Installing the high torque starter

[Ltanderso]

Originally Posted by Gretz

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but I thought I could probably save some other folks some time. I just ordered and received a new Hi-Torque starter from our host. When I ordered, I asked the rep about the need for an adapter for the two quick disconnects onto the new starter. They said they didn't think I'd need any such thing.

I received the starter today and sure enough, only one terminal on the starter as previously discussed. I called our host and they confirmed they don't carry any such adapter. I checked all the local auto parts stores and no one has them in stock. I ordered from Amazon but of course it'll take a couple days. For the next person who orders a new starter, what you need is:

"Dorman Conduct-Tite Interior Disconnect Piggybacks, Double Male w/ .25" Tabs" or similar, such as "Ancor 230613 Marine Grade Electrical Double Male-Female Adapter" on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NI1G0C/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/dorman-conduct-tite-double-male-with-250-in-tabs-interior-disconnect-piggybacks-85613/22141310-P

My auto parts store keeps these in the generic electrical accessories section. They keep them in stock. It's a generic part and should be available at most any decent auto parts store.

I do agree that the starter should ship with the connector.

[Otter74]

I was resigning myself to either replacing the entire battery cable with a longer one (a giant PITA I would rather avoid) or extending the existing cable using a Panduit drawn butt splice connector, some 2AWG wire from Aircraft Spruce, a Panduit copper compression lug, some glue shrink and a hydraulic crimper.

Then I decided to look again for opportunities to find some slack. And it seemed obvious. There are two sort of clips on the body tub - the kind of soft, bendable arms used all over the car to secure conduits - that secure the battery cable and a piece of wiring. If I remove it from both of these, I have just enough slack to connect it to the starter without having either too much tension in the cable or too much slack. So I’m going to do this, look at how it’s routed and secured and perhaps use a couple of heavy zip ties to tie it to the existing clips if I think it’s needed.

I did find that I needed some washers or spacers on the starter mounting bolts, due to the thinner flange. Thinking a bit, I remembered the exhaust manifold washers that I took off my Sentra SE-R 25 years ago when I put the header on it, found those (I throw away nothing), and they’re perfect. Win!

In the middle of all this I discovered an oil leak from my shift rod seal, so I’ll take care of that too when I change the gearbox oil.

[917_Langheck]

⬆️ that's what I did with mine, just a little reroute over the transmission, and a small length of yellow wire with a blade receptacle fixed with a bolt to the existing ringed starter wire to complete the job.



Yes, the bare metal parts were later insolated.

[Kraftwerk]

Otter - Good you found some 'stray slack'


....and doesn't it always happen: Also found an oil leak ~ !

[Otter74]

Yeah, I decided to just put off the oil changes until the weekend or next week and deal with as many of the leaks as I reasonably have time for at the same time. I also found that the wiring bundle that runs directly above the starter (with the red and yellow wires and a couple of others) had a lot of the braided sheathing worn off. I recently got some wire harness tape for exactly this kind of thing, so I held off on the starter until I find the tape.

[Otter74]

NB: Installation with my stock heat exchanger tubes required rotating the starter all the way clockwise on its mounting bracket.

[911obgyn]

I rotated the nose of the starter to kind of match the old starter by loostening bolts and unclipped the battery wire from the last clip and got enough wire to attach battery wire. Make sure you clean surface of bell housing for good ground, i had issues with intermittent no start until i got all up under there again!

[Aurel]

I found these on Amazon, very useful to add a spade connector to the starter terminals:

[Otter74]

I have similar connectors that I got on Amazon, but with a Megasquirt I don’t have a cold start injector, so no doubler needed. Will probably come in handy for wiring the old Blaupunkt into my BMW, though.