New style mini starter swap?

SGS Welding · Guru

New style mini starter swap?

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Sorry, it wasn't me. I'm still old school...!

I saw that thread too but I forget who it was.

Gillis · Addicted!

I just put a high torque mini starter on my brothers 69 Nova. The new GM unit that was on it bit the biscuit (surprise). Bolted right up with no shimming at all plus it weighed half of the old on, which gave me a slight bit more confidence that I wouldnt drop it on my face and knock my teeth out !

timbuk · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

they are alot easier to install especially header cars

DonSSDD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Later trucks had them just need to know which year truck to order them for. I have one on my 409 mounted on the bell housing, not the block so its different than most people are looking for. The small size and the orientation of the solenoid mean its less prone to heat soak from the exhaust.

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

I'm dealing with a heat soak issue on my 94 Chevy truck. I replaced the starter and it's worse. I have the factory heat shield. I'm going to try a starter blanket and see if that helps. My cable and wire to the starter seem fine. If that doesn't fix the issue I'm getting a mini starter.

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I have a mini on my 496. High compression, and it turns it over super easy and fast, even with a smaller battery. Never a hiccup.

It's a Summit branded Mini "High-Torque"

Prefectca · Poncho Master!

Is this the topic you were thinking about?

https://canadianponcho.activeboard.com/t61570042/aftermarket-starter/

67Poncho · Uber Guru

There have been a few threads on this and I know i've posted in a couple with part numbers but cant seem to find them. That being said, I always use this one and I also ordered extra Remy ones from rock auto. Not only are they lighter, they take less energy to engage plus with our old cars, it is much easier on the electrical system. Those old things are too much of a lump plus when really hot, they can experience hot soak and they have to cool before they decide to spin again. The reduction starters tend not to care. Both of my 454's have them, plus anything else I decide to swap out when retrofitting. You will have to use the shorter starter bolts or use washers on the longer ones if the shorter ones are not available to you at the moment.

The original style ones are good but as Todd said, they are prone to overheating, too damn heavy, and unless you are using a relay system, they tend to overheat the terminals on the original wiring harnesses and ignition switches in the old cars. That is generally the issue with the terminals in the beginning. My Rag and 2+2 Coupe had that issue all the time when hot. I use to have to carry an old antenna to jump the terminals on the starter in the Rag... Not and never anymore.

ACD Starter.jpg

Remy Starter.jpg

-- Edited by 67Poncho on Friday 10th of June 2022 10:11:32 AM

67Poncho · Uber Guru

The few remaining cars that still have the original style starter remaining, mostly because they have the small ring gear/flywheel and these reduction starters are intended for the larger 168tooth ring gear/flywheel, I installed relays in line for them. The were a GM campaign recall for the Cavalier/Sunfire/Grand Am and many other car lines that had terminal overheat issues in their ignition switches. These relays were installed to alleviate that issue. Any parts cars I have here before shipping them off the the scrapper, all of that goodie electrical stuff is removed and placed in safe keeping.

Starter Relay.jpg

-- Edited by 67Poncho on Friday 10th of June 2022 10:39:01 AM

67Poncho · Uber Guru

The starter pic is of my '60. When I decided to go the reduction route with her, the relay was already planned. It works great.

'60 Starter Relay.jpg

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Those relays are a great idea. Does it take high current to trip the Bendix and relay on the stock starters?

Is the improvement in that it allows basically all the current available to get right to the starter motor with less loss?

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

67Poncho wrote:
The starter pic is of my '60. When I decided to go the reduction route with her, the relay was already planned. It works great.

Looks like the 60 has an updated trans with a lock up converter too!

67Poncho · Uber Guru

cdnpont wrote:
Those relays are a great idea. Does it take high current to trip the Bendix and relay on the stock starters?
Is the improvement in that it allows basically all the current available to get right to the starter motor with less loss?

Yes. Much like the relay. You can toggle a relay with an incandescent test lamp to ground/B+ depending which side of the relay is hard wired. So? Very little current and draw load on the ignition switch and wiring to energize the starter, the high current draw device. The relay #30 pin is hard wired from the B+ stud cable from the battery waiting for its command from the ignition switch.

#85 hard wired to ground.

#86 receiving start voltage from the existing harness purple starter wire.

#30 pulling B+ from the battery stud.

#87 to the "S" terminal of the starter solenoid.

Starter Relay Schematic.jpg

-- Edited by 67Poncho on Friday 10th of June 2022 12:18:25 PM

-- Edited by 67Poncho on Sunday 12th of June 2022 02:15:26 PM

67Poncho · Uber Guru

4SPEED427 wrote:
Looks like the 60 has an updated trans with a lock up converter too!

MD8. (700-R4) It's the older model, though. No 4th gear switch. Not liking that because it shifts into 4th right away. BLEH... But, it is what I had lying around at the time. It's ok...

koolconvertible · Poncho Master!

My first ever chev engine, replacing the factory starter with a mini starter was the best thing I did. Every engine since has had one. These days the cheap ones are exactly the same as the expensive ones, just a different sticker. Great for cars with headers/extractors as they have multi position bolt patterns so the boby can be rotated.