Starter Help...

[clk68]

Hi guys,
I am new to the forum.

I bought a charger recently motor was stamped on the pad E440 HP
So I believe it to be a 69 motor though it is a 68 car and the current owner was trying to sell me it as a matching numbers.

I am trying to determine if the car will turn or run.

The original starter when turning the key you would just hear it spin it never sounded like it engaged at removal and inspection the gear for the flywheel would spin in both directions and was loose so I figured I have a bad starter.

I bought a DL3258 Duralast replacement According to duralast this is the correct part. I have it installed what I believe is correct it appears to be snug to the engine. When I turn the key I get a click and no engaging the flywheel.

I changed the positive cable to the starter and still no turning or engaging. I jumped the positive and the Ignition wire bolts (with the ignition wire still on.) It kind of made a pinging noise like it would try wait a sec try to engage and so on but at no point did it seem to engage or turn the flywheel.

I took the fan shroud off put a 1" 1/4 socket on the crank bolt and could pretty easily move it with the socket so I dont believe its stuck. I verified the shifter is moving the transmission so I believe it to be in park/neutral. Not sure if I can verify this better but I have been able to roll the car in neutral.

Any feedback appreciated.

 

[milit73]

I had the same problem with a duralast starter not working after a month or so. I removed it and took in in to have it replaced and it tested fine there so they would not replace it. So I put it back in to try it out (had swapped engines so it had not worked with this engine yet) and it worked fine.

Make sure that you have a good charge on the battery and all of the connections are tight with the starter. You can also take off the inspection plate on the trans and have someone try and start the car so you can see if the starter is not binding somehow and engaging.

Also you can try (car in park and e-brake on) jumping the two leads on the starter relay to see if it will turn over that way. I hope this helps and if not someone will have more ideas.

 

[clk68]

Milit73,
Thanks for the reply.

I am posting incase anyone else has this fun.

So here is the rest of the story.

I went back same deal starter clicks and jumping the starter + and the ignition wire + just causes pinging/clicking.

I decided to throw my heavy engine charger on and the gear would spin for a few seconds and die out.
Thought hey maybe it is a bad battery yanked the battery brought it to the Auto Zone and they said it was a little low but not bad they charged it up I put it back in the car and same deal. Click!!!

So I took the ignition wire off (it seemed this was limiting it somehow). took a length of 12 Wire Solid for home wiring. Stripped an end and put a loop on it. and put it on the ignition lead stripped the other end and put it on the battery post. Starter spun without issue but didnt engage the flywheel. Had someone do it with the suggested inspection plate cover off (lifesaver never would of thought it).

And I could see fine metal shavings when it was spinning. When the heat sheild (thin peice of metal I mentioned above on the left side of the starter housing I assume its a heat sheild). Was punched back into the opening it was punched not removed so the starter gear when it was engaging was rubbing or hitting this and stopping with the ignition I pulled the sheild flap back inside the housing with a long pair of needle nose pliers and bang!! Engaged without a problem both with the house wire and the ignition lead.

 

[Slantsixdan]

You're fixin' to need a new starter again soon; "Duralast" is junk -- like all other "remanufactured" parts.

There are many options for much better, more reliable starters. You can get a new old stock genuine Chrysler starter for not a lot of money (I have a few on the shelf and I can point you where to get however many dozen of them you want). You can get a late-model miniature high-torque starter out of a wrecking yard that'll bolt right on and work great.

 

[milit73]

Cool you got it to turn over. Did it start? Sometimes I have to remind myself that I am having fun when things are not going to plan but getting in and driving after fixing things makes it all better.

 

[Sweet5ltr]

I would go with a new, NON-REBUILT starter or if rebuilt; with a lifetime warranty. You can get late model Chrysler mini starters for dirt' cheap' at your local parts store. Should be enough to turn over a factory big block.

 

[Slantsixdan]

"Lifetime warranty" means you get to spend your lifetime replacing crappy parts under warranty. Get a new genuine starter, whether it's a late-model Denso-built unit or an original-type Chrysler-built unit. The "100% NEW!!!!!" items from the parts store are Chinese knockoff garbage.

 

[ArtH]

I'm new to Mopar so bear with me. If I understand this correctly, a late model starter would work on my 77 Cordoba with 400 cid engine. What year/model starter would I ask for if I needed one? Is this a one side fits all?

I agree about reman and off name brands when dealing with certain parts. Alternators, starters can be a real pain when it comes to rebuilt parts. I generally try to avoid them. It's well worth the extra money when you weigh it against time spent replacing the parts or having to pay for a wrecker to tow your car into the shop.

 

[clk68]

Its not quite in shape to be driven. But Getting it to turn over was huge. Had to change out the plugs and viola. It ran better than I expected. Going to start checking on brakes next then I will be able to move it around a little. May have to post if I run into a gotcha with the breaks. Plus I am waiting on a new ignition because the car started but didnt stop with the key I am hoping its as simple as the ignition being faulty.

 

[Slantsixdan]

You can get a new genuine Chrysler original-type starter from Old Car Parts Northwest (or buy my extra new one; send me a PM).

If you want a late-model mini starter instead, the one you need comes from any '89-'01 rear-wheel drive Mopar 3.9 V6, 5.2, or 5.9 V8 engine. That mostly means Dodge trucks (Dakota + Ram) and Dodge full-size vans (not minivans). The '01 stop year is because later starters do not have an enclosed nose cone that fits in the round recess in the bellhousing. Using an open-top (no nose cone) starter on an earlier application causes misalignment and early starter death.

Be sure and get a genuine starter with a Chrysler, Denso, or Nippondenso nameplate on it. The Chinese copycats flooding the market (advertised at parts stores as "100% new!") are junk. A used genuine starter from a wrecking yard is preferable to a new fake/Chinese or "remanufactured" starter.

Depending on the configuration of your engine, there may be interference or insufficient space for the cables to attach to the mini starter. There are different terminal adaptors available for it to address this issue; see here.

 

[ArtH]

Dan, thanks for the scoop. That could be a big help for me at some point in time. I am familiar Denso starters and they seem to last much longer than older other brand starters from years ago. We just accepted that a starter wouldn't last to long and lived with it. I think the difference in a lot of the newer starters has to do with more powerful magnets - super magnets - is that true?

I think I managed to answer my own question. Here's an interesting piece on Denso starters.

http://home.earthlink.net/~twopapa/nocrank.htm

 

[Slantsixdan]

Yup, the Denso starter is a permanent-magnet design, as are most recent starters.

 

[fatecaptured]

I put a late model mini starter in my 70 coronet. I had to grind a little off the starter case, then it fit like a glove. Idk if its one of them that doesn't have a nose cone, i did this a few years back. Interesting thread. Looks like im gonna have to do the same to my charger, i got the clicking thing going on too.

 

[fatecaptured]

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/d...=Search_01920_1502276_1233&pt=01920&ppt=C0330
will this be a good choice? looking to put a mini starter in my charger now that i cooked the original

 

[Sweet5ltr]

I stuck with the factory starter. Mini-starter from late model Mopar was not enough to even attempt to turn over my engine.. Factory Mopar starter spins it over fantastic, and is built to last.