Genuine Motorcraft New Starters

[Fordiesel69]

DL3Z11002A​

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...CS8-OLZwZXpeOEqvjOwkArq1PlQxIfA3ZqpC3jELDBSUq

I have 5 crown vics, and I take them very far from home. They all have original starters except my most recent failure which I put on a starter that I rebuilt myself. Is this starter my best option for ultimate reliablity? This looks like it is redesigned / different vendor....

I have been plagued with dead starters on all of my F150's (which use a similar starter), and it seems they work perfect one time, and then dead the next.

I am debating proactivly changing them out as they are 150K Miles + and aged. But there is some merit to the original OEM build quiality not found in todays parts.

 

[Capt W]

Wholeheartedly agree with using OEM when able. The key is determining the OEM. There isn't a large "Motorcraft" plant building starters and alternators. These are very likely Nippondenso or Bosch components with FoMoCo tags.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Would it be fair to say that at least with the fomoco branding that they request and audit a certain quality standard as compared to the big box white box starters?

 

[Capt W]

I'd say without a doubt. Most of the big Tier 1 suppliers (like Nippondenso, Bosch, TRW, etc.) maintain different divisions for OE and aftermarket parts...most likely due to contractual obligations. That said, I've never had a single issue with Denso (new or reman) across the many starters and alternators I've replaced over the years.

 

[Fordiesel69]

What other new ones are good brands?

 

[dfarr67]

Buy one replacement then rebuild your others with a quality kit.

 

[zzyzzx]

I've never had a starter go bad (and I keep my car a long time). If I were maintaining a fleet and for some reason sometimes had starter issues, yeah, rebuilding one myself would be my first choice as per dfarr67. If you are having repeated failures on starters I have to wonder about the state of your batteries and battery cables, or if said vehicles are simply started frequently. If I wanted to be pro-active I would replace the brushes and check and probably clean the rotor side where the brushes contact, and maybe replace the (built in?) solenoid.

 

[Fordiesel69]

I've never had a starter go bad (and I keep my car a long time). If I were maintaining a fleet and for some reason sometimes had starter issues, yeah, rebuilding one myself would be my first choice as per dfarr67. If you are having repeated failures on starters I have to wonder about the state of your batteries and battery cables, or if said vehicles are simply started frequently. If I wanted to be pro-active I would replace the brushes and check and probably clean the rotor side where the brushes contact, and maybe replace the (built in?) solenoid.

Baltimore wont have the issues we have here. The starters have all had varying degrees of corrosion from their first 5 ~ 7 years of service in pennsylvania winters. Even though I selected auction cars that were from the south east of PA where salt was used much less, and I always garage them during the winter, what I find is that the corrosion allows water entry, and further internal corrosion within the bendix solenoid (as the primary culprit) and the secondary point is the braided wired that passes thru the rubber grommet for the brush holder.

They work PERFECT one moment, then the next moment are completely dead. No hammer, no tapping will give one more temporary start. When they fail, you are stranded.

Its not the money issue, its being far from home, and this job is very difficult to do in a parking lot. Not impossible, but very very difficult to reach the top bolts. Areas I typically travel to are over 4 hours away up to about 6hrs where the automotive shops are schedueled out for at least a week or 2. They will not accomodate emergencies.

And part of my issue is I get autozone reman starters. I do this for the unlimited lifetime warranty. My 6.9L IDI diesel is on its 17th starter due to poor quality remanufacturing. The chinese brush holders melt.

 

[zzyzzx]

If rust is the real issue, have you tried new cheap ones?