Engine $20 Mini Torque Starter On A Budget

95Vert383AOD

15 Year Member
Jun 10, 2008
1,133
34
69
New Bedford, MA
So guys i know how mini torque starters can be costly....Personally i don't like Rebuilt stuff. OEM will work for 15 years usually before needing replacement.

I don't know if a write up on this has been done before but here it is.

You can swap the nose on your current mini high torque starter and use a much newer OEM starter. In my case a starter from a 2004 totaled mustang with 34,000 miles on it.

What you will need...

T25 Torx Bit for the solonoid
8mm Socket for the motor
Possibly a 1/2" for the nut connecting the solenoid to the motor

Here's the motor the way i got it. from Ebay for $20
PICT0133.webp

Solonoid T25 torx screws
PICT0134.webp

8mm screws for the motor
PICT0135.webp

With the 4 screws removed everything slides out like below
PICT0136.webp

My nose from the old starter that failed alongside smaller modular nose. (Dis-assembly is identical for old starter)
PICT0138.webp

This gasket/striker piece was different between the two starters and i needed my original as the new one was wider.
PICT0140-1.webp

Below is the job done...
PICT0139.webp

With an aluminum heat shield
PICT0141-1.webp


I did this first with a mustang starter i had lying around when i needed to fix a friends 1994 v6 explorer. It seems all the ford guts are the same. Only the nose and possibly the gasket/striker piece may vary in size.

Side note.... the 2004 mustang had needle bearings in the nose which my 95 starter did not. But both shafts are the same....Ford just improved the housing by adding needle bearings in later models. I added bearing grease to the solenoid arm/striker area as well as in the nose where the shaft sits.

Mods can edit this as they please. I just wanted to share something that may help some guys on a budget. I would take a low mileage OEM starter guts for $20 over a rebuilt store starter for $130 no matter the budget.

Iv'e always said "The best warranty is the one you know you'll never need to use"

Chris
 
Pretty cool. I did not know that the the starters were the same save the mount. It would make sense for Ford to do it that way though. Saved them a ton of R&D costs.

Well the mini starters for pushrod motors are either ancient or rebuilt. But used mini starters from newer cars litter ebay for cheap. Now i have an OEM starter where the motor housing isnt rusted to #$%@.