Who has tried this starter?

[Kern Dog]

Summit racing, Proform:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/pro-440-415

I have a 75 Power Wagon with a stock 440 and headers. I've had a stock mini starter in it since 2013 and it needs replacement.

I just swapped in a rebuilt mini starter from O'Rielleys. I got exactly ONE start out of it and then it just CLICKS.
The old starter would always work but it would sometimes be slow. This rebuilt POS spun fine, the truck ran for 2 minutes and then just the click. Battery is fine, cables are fine. It has been awhile since I have had some part crap out so soon.

 

[Tony Tee]

I get my mini starters from the boneyard from dodge dakotas. Works good and are inexpensive $.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

There have been allot of failures of Mini Starters lately... A guy here in town had three or four fail.... He felt it was something else causing the starters to fail but I'm not so sure... I've gotten a few from J/Y Dakotas too with good results..

 

[khryslerkid]

See if the "You Pick It" that you go to has one. I wouldn't spend that kind of money at Summit for one. I'd by a Dakota one from Napa first if you want new with a warranty.

 

[Kern Dog]

I usually do get stuff from the junkyards but for some reason, my mind went to getting a rebuilt one. THAT apparently was a mistake.
The starter I pulled out was used before I put it in 9 years ago. It could be 20 years old or more.

 

[BeepBeepRR]

Personally wouldn't waste the extra money. Buy one from a ram van or dakota. Anything with a 3.9, 5.2 or 5.9

 

[dadsbee]

Cheap one I put in the Dart. Has worked flawless the past year...

 

[BeepBeepRR]

I rebuilt one I pulled out of my buddys van the kit was 12 bucks. And its been working for 3 years no issues.

 

[Kern Dog]

Here is a weird thing.
Because I am bored....I went out and checked the battery voltage. It was 12.2.

The battery has been dropping off the past 5-6 months. I don't drive this truck on the road all that often but I do start it up and putt around the yard with it. A few times lately I've had to charge the battery before it will start and run. I had it fully charged last week and thought it was okay. It is only about 2 years old.
What is strange is that at 12.2 volts, the old starter seemed to spin. This rebuilt one just clicks. Does a new or rebuilt starter take more power to energize?

 

[BeepBeepRR]

Volts and actual amps are 2 different things. It can have a surface charge of 12.2 doesn't mean it can do a 30 amp draw. If the battery is going flat that quick id replace it. Its sad but even the new batteries are starting to suck ***.

 

[Darter6]

Kern, From your original question,yes I have used those from Summit on everything from Slants to Hemis.They just change stickers. Never had a failure.

 

[JoePole]

I rebuilt one I pulled out of my buddys van the kit was 12 bucks. And its been working for 3 years no issues.

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Get one from the boneyard but replace or at least clean the brushes. Rebuilts are hit and miss.

 

[gtx6970]

Ive bought a few thru DB Electrical on ebay.

Never had a problem

 

[4mulas]

I haven’t tried that starter. But I could recommend a mini starter by Delco from rock auto , fitment for late 80’s early 90’s Dakota v-8. Works great on my 10.5:1 compression 451. Price is way less than the summit mopar one by proform. I think proform quality is hit or miss.

 

[khryslerkid]

I usually do get stuff from the junkyards but for some reason, my mind went to getting a rebuilt one. THAT apparently was a mistake.

Get one from the boneyard but replace or at least clean the brushes. Rebuilts are hit and miss.

There used to be a time when rebuilds were the way to go. I'm guessing it was the fact that the rebuild outfits were here in the States and quality/workmanship was a priority. They would even replace problematic internal parts with better or heavy duty and they could last longer than the original. I guess all of that went by the wayside. "Hit or Miss" is the norm now days. Only way around it is to rebuild it yourself so you know what you're getting.

 

[biomedtechguy]

I tried the "Dakota" mini starter that was recommended, but it didn't fit or line up.
After looking at a number of options, I got a MSD branded mini starter. Works great, I could care less who actually makes it, and I like the red paint...
Oh, and did I mention it works great?
Looks just like the one you are asking about. (Except it doesn't have the awesome red paint lol )

 

[biomedtechguy]

@Kern Dog
Important note: I and others have found that attaching the starter wires to this is tedious and difficult if you do it after installing the starter. I had to feed the wires in and attach them by working through my fender access "hole" around the middle of the fenderwell that I believe is there to make factory UCA adjustments. I had to turn the 2 nuts that go on the posts a wee bit at a time.
If you can use one of the "post adapters" that we commonly see, that may help, or just attach the wires before you bolt the starter in.

 

[Kern Dog]

I swapped in a battery with 12.6 volts and it still just clicked. I took the original battery and charged it overnight. This morning it was at 13.1 volts. The starter did the same thing...click, click as if the voltage was too low.

I pulled the rebuilt starter out and put in a mini starter that I had stashed away. It was pulled from my red car many years ago.
This one spins over just fine. The rebuilt one is going back.

One more thing....
This has happened a few times. I'll crank the engine and it won't start, then as I release the key, it will snort and push some smoke up through the carburetor. I have tried changing the ignition switch before but it made no difference. I've wiggled the wires to the ballast resistor and had some success but maybe I need a new one.

 

[khryslerkid]

This has happened a few times. I'll crank the engine and it won't start, then as I release the key, it will snort and push some smoke up through the carburetor. I have tried changing the ignition switch before but it made no difference. I've wiggled the wires to the ballast resistor and had some success but maybe I need a new one.

I had a '73 Challenger that would do that. There's a test procedure out there somewhere to tell if it's the ignition switch or the starter relay. Sorry it's been too many years for me to remember.

 

[Kern Dog]

I just replaced the 4 pin ballast resistor and all is well. It starts normally now. Realistically, it makes sense to blame the ignition switch since the problem occurs when you are turning the switch. Once you think about it a little more, the function where the current is travelling during the Crank and Run cycles helps clear it up a little. The ignition system runs at less than 12 volts during operation but is given full battery voltage during cranking. If the wires or ballast resistor are not up to task, it seems that there is/was no voltage during cranking.
The same situation would occur with my red Charger, "Ginger". It has the Mopar Performance electronic ignition conversion kit that I installed in 2001. It uses a 2 pin ballast resistor. Sometimes the car would crank and crank with no starting but when I released the key, the engine would sound like it fired a cylinder or more, then sputter out. I tried swapping the distributor, coil, ballast resistor and spark box. Sometimes one of those seemed to work but given the nature of electric parts, the actual cause may have just "fixed itself" regardless of any parts that I changed. Loose wires or poor grounds sometimes get bumped by a hand or elbow and that can be enough to "fix" the problem. In the meantime, you rotated the tires and replaced the carpet and suddenly the car starts!
I dang near pulled my hair out with that problem and suspected that the ballast was the cause. My stash of parts includes voltage regulators, starter relays, ballast resistors and other switches from many cars that I have parted out. Who knows if these used parts are good until I put them in a car. I've tried swapping parts with mixed success. You know how it goes....A part is suspected to be bad so you replace it with another part and the problem remains. How often is it the case where the replacement is also bad?
It does happen but its not that common. The starter I bought yesterday was one of those instances. It gave exactly ONE start and crapped out.