Starter Installation Help!

[bordin34]

I think my starter motor just died. Today I started it drove it a bit then lit it sit for like five minutes after it was nice and hot. When I went to start it, it cranked a little bit then nothing just the sound of an electric buzz. I have headers so I think the heat just got to the motor. Any quick fix ideas I had to leave the car in a parking lot.

[bordin34]

Well I let it cool down for about an hour and jumped it, it worked.

[bordin34]

I think the motor is basically toast. On a fully charged battery it barely has enough power to crank the engine.

[Back N Black]

Check for ground, a starter with a bad ground will give you the same symptoms. Clip a ground wire from the body to the starter casing and give it a try.

[bordin34]

I cleaned the battery to engine ground real good today and it had no effect. I also sprayed PB Blaster on the positive terminal of the starter and nothing happened. The starter seams like it needs to build up momentum before it starts. I am now looking for a mini starter. Will this one fit without modifications? Will I need anything else?
http://www.dbelectrical.com/Items/SND0088%20----?sck=3363837&caSKU=SND0088%20----&caTitle=NEW%20Dodge%20RAM%20Pickup%20Truck%203.9L%205.2L%205.9L%20Starter%2094%2095%2017466%20SND0088

[Back N Black]

I bought the exact mini starter, just remove the plastic piece and you are good to go.

[bordin34]

I started the replacement today. I managed to unbolt the starter and almost get it out without removing the headers. Tomorrow out come the headers. Also when I tried to start it today with the old starter it must have drawn some crazy amps. It pulled so many amps that the positive battery cable terminal actually melted, the lead (Pb) part, in half. So my question is why was it able to happen? I thought it was the fusible links job to stop that.

[b5blue]

My Bro's Ford did the same thing, the starter drew insane amp's and was driving me nut's, probably darn near an internal short! Tear it apart when you get it out and see what's up. 

[bordin34]

The /6 Starter finally came today and I tried to install it, its not going in without at least dropping the center link. What special tool do I need to get the center link off the idler pitman and tie rods?

[FLG]

Tie rods just require a little finessing....

For the pitman you can get it off with any kind of puller that fits or an adjustable one...pretty simple.

[flyinlow]

The main feed wire to the starter is not fused. If you have a bad starter you can draw as much power as the battery can supply.

Fuzable links protect the wiring inside the car and the charging circuit.

When I trunk mounted my battery I installed a 175 amp fuse on the ground strap to safeguard the 12 ft run to the starter.

Probably dont need that with a hood mounted battery.

[bordin34]

How hard should it be to remove the tie rod from the center link? I have the pickle fork and am hammering away but it doesnt move at all.

[b5blue]

Your loosing impact force as the center link shifts when you hit it I bet, try bracing the link some how. 

[bordin34]

Thanks, I borrowed a bigger hammer, hopefully that will work. I now have discovered another problem with the car, the torsion bar. Apparently it has been rubbing on the grease zerk and now there is a noticable indent in the torsion bar, so I am guessing I need new bars. This leads me to my next question, are the tie rods supposed to mount above or below the center link, right now mine is above. If it is on top, is there a shorter grease zerk?

[b5blue]

My car is a 70 I don't know if they are the same... but mine are above. (top of link)