Bad starter = bad batteries = bad starter
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,941
Likes: 30
From: Maple Valley, WA
Crappy. Best thing you can do is build some new Batt cables (2/0) and get some $109 batteries from walmart. The ND (oreilly rebuild) starter I got from Oreilly is working great.
My truck has never started better for the $400 I put into the starting system.
My truck has never started better for the $400 I put into the starting system.
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Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
Likes: 22
From: The Big, Oregon
I already have 4/0 cables, the first starter was fixed by an auto electric place, then just died without warning, the second was the last one from Uhaul ($60 but no warranty), and the batteries capacity dropped way off a couple months ago. Now after jump starting it a few times, the starter fried. I still have my old starter so I may take it down to the local auto electric shop and see if they can rebuild it. I'd crack it open myself but I don't have a growler to check the armature.
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Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
Likes: 22
From: The Big, Oregon
Well, I got bored tonight and took a look at the first starter. The solenoid worked by itself, but wouldn't work with the cables on the motor lug. Rotate the gear a tooth or two and the starter would spin right over, too. There was a dead short in the armature. I tore it apart, and the armature tested out ok, but I don't have a growler so I couldn't fully test it. The edges of the commutator segments were pretty sharp, so I polished it up with scotch-brite and cleaned out the gaps. It had brush flakes in nearly every gap. The brushes had burrs on the edges, so I cleaned them up and put a slight chamfer on them, put it all back together and it works just fine now. I'll probably install it tomorrow afternoon or Sunday afternoon, now i just need a couple batteries that actually work and I can get back to driving my truck.
I may tear into the one currently on the truck to see what I fried-
I did find out that Napa has brushes for the Mitsu starters, they are about $7.
I may tear into the one currently on the truck to see what I fried-
I did find out that Napa has brushes for the Mitsu starters, they are about $7.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 4,221
Likes: 17
Get Diehards, you'll notice that battery costs have gone up phenomenally in recent years so even the 'cheap' batteries are expensive, but Sears hasn't changed their prices much so you can get a Diehard for almost the exact same price as the Wal Mart batteries and of course a Diehard is a superior battery. I get an easy 6 years out of them, sometimes I push them up to 9 years in my gassers.
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,511
Likes: 5,567
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
costco batteries last at least 6 years in my trucks. sears hard die batteries are lucky to last 3 years. sears is not what they used to be since being bought by K-mart.
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Apr 2005
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That's never been my experience, I'm running Die Hards to this day. And I'm hard on batteries and up until the new engine I've had a weak alternator.
But to each their own.
But to each their own.
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i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,511
Likes: 5,567
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
but are you in hot sunny southern california, or cold 10 degree winter northern next to washington california?
in warm climates i do not doubt the sears batteries would do ok. but here on the cold north east coast sears batteries are on the lines of autozone, pep boys, or advanced auto batteries. you only buy then to say "the truck has new batteries" when you are trying to sell it.
in warm climates i do not doubt the sears batteries would do ok. but here on the cold north east coast sears batteries are on the lines of autozone, pep boys, or advanced auto batteries. you only buy then to say "the truck has new batteries" when you are trying to sell it.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Apr 2005
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I'm in the far north, next to the Oregon border. We get 115 degrees in the summer, 20 in the winter. (Once in a while in the teens, but not too often.)
And I tell you, I'm hard on batteries, I've killed them all and brought 'em back to life. Few come back like a Die Hard, very few last as long. I hate being stranded, I don't put cheap-o batteries in my trucks.
And I tell you, I'm hard on batteries, I've killed them all and brought 'em back to life. Few come back like a Die Hard, very few last as long. I hate being stranded, I don't put cheap-o batteries in my trucks.
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Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
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From: The Big, Oregon
I am going with a single 8 D in the bed, just behind the cab. A friend of mine has a Lifeline sealed marine deep cycle battery in good shape that he will sell me fairly cheap, it's an $800 battery to begin with. 4/0 welding cable, some lugs, and I have a much neater electrical system. 1600+cca, and rated to handle full discharge over 1000 times so if I do drain it, it isn't dead. Nice little aluminum box in the back, off to the side so I can drop my nice big fuel tank in next to it.
Junior User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
From: Washington
The batteries I have aren't the best, and miss matched, but didn't have any problem starting the truck in single digit temps. The biggest thing is keep the cables clean and ditch the stock starter. A local shop around here sells a starter that is used for a Cummins out of a pea harvester or something like that. Truck has never started as well since that starter was installed, seems to take less battery power and turns the engine on the coldest days.
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 627
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From: Manteca
The batteries I have aren't the best, and miss matched, but didn't have any problem starting the truck in single digit temps. The biggest thing is keep the cables clean and ditch the stock starter. A local shop around here sells a starter that is used for a Cummins out of a pea harvester or something like that. Truck has never started as well since that starter was installed, seems to take less battery power and turns the engine on the coldest days.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 4,221
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I found quite a few open-faced gear reduction starter auctions on ebay, here's one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Ford-7-3-Diesel-Starter-Power-Stroke-High-Torque-6-9-7-3IDI-1985-94-/121132991639?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1c3416c497&vxp=mtr
But only one open face direct drive like mine and it's used. Looks pretty clean though, might be worth it:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/FORD-6-9-7-3-DIESEL-STARTER-NEARLY-NEW-1993-AUTOMATIC-2-WHEEL-DRIVE-F350-/121247278323?hash=item1c3ae6a4f3&vxp=mtr
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Ford-7-3-Diesel-Starter-Power-Stroke-High-Torque-6-9-7-3IDI-1985-94-/121132991639?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1c3416c497&vxp=mtr
But only one open face direct drive like mine and it's used. Looks pretty clean though, might be worth it:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/FORD-6-9-7-3-DIESEL-STARTER-NEARLY-NEW-1993-AUTOMATIC-2-WHEEL-DRIVE-F350-/121247278323?hash=item1c3ae6a4f3&vxp=mtr
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Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
Likes: 22
From: The Big, Oregon
That isn't direct drive, that's a Mitsu gear reduction unit. There is a planetary style reduction gear between the actual motor and drive gear. The one on my truck right now is the open nose style, the one I just fixed is the closed nose type.
The top one I believe is usually referred to as the Nippondenso style. The ones for autos fit the auto and manual trucks with a single mass flywheel, the ones advertised as being for manual only fit with a dual mass flywheel.
The top one I believe is usually referred to as the Nippondenso style. The ones for autos fit the auto and manual trucks with a single mass flywheel, the ones advertised as being for manual only fit with a dual mass flywheel.