Hello from Atlanta, Ga.    If you need to have three contacts for the
wiring, and the starter has but two, go to Radio Shack and get a 2>1 blade
adapter that will slide on the starter blade terminal and make two terminals
for you.  A pkg. of several costs under $2.00 .  I hope this
is helpful!
Regards,

Mike Nichols
2--'81's w/std. trans.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Selin" <sjselin@NETZERO.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, June 16, 2002 6:51 PM
Subject: Starter for 1981 automatic: questions

> > Hi,
> >
> > I just bought a starter for my 1981 (automatic) van.  The picture looked
> > just like the one I had.  BUT it is missing 1 contact.  There are 3
> > contacts on the (old) solenoid (not counting the bolted contact).  There
> > are 2 in a pair (red wires), and there is one by itself (blue wire).
The
> > new starter is missing this third contact.  Anyone know what's going on?
> >
> > I am told there were early and late model 1981s and the starters differ.
> > Do I need the late model starter even though the picture made it look
like
> > the solenoid and motor are MUCH closer together?
> >
> > ALSO:  When reassembling with new starter, I found 4 wires in need of a
> > (non-bolted) contact, but only 3 contacts!  What's up I say?  At one
point
> > someone wired a switch from the dash to the starter to bypass a faulty
> > key/ignition.  This wire was wired to the pair of contacts on the
> > solenoid.  Is this now replacing one of the original wires, hence
leaving
> > it dangling?
> >
> > Help, please if you know what's going on!
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Steve
> >
> >
> > _*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_
> >
> >
> > Steven Selin      -        s.j.selin@vt.edu
> >
> >
> >
>