Mini starter crapped out already

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briwill70

briwill70

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Bought a Napa mini starter for my slant about 3 weeks ago after my original starter died. I heard warnings from others that only the Denso starters were reliable. I could not find one so went with a Napa version. ($120) It has probably started without issue 50-60 times. Last night went to start and nothing but a series of clicks from the solenoid. Battery etc. are fine. The Denso versions are really hard to find. Noticed that Bosch makes one. Maybe that's better?
 
briwill70 said:
Bought a Napa mini starter for my slant about 3 weeks ago after my original starter died. I heard warnings from others that only the Denso starters were reliable. I could not find one so went with a Napa version. ($120) It has probably started without issue 50-60 times. Last night went to start and nothing but a series of clicks from the solenoid. Battery etc. are fine. The Denso versions are really hard to find. Noticed that Bosch makes one. Maybe that's better?
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i honestly get oem ones from the junkyards, costs around 40.00-50.00 with coverage, i have three from there and one is almost 5 years old. look for the ones with chrysler logo. if you go that route.
 
Sounds like you got a bad one. Return it. You'd probably have better luck at a junkyard.

I love the Denso in my slant six. Got it at a Mopar swap meet for $35. Put 12 volts to it and it worked so I bought it. Then 2 yrs ago, it just clicked, no spin. Went on line and bought 2 copper contacts for about 10 bucks. Put those in and its good again. Supposedly, that's about all that goes wrong with them.
 
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+3 for the junkyard. I'm not sure if you're on the West coast but they are everywhere here.
 
Thanks for the feedback. Is there a specific vehicle or part # to ask for at the junkyards? I used a 94 Dakota 5.2 for the NAPA one.
 
I think I paid $10 for the junkyard ones I took from Magnum engines, but I wait for half-off days at PicNPull. Measure the voltage right at the big stud on the starter, to the case of the starter. If it drops <10 V, don't blame the starter. Voltage drop could be in the ground connection from the starter's case to BAT-. You should be able to find the drop quickly. If >10 V, then blame the starter, which would likely be pitted contacts. Some rebuilders do a cheapie job, like re-using worn contacts, maybe flipping them around or such, but they do make the cases look new and shiny.
 
I returned the crappy NAPA replacement starter and got a Denso one from a 99 Dakota w 130k miles on it. ($40) Works great and spins the engine must faster than the China garbage.
 
Reviving. My Denso quit on me. Was able to clean contacts and get working. Can anyone recommend a contact kit? The dorman 2346 does not include plunger contact. Does it even matter? Thanks.

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$10 dollar starters are long gone...bummer. Hit the half price day but pull the starter the night before. The lines are an hour long here.
Hit the starter with a hammer and try it. if its clicking it sounds like the contacts are bad, very inexpensive to replace.
LKQ pick-a-part. So cal....STARTER $38.63: part $25.87 core $5.00 warranty $7.76

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The pick-a-part here in Stanton sucks. The cars are ripped apart , windows are busted on site and parts are everywhere on the ground, hard to even walk between cars. Very ghetto yard. Santa Fe Springs is great, way different management there I guess.
 
pishta said:
$10 dollar starters are long gone...bummer. Hit the half price day but pull the starter the night before. The lines are an hour long here.
Hit the starter with a hammer and try it. if its clicking it sounds like the contacts are bad, very inexpensive to replace.
LKQ pick-a-part. So cal....STARTER $38.63: part $25.87 core $5.00 warranty $7.76

View attachment 1715776896

The pick-a-part here in Stanton sucks. The cars are ripped apart , windows are busted on site and parts are everywhere on the ground, hard to even walk between cars. Very ghetto yard. Santa Fe Springs is great, way different management there I guess.
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What is half price day?. Never heard of it. The Denso I am using was $45 3 months ago. Called another yard for one today and was $50. Not opposed to that but will replace the contacts in mine.
 
Does anybody have several pictures (from different perspectives) of the "good" mini starter that will work on a 67 273?
 
For the nippondenso starter on my toyota truck, I just polished the plunger contact with a wire brush attached to my bench grinder.......
 
If it's really pitted, put it in you drill press and use a flat file first.
 
Mine did the exact same thing mine lasted about 2 or 3 weeks maybe a month, I took it out tore it apart and found that the wires inside just burnt in half the solder failed. I soldered them back together and its been fine since.

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I bought a Denso starter at a Mopar swap meet about 6 yrs ago for $35.
It looks like it was born on my /6.

Then a few years sgo, starting became intermittent so I bought new contacts on line. Can't remember the site but they listed the parts by model number. Maybe $12 or so. That is just about the only thing that goes wrong with these.

Sorry Pishta, banging on them with a hammer does nothing. IIRC, something about not having windings but permanent magnets.
 
JoePole1 said:
Reviving. My Denso quit on me. Was able to clean contacts and get working. Can anyone recommend a contact kit? The dorman 2346 does not include plunger contact. Does it even matter? Thanks.

View attachment 1715776892
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After cleaning up the contacts and getting the starter working again I found a kit that included a plunger. Installed and working great without the worry of a no start again. Had extra contacts too if anyone is in need PM me. BTW....hammer did not work.

Edit...the above Victory Lap kit has contacts and plunger only. The dorman has studs, hardware, contacts and insulators but no plunger

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The hammer worked on 3 different starters I dealt with, none being a Denso...Doh! 2 Fords and a big dead Chrysler Gear reduction. I've never had an issue, fitment, mesh or otherwise with the RAM style, 2 in 4 different blocks: slant, 2 LA's and 451...all A/T's. Now for the gear reduction to 'only spin' is a head scratcher: the electric solenoid only completes the motor circuit when its pulled back onto the contacts, and that is physically attached to the fork that moves the drive pinion forward over the ring gear/flywheel even before the electric motor starts to turn. Maybe the fork is bent, broken? Just a click would be the solenoid hitting a dead or broken contact. Would like to tear that one down and find the root cause.
 
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