2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Starter Replacement w/pics

[Dave M]

And you thought you had a bad day!:



Wife has truck at dump (20 miles away) and calls me at work... Truck won't start... no noise... its Dead! Dodge diesel truck pulls up next to her and he says its electrical problem. Considered towing it then I call her back and tell her to bang on starter with something... . Vwala... It starts and she gets it home.



Need truck fixed quick and too far to go to Cummins (60 miles away and $230 OEM starter) so order a new NAPA starter for $197.



That nite I get home and our 95 Safari van won't start and is at sons friends house. Next day, since no other vehicles to try, get in other sons 97 firebird to drive first son to work and get new starter for truck. Jump in and warm up firebird and come out later... keys locked in car with it runnning... . And no spare key.



Soooo... . all I have left is the truck. Try to start truck and it groans and finally starts. Take son to work, pick up new starter (leave truck running of course), go to check out van and I get lucky and finallly get it started. Now in the past I've replaced that fuel pump in tank 4 times in 7 years and thats always fixes it... but thats another story. Now I have 2 vehicles running that I can't shut off. So... I Leave van running with keys locked in it and go back home to pickup wife in truck. We go pick up van and get both vehicles home without needing a tow. Then I managed to break into firebird with coat hanger and unlock car... . first time for everything.



So I really did manage to fix starter (while it was raining of course!). For a better description of the starter solenoid fix with great pics and schematics go to Larry B's web site here:



http://www.fostertruck.com/dodge/



Below are some pics for ya!



There are three 10 MM bolts holding starter to block. It takes a 10 MM 12 point socket on the lower two bolts and only a 10 mm box end wrench will fit on the upper bolt. A 6 point won't fit. My arms were 2 feet too short to get the upper bolt from above but if you have long arms like an ape and fetus sized hands you might reach it from above. I did all the work from below... . Did I mention it was raining too?



I did not have a 12 point socket so I used a wrench with a cheater bar. The 4th pic shows the two lower bolts on the left, from under the truck,with two 10 mm wrenchs and my green cheater bar. The other nut for the battery positive lead is 15 MM and the other smaller nut (from the "Engine Starter Motor Relay" in the PDC) took an 8 MM wrench .



The bottom pic shows a wrench on the dreaded upper bolt. It's impossible to get enough force to push the wrench toward the block to loosen it if its as tight as mine was. The next post shows how I used a 4 foot block of wood and floor jack to bust the upper bolt free.

 

[Dave M]

More pics

here are some more... sorry for the bad quality but I can't get it better with the resizing limits.



The first pic shows how I broke free the starter upper mounting bolt using a block of wood about 4 feet long and the next pic shows my floor jack under it. This was a trick I learned from Larry B's site. It works really well!



Dave

 

[Dave M]

and Even MORE pics of solenoid apart

It looks like the contacts and plunger in the solenoid need replaced. I had planned to get Larry B's starter rebuild kit but... procrastinated and it cost me a new starter. Don't put it off.



It's hard to see in the pics but the contact to the right (goes to the battery positive lead) is the one worn the worst. The plunger copper surface was pitted also.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

Good pics. Looks like a heavy duty operation you got goin on there, cheater pipe, floor jack and duelling wrenches. Like you mentioned, pick up a contact/plunger kit and get your stocker fixed for a spare.

 

[Dave M]

Good pics. Looks like a heavy duty operation you got goin on there, cheater pipe, floor jack and duelling wrenches. Like you mentioned, pick up a contact/plunger kit and get your stocker fixed for a spare.

Yes! Do the Larry B's rebuild and save getting bit for a new starter. At least I'll have a spare but I could of saved a lot by getting it rebuilt before it failed and put the money into other stuff Larry sells.



Like Larry B's diode saver to prevent a stuck starter from wasting the $200 fuel shutdown solenoid. I will also get his stainless quick disconnect battery bolts in case I get a runaway engine that won't shut off and the marine fuel return line hose replacement kit.



The dueling wrenchs were just to show in one pic all the bolts and nuts (other than the upper one) that are part of this repair. I know it looks a little weird tho.



Dave

 

[SLangone]

Well I replaced the contacts in my starter. As I was beginning to remove the starter 2/3 of the bolts holding the starter on were loose. and once removed the long stud connecting the pos was lose as well. I installed it back on and the Truck did not fire except with a little bit of pedal. I think some where the trucks not getting enough fuel. I did purchase Larry's Marine hoses but am not sure where they go. Any input would greatly help thanks Also it seems that this starter is a remanufactured unit as well. #ad

 

[JMcCoy]

Wow! That was one heck of a day. Glad to see you worked through it, and was successful. That is what separates the men from the boys. The average person would have called for a two tow trucks, a locksmith, a mechanic, and a taxi. $200 on a starter is still cheap in comparison to what it could have been, if you hadn't had the ability, and more importantly, willingness to push through the adversity and get dirty (and wet for that matter). My hat is off to you. Good work.



I am going to go outside and install the Lary B's starter kit that has been sitting in a box for a month.

 

[SLangone]

That's what I had done was install the Larry'B kit with the starter that had been on the truck, the contacts are much beefier than what was previously in the starter. Thank you for the encouragement we can all use it a time or two. I must say I think I had it easy compared to a few of the other stories like I said both bottom bolts were already loose and the top bolt was fairly easy (because of my skinny arms) to get off. Now my next step is to remove the fuel heater assembly and replace the fuel lines with Larry's kit.

 

[JMcCoy]

Ok I did it. With the help of this write up, the kit when in without a hitch. What puzzled me was that I had one large and one small contact in my starter. It was a Cummins remanufactured starter that I installed around 2001. Oh well, I have two large contacts now. I also installed a new fuel screen. I should have done the marine fuel hose while I was in there. It would have saved me a lot of work in the future. Thanks for the pics and information.



I think mine was a little different. I required the following tools:

10mm 12 point wrench

17mm 6 or 12 point wrench or socket

8mm wrench. 5/16 wrench will also work

carb or brake cleaner

 

[SLangone]

McCoy do you know the location were the marine grade fuel lines go? I have the kit but do not know how to replace them.

 

[JMcCoy]

SLangone, if my memory serves my well, the fuel line is by the firewall behind the intake manifold. That one you have to access from the top. I believe the other one is an elbow that comes out or the fuel lift pump. I changed the upper one about four years ago when I was having low power issues. It was dry rotted and sucking air. It took me a long time to find the problem. I had to wait for the leak to get big enough to leak. I never noticed the lower elbow until today. There advertised marine kit didn't show an elbow. Sorry I don't have an exact answer. If you need, I can try to take a picture and post it. Hope this helps.