempting to remove it with a little stubby ratchet.

Luckily, as mentioned above, I saved the original bolt and it is a little longer than the one I had to use in a pinch and it had enough threads (just barely) to grab into the bell housing and hold. I put the red loctite on it for good measure too. I am going to have to keep an eye on it for a little while just to make sure. I hope I don't have to drill it out and helicoil the bell housing, but that may be in the future if it doesn't hold.

On a side note, though I didn't think the original starter was doing a bad job, this new one that I got from Autozone really is much faster. The truck starts up much quicker and the sound from the starter is of a much higher pitch. SO even though the old starter was working at 120K miles, it may have not lived too much longer anyway. AT least that's what I am telling myself after spending $200 I really did have in the budget right now.

I am very thankful I was near my house and not on the side of the highway with the wife and kids with a loaded down travel trailer or worse yet, our three horse trailer loaded with 3 idiot horses trying to kick through the side of my trailer.

So in conclusion- Moral of the story---New guys (and gals)---


CHECK YOUR STARTER BOLTS!!

 

Wow, that's some carnage!

 

I am really surprised that it held up as long as it did Dan.

 

Dang Jason, I had the same thing happen to me twice with the stock starter bolts, once was 400 mi from home, I used some bolts that I had, and they were 1/2'' or so longer,and took a chisel and made a dog ear on the now exposed end and have not had an issue since.

 

You will probably be ok with what threads you have especially if the original bolt is longer than the replacement. I learned in Ag Engineering that "75% threads have 95% of the holding power of 100% threads". I've relied on that info more than once.

 

I hope you are right, but they I think I may have 2 or 3 threads that are actually doing anything. I am nervous for the time being.

 

Yeah, I understand your worry. At least the top bolt is solid. That is holding the weight of the starter. The top and bottom are holding the torque when the starter is engaged. Now you have something to fix in your spare time.......

 

I have a helicoil kit with coils, alignment tool, and tap if you need to borrow it! I've been through this one before

 

Thanks for the offer camo, I will let you know. Hopefully, it won't come to that.

 

HKusp,

Thanks for the reminder about checking the starter bolts. I changed my oil a few days ago, and wouldn't you know I forgot to check the starter bolts. I will check them, count on that.

 

Last summer, ina attempt to keep my original starter going I pulled it,wire brushed it, primed & repainted it with an enamel paint & baked it in the oven. Seems to work. Thanks for the reminder to check the bolts on next oil change.