Starter Motor Problem & Solution

[johnholt@halhinet.on.ca (John Holt)]

Starter died last week. I pulled it and the braided wire between the
solenoid and the starter where it is exposed to the elements, fell apart in
my fingers. Dug through my junk parts and found a suitable braided wire on
a starter from a 1950 Mercury pickup truck. As I couldn't remove the lug
from inside the starter (didn't have enough heat), I cut the wire inside
the starter close to the lug, wrapped the wires close to the lug with
single strand copper wire and soldered the two together. Soldered the
original solenoid lug onto the Mercury braided wire and added a little
silicone around the grommet on the starter.

If I had to do it over again and I probably will, as I consider it a
temporary fix, I wouldn't use the braided wire. In that same Mercury
starter, I found the connection of choice, a quarter inch by one-sixteenth
inch length of copper. I would solder it directly from the starter to the
solenoid lug.

Makes you wonder how many good starters have been replaced by dealers.