On Thu, 3 Nov 2005 21:00:43 -0600, Mark Magee <markbmagee@EARTHLINK.NET>
wrote:

>Volks,
>My starter on the 90 Carat has been turning slower as of late, such that if
>the van isn�t driven for 10 days or so it will take a jump to get that last
>turn on the starter for light-off. I am considering one of those
>gear-reduction starters that Go-Westy sells; he makes a compelling case for
>them. Anyone had similar probs that the gear-reduction starter solved??
>Any other solutions. I understand all starters are rebuilts now and these
>can be not near as strong as the new ones were.
>
>
>
> 
>Mark B. Magee
>90 Carat 94K MIs (Thinking of selling, but can�t�)
>Kemah TX USA                         
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>Great minds discuss ideas.
>Average minds discuss events.
>Small minds discuss people.
>Admiral Hyman Rickover U.S. Navy

Mark,

I put in a gear reduction starter from Go-Westy about two months ago.  Old
one died out and the cost to rebuild it was only about $30 or $40 less than
buying a brand new one.  A piece of cake to install, relatively speaking.
Like most cars, you still have to be something of a contorionist to get it
in all right.

At first, I wasn't too impressed.  It was still sounding like a dead or
dying battery...slow, hard cranking.  I pulled it out, took it over to the
starter/alternator shop to have it tested, and it spun up like a Mixmaster.
Checked the battery, and again no problem.  Replaced the ground strap from
the transmission, and had a marginal gain.

THEN, I figured out that the little electrons were having a hard time
getting back from the starter itself.  The ground return path is through
the starter body and where it mounts to the engine.  I took a wire brush to
the mounting face and the mounting bolts, then ran a separate ground wire
from one of the lower mounting bolt back to the negative terminal of the
battery, and Voila and vroom vroom!  It starts like new.

I don't know how well it will perform in winter yet, but living in the
middle of New Hampshire, I'm sure I'll be able to provide a pretty good
report of its cold weather performance.

Now, back to installing my Plat Cat Heater before it decides to snow again!

Michael