Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Starter Repair Kits?

[Gatnom]

Has anyone used the kits being sold on E-bay http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33576&item=8025379654 . I know I can get Larry B's kit but if this one works for about half the price, I'll take the savings. Thanks: Dave

 

[Howard Durand]

I bought a spare set from a local auto-electric store that look about the same as what is on ebay except the contacts are smaller than the ones he is selling. They cost $22. 00 plus local tax and are direct replacement for the original parts. I would say the ebay deal is pretty good since he is not charging for postage.

Larry's offer more contact surface but you do pay a lot for it. My truck has over 100k and has had no starter problems yet. I have kept the batteries and charging system in good shape but I am going to take the starter off in a few days and check it out.

 

[Nate]

Yeah I saw those after I bought LarryBs. They look like the same exact things Larry is selling.

 

[Gatnom]

Well, I decided to go ahead and give the Ebay set a shot. Turns out with almost 250k on my 94 CTD I should have had them already. I rigged a ford solenoid in for now and that is working. What bothered me in the E-bay add was the statement that "one contact is the same as stock". Does anyone know if the same contact always takes the beating in every starter or is random base on which one happens to make up last in a particular starter? Dave

 

[CStansbury]

Larry B's kit is well worth the cash, considering it offers about twice the contact as the originals and it sure beats buying some parts house rebuilt starter. As far as I have seen, it is always the same contact that takes the beating. When you are looking in the solenoid, it is the left one. It has to do with it being direct current. Mine was like a knife blade while the other was almost perfect. The plunger contact was pitted and discolored too. Only 96k on the clock.

Chris

 

[bmoeller]

What bothered me in the E-bay add was the statement that "one contact is the same as stock".

Yep. Not a problem. The batt + side is the one that gets burned up. The bigger contacts are actually made for the 24v version of our starters. I have Larry S's kit as wel, but I found out later that our local starter/alt rebuilder had them in stock for ~$25, IIRC.

 

[Got Smoke?]

I bought a set of oversize contacts and plunger identical to LarryB's on Ebay for 1/2 the cost. Install was the same as LarryB's, no problems here... been in a couple of months.