Starter Install Trouble

[DreamWeaver]

I know what you're thinkin...'Ive GOT to read THIS..." how do ya screw up a starter replacement, right? well, here's the story...

Starter on my 78 350 sounded weak for a couple of weeks before I turned the key one night in Akron &...nothin. smacked it with a wrench & took her home. While under it, I noticed an unfamiliar wire coming out of the wiring harness alongside the starter wires. It has a female connector on the end, but I don't see where it should go to...

I've since put a used hi-torque mini starter on , with 1" shorter bolts & it cranks then sounds like it's jumping off the flywheel! side note - the small wire held on with the 8mm nut had to be attached to the other stud for this new starter to work.

Anything Im missing here? have no hills to park on at work, so it's quite a bother. I bought a used OEM-style starter to try, but was searching the forum to find answers before performing another install. Thanks, everybody.

- Samuel

 

[bucket]

Check and make sure all your battery connections are snug. Past that, I've seen more than a few (like, a lot) mini starters have those types of issues. So you haven't tried another stock style starter yet?

 

[DreamWeaver]

not yet! & I'll check that...thank you for your input!

 

[DreamWeaver]

The mini-starter wasn't working correctly because of previous repairs to the trigger wire coming loose. Took 2 more used starters to find this out.

I've since installed a rebuilt Napa starter ($50), replaced both battery cables with spares from storage, & purchased a brand new battery.

The heat from my headers wasn't allowing the used 350 starters to function when the truck was hot. I've been recommended to invest in header wrapping material or a starter heat shield from Summit. Anyone use these?

Also, that extra wire in the starter wiring harness is believed to be one used on Oldsmobile motors back then...perhaps my engine is from an Olds? It is from a car...

 

[bucket]

Don't use the header wrap, it and the Ohio winters will rust out the headers in very short order. How much clearance do you have between the header and starter? Was there a heat soak issue with used starter and new cables, or used starter and old cables?

If you actually do have a heat soak issue, one of those blanket type starter heat shields should do the trick.

 

[350runner]

X2 on the starter blanket.

Sent from the dust in front of you!

 

[MadOgre]

If your engine is in a square it is an extra wire on your trucks wiring. Engines don't come with wiring. When you swap motors the wiring is removed from the engine and then re connected to your new motor. So the wiring is always from your truck. The wiring is part of your truck not the motor.

 

[DreamWeaver]

Weird, MadOgre... It'll be a long time fore I figure out the goofiness of this hodge podge GMC.

Bucket, what is a heat soak issue? & old wires/old starter( s)

 

[MadOgre]

Believe it or not 10 years later im still finding wires that are not attached to any thing and go no where. From the PO.

The best thing to do is when you have some time for the truck to be down for a while is to trace everything from the fire wall forward. Remove the plastic conduit covers and trace everything. That way you get a good idea where every thing is and you can spot hidden splices or broken wires that need repair. If there are dead end wires you will find them too. Take your time and clean all the connections and use some rust penetrant on the electrical connections to help prevent corrosion. I used to use that dialectric grease but I have found that some WD40 works even better as it is a rust inhibitor that will get into all the little nooks and crannys and down into the cable ends between the wire braids.

 

[bucket]

Bucket, what is a heat soak issue? & old wires/old starter( s)

"Heat soak" is just the term for underhood heat causing your starting trouble. Now that you have a new starter and new cables, you may be fine. If the hot start symptoms still happen, then try the starter blanket.

 

[DreamWeaver]

Thanks for the advice, guys! I swear the symptoms started again yesterday. Gonna try the starter blanket. Not sure the clearance from the headers, but it's certainly tight. & the headers leak from near the tail of them where all 4 pipes meet. May be causing more heat in there.