Electrical Mini starter wiring question

Justin87

5 Year Member
Aug 7, 2017
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Hello all!

I have a few quick questions about wiring a mini starter.

I recently installed a mini starter on my 90 GT. I’m not sure what brand it is, but it was originally ordered from a company called “Big End Performance” by the previous owner of my engine.

I guess I didn’t really pay much attention at the time, because it didn’t really occur to me until after that this requires the starter wiring to be installed differently.

To complicate things further the stock starter cable doesn’t even reach the terminal.

So my questions are:

A) Dose anybody make a “mini starter” wiring kit? Obviously I don’t need the unit itself, just a longer wire with a case wire.

B) Is my best bet to just buy some wire and make a new starter wire? 4 gauge should be large enough right?

C) Could I have something mixed up causing the cable to be to short?

A lot of previous threads and videos have been posted on this topic and it seems like not a lot of people have an issue where the mini starter is now so small that the cable doesn’t reach. (That’s why I ask)

Thanks for any input.

-Justin
 
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The mini starter also has a solenoid built into it, so you can eliminate the stock one....I would just google installing a ministater into a fox mustang.....Yes you need to make a longer fat wire, and run the small wire from the stock solenoid to the starter.
 
The mini starter also has a solenoid built into it, so you can eliminate the stock one....I would just google installing a ministater into a fox mustang.....Yes you need to make a longer fat wire, and run the small wire from the stock solenoid to the starter.
Good to know.

LMR has an install video of a mini starter, and even tho mine is a different brand I’m sure that would be a decent template to follow as far as the wiring goes.

thanks!
 
The mini starter also has a solenoid built into it, so you can eliminate the stock one....I would just google installing a ministater into a fox mustang.....Yes you need to make a longer fat wire, and run the small wire from the stock solenoid to the starter.

If you eliminate the stock solenoid, you need to install a 30A automotive relay in it's place. You shouldn't run the ignition wire directly to the relay on the starter itself as that particular relay draws too much current for the ignition. You need a double relay setup.


I installed a distribution block for all the power wiring, and am using a 30A Bosch relay to activate the relay on the starter.
 
Here's a good example of alternative wiring with the mini starter.

1620224050897.png


You can use the original solenoid as the "power bus" as shown in the above picture. ALL of the wires get moved over to one terminal on the starter relay. Now, the red/blue wire in the above pic is the small wire that connects to the post on the starter solenoid. When they gets power from the ignition, it closes the relay and energizes the other post on the original starter relay. This is where the yellow wire would connect. That yellow wire then activates ther solenoid on the starter.

You can clean that all up by eliminating the original starter relay and using a Bosch type relay. The wire from the ignition activates the relay instead. Mount the relay somewhere accessible, and toss a spare in the glovebox.

I used 4GA welding cable, with crimp/solder end terminals to make a new cable.


Here's a cheap, robust OEM distribution block
 
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Here's a good example of alternative wiring with the mini starter.

1620224050897.png


You can use the original solenoid as the "power bus" as shown in the above picture. ALL of the wires get moved over to one terminal on the starter relay. Now, the red/blue wire in the above pic is the small wire that connects to the post on the starter solenoid. When they gets power from the ignition, it closes the relay and energizes the other post on the original starter relay. This is where the yellow wire would connect. That yellow wire then activates ther solenoid on the starter.

You can clean that all up by eliminating the original starter relay and using a Bosch type relay. The wire from the ignition activates the relay instead. Mount the relay somewhere accessible, and toss a spare in the glovebox.

I used 4GA welding cable, with crimp/solder end terminals to make a new cable.


Here's a cheap, robust OEM distribution block

Thanks for showing the diagram.

I looked back on this form at some previous threads about this but they were old enough that the image hosting had run out on them.

So, (just to make sure I understand this) if I leave the original solenoid there, everything gets moves to one post, EXCEPT the new starter cable I make?

And that original solenoid can act as the relay? Or I still need to wire in a relay?

I appreciate all the help.
 
So,

Assuming you keep the old starter relay. All of your main power wires and 4GA wire from the alt, battery and starter are on one single terminal. It acts as a distribution block. The main 4GA wire on your starter is now energized all the time.

On the empty post, you would put your smaller trigger wire. 12Ga or so (yellow wire on the above diagram). When you turn the key to stay, the original starter relay connects both sides, and you send power down the trigger wire to the starter where it activates the relay that is phsycially on the starter.

The way this differs from the pre-91 wiring method is that those starters do not have the solenoid on the starter itself, so the 4GA battery wire is alone on one side of the original starter solenoid and when you turn the key to start, it momentarily gets energized while cranking. The 91-later mini starters use the orginal relay to activate another relay, so you really just move that 4GA starter wire over to the post with all the other connections and run a trigger wire on the other side.

Make sense?
 
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So,

Assuming you keep the old starter relay. All of your main power wires and 4GA wire from the alt, battery and starter are on one single terminal. It acts as a distribution block. The main 4GA wire on your starter is now energized all the time.

On the empty post, you would put your smaller trigger wire. 12Ga or so (yellow wire on the above diagram). When you turn the key to stay, the original starter relay connects both sides, and you send power down the trigger wire to the starter where it activates the relay that is phsycially on the starter.

The way this differs from the pre-91 wiring method is that those starters do not have the solenoid on the starter itself, so the 4GA battery wire is alone on one side of the original starter solenoid and when you turn the key to start, it momentarily gets energized while cranking. The 91-later mini starters use the orginal relay to activate another relay, so you really just move that 4GA starter wire over to the post with all the other connections and run a trigger wire on the other side.

Make sense?
Yes definitely. Thank you for going into more detail.
 
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