HELP -c4 to t5 swap, starter interchange?

[dbfarr]

Hey all,

I finished my c4 to t5 swap about a month ago. Still some bugs to work out, but all in all, it kicks a**.

Problem is, I've gone through 2 used starters.

The first was a mini starter. Was DOA. I sat on it for 5 months before the care started running, so as far as junk yard warranties go, no joy.

So I bought a starter from an 86 mustang. It worked for a while, and then started getting irritable about hot starts.

Today, I was restarting the car in the Starbucks drive through, they can't hear me order with the car on, and the starter fought to turn over. Finally, the armature popped out and turned the engine. Then the armature made a nasty noise and died.

So I'm back in no starter land.

I do have my trusty napa c4 starter. Never had any problems with it. The question is...

Can I use it?

let me know asap

Thanks,

Don

 

[2+2GT]

Well, we have no way to know, since we don't know what bellhousing and flywheel you used. Should be simple to lay a ruler on the starters, measure the depth of the nose, and diameter of the mounting circle.

 

[dbfarr]

t5 bellhousing

Stock 5.0 flywheel

 

[dbfarr]

well I just put the 1968 v8 automatic starter into a t5 with a stock 50 oz imbalance flywheel and t5 bellhousing.

The thing started right up....

In fact w/ the automatic, i had to shim it. Not anymore..

So there it is. Although, if something goes wrong later, I'll update.

 

[57fairlane]

my biggest issue when I had a mini starter in my falcon was the wires. The biggest hot wire you can get on there will work.

On my foxbody I just built, I used some excess 2 gauge that I used from the battery in the trunk to connect the starter solenoid to the starter. No issues at all even with the downpipe for the turbo passing close by the starter.

Did you have the mini wired up right? Giant wire from constant side of the starter solenoid to big post on starter; the smaller wire goes to the switched on side of the starter solenoid.

I would look into having someone rebuild the mini starter too . . . a shop down the street from me (rebuilds starters and alternators, mostly for diesels and work vehicles) charges me $40 to rebuild starters. I have had them do 3 for various vehicles and they work flawlessly.

 

[dbfarr]

On the mini, I jumped the soleniod and used one of the wall models.

Didn't much matter, the armature would spin but not move forward. I was in a hurry to get the car running and i traded the mini in as a loss (CORE) on the 86 starter.

Still having issues with the hot start. Only hesistates a little. Then again, the alt has a s**t bearing (you can hear it, believe me). The used explorer pws pump is crap too.

Funny, I had great luck with $20 3g alternators. Now, I'm 0 for 3.

 

[ForceFed70]

Don't know about C4 to T5, but when I did my FMX to T5 swap I was able to use the old starter with no problems. Probably the same starter.....