OEM Starter or Denso Gear Reduction Starter???
 

I have a 2000 7.3 with the original starter... and the starter has been getting tired for about a year now... slower, and slower, she turns....

Checked batteries, alternator and grounds,.. all good.

I really cant see my self putting in a 100 $ starter from the local parts store... all my buddies have horror stories about "new, Lifetime Warrantee!!" Starters... boo.

I am considering an OEM one from ford for $297
Buy 2000 Ford F-250 Super Duty Parts | FordParts.com

or the Denso for $318 ... wait... i just found a Denso for $116


I did see the Denso GR for mostly $315 plus shipping...

My OEM starter lasted 14 years and she has 306.000 on her... so I think the OEM would be good... But the Denso spins faster for cold weather? A better option for NEw England winter?

How long have people had their Denso GR starters? Are they worth it or should I splurge and go OEM???

What do ya think!?!?

Have you considered rebuilding the one you have?

I like the idea of a faster spinning starter. I also need to replace mine soon. It's getting pretty slow, but i haven't checked grounds or alternator yet.
Let us know what you decide and how it works for you!

Faster does not really help the truck start better, you need enough RPMs for the injectors to fire and that's it with this engine - the OEM does it. The replacement OEM will spin plenty fast, getting all creative in search of faster-higher-stronger might not give you another 14 years. If you want better starting in winter, synthetic oil is your friend - because it's the injectors that hinder a cold start, not the starter.


I did some work on Stinky in the winter, draining all oil. While I was waiting for the oil to get back into the rails, I had to crank a lot. The Engine Oil Temperature (degrees F) is bottom-center on the screen, and the RPMs are on the bottom-right corner. Here is Stinky's old OEM starter on a spree:

I went with the OBS stocker, the Mitsu one that comes on those trucks. It's built better anyway.

Tried a Denso a few years back. Opened the box and it had a "Made in China" sticker on it. That was strike one. Went to install it and I had to grind away part of the crossmember just to get it to fit. Strike two. Got it all connected and went to start, and the damn thing was completely dead out of the box. Strike three. Packed it up , returned it, and never wanted to try it again.

Your experience may differ.

Batteries have made the biggest difference in how fast my starter spins. If yours is getting slower and slower over the past year and you haven't addressed your batteries, you might want to look at those first.

replies,,
 

Hey Ya all,

Thanks so much for the guidance!

To address the QU's...

Yes the batteries were checked by my local interstate dealer. They are pretty new as well. I think a year and a half.

I have considered a rebuild myself, but frankly do not have the time right now... Pretty busy with work.

OBS does that stand for "Old Big Slower"? So it sounds like the concensus is OEM three hole starter for my truck, huh.

Its pretty expensive, but like I said this one is 14 years old...

I did go with an OEM alternator for my truck years back. It died after 4 years running an aux heater for my veg system. I replaced it with a Advance or Napa alternator and go rid of the aux heater... seems to be fine (interstate tested that as well)

Oh and I did come across in some threads that the Denso backs out after use. Some guy had a horror story where he was in Texas and had to shim it with a piece of firewood to get back to the north mid west somewhere... it doesnt seem to be a very good upgrade, tho some people in the mid west said that their 7.3's start easier in the winter with them.

Any leads on where to get an OEM one on discount?:-drink

OBS=Old Body Style, referring to the 94-97 7.3 trucks.

Most of these "Denso" starters are Chinese knockoffs, and are not the true Nippondenso units which have such a good reputation. I've been through 4 of these Denso-style starters and will not do it again. I have a Mitsu on my truck and a true Nippondenso unit on my Excursion, both running flawlessly. I also managed to find two additional true Nippondenso units freshly rebuilt at my local rebuilder a while back, got a good deal on them, and have them sitting on my shelf as a reputable hot spare for each of my 7.3's.

If you're paying less than $200 for a "brand new" Denso unit, you are NOT getting a true Nippondenso starter and will more than likely get no more than about 12-16 months out of it at best.

Thanks BigalsPSD! and thanks Pete (F-250)

YA so it looks like I will fold up and buy the OEM from the dealer... bah wish I could get a deal.. oh well the peace of mind for $300 bucks is worth it!:-jammin

Starter Motor/Starter and Related Components for 2000 Ford F-350 Super Duty

The early super duty's still had the 3 bolt design(like the OBS) and are $100ish cheaper than the later 7.3 2 bolts.

Looks like the Ford starter linked is a reman. (Remanufacturered)

I thought OBS was Original body style... not that it really matters.

Maybe it should have been CBS - Classic Body Style.

I saw the "Old But Sexy" sticker on one the other day.

I too tried one of the "Denso" knock-offs and it did not last long. I then dug deep and bought a real Denso made in Japan - $400+/-. If it does not have stickers indicating it was made in Japan it is a knock-off; not worth the hassle having to deal with a break down out in the middle of nowhere.
You are probably good to go with the OEM from the dealer.
Good luck,

A quality rebuild of the OEM starter from a local shop is probably the best way to go.

My local rebuilder went out of business a few years ago, so I bought a genuine Nipondenso when I got tired of crappy "lifetime warranty" rebuilds. It was expensive, but I have no regrets at all.

Welp...

Just ordered the OEM starter from my local ford dealer.. $297 with a $75 core.
2 year warrantee
I will let ya'll know how it goes.

I just hope it lasts another 14 years!