Best Starter?
 

Im getting a new starter for my 7.3 but dont know what to get. What do you think is the best brand for starter motors

The 'Best' will be from Ford, period.

Ford Super Starter
These are dang good ones too. Just expensive. If you get on from Ford, make sure to get one from a 2002 7.3 super duty with the two bolt mount. They are gear reduction.

Yes, I kind of forgot about REAL Denso starters, good stuff.
I have a cheapo Denso knock-off from DB electrical I got 4 years ago that I have rebuilt twice and it's super weak, I need to get a new one soon.

since i have a lot of vehicles, i take the starter to a local rebuilder up the road and have him go over it. cheaper than anyone else, and once he does it it lasts forever.

would there be a place online to order a rebuild kit for starters or alternators? they usually just need new brushes and bearings right? then you get an afternoon project, a ford product, and a bunch of money left in your wallet.

Mitsubishi makes the stock ford starters.

checking on the real denso one now.

Holy @#$*( came out of my mouth. and it wasn't the S word.

to do it properly, the armature windings need to be checked and replaced if there is any problem with them.
and the magnets need to be inspected for cracks, or heat damage too.

When I had mine tore down, they didn't look like you could do anything more than change the brushes at home.

Even then, you'd have to be good at soldering and have a high watt iron.


When I had trouble with mine, I pulled it and cleaned the brushes and coil where the brushes contacted.
Cleaned and re-greased the planetaries as well as gravity packed the main bearing.

Starter working great now.

The coil where the brushes touch will loose its epoxy and bits will get stuck in the cracks causing it to bridge thus loosing power on your starter.

So, I'm still rocking the stock starter at 313k.

so you are good with soldering? i'm confused, your post make it sound like a bad idea to do a simple rebuild, then you say your rocking the stock starter at 313k? did you rebuild it or are most of us worried about the wrong thing at 250k?

tom if you don't mind my asking, how much is a rebuild of your starter? just for comparison sake?

He is saying that he didn't rebuild it, he just cleaned up its guts and greased the bearings.

In my opinion, most of the people on here put way too much thought into the starter. I just go with what will reliably start the truck and then put the rest of my brainpower into what happens once the truck is running.

i think it was $125.
the 200+ amp alternator he built for me last year was only $200
he is second generation at the shop, having taken it over from his father and uncle. the shop has been in business for 60 years, and Kevin has been rebuilding electric motors for close to 45 years.

I just cleaned it and reassembled.

Quiet you. I dont wanna hear your lip!