Sluggish starter

[85k10383]

Well it turns out that 118 ain't that bad after all. I looked all over and that seems to be about the best price going for a gear reduction/hi performance type starter. Now that waaaaayy more than a plain ol standard starter, but my credo with this truck has been "If it breaks it must need upgrading" Now my question for anyone who knows is this: Will the starter meant for the 03 Silverado have standard terminals on it, or will I have to figure out a how to wire a plug into my existing wiring?
Sorry to threadjack 89s battery discussion LOL

 

[HotRodPC]

I think we're OK 85K, its still an on-topic starter discussion. I been adding my reent starter issues too.
I heard back from my girl that works at AZone. Nothing she can do either. She suggested since I have 3 of these trucks that use this starter, go ahead and buy one. In a couple months, exchange this bad one. I might do it. All 3 trucks will use the same starter, so I'll have 2 of them with Lifetime warranty for the price of 1.

 

[f1shman]

Will the starter meant for the 03 Silverado have standard terminals on it, or will I have to figure out a how to wire a plug into my existing wiring?

The 8.1 starter should have the same solenoid studs that your current starter has. Picture included for reference.

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[HotRodPC]

That sure looks like it would bolt up and wire up to me. I'd sure consider that upgrade someday. Especially if I was going to a high compression or performance motor.

 

[85k10383]

Thanks Fish, thats what I was wondering about. I'm gonna pull the trigger on this probably this weekend. The truck needs to be healthy for my upcoming move, so no sense putting it off.

 

[85k10383]

Well, I tried it and it doesn't work! The damned headers get in the way of all things. The way the newer starter is set up it angles away from the engine block and towards the exhaust manifolds/headers. In my case there wasn't enough room to get the starter up against the block. IF YOU RUN HEADERS THIS IDEA WILL NOT FLY.
Now on to my more pressing problem.After installed a NEW OE type starter this afternoon something has gone horribly wrong with the truck. I have no juice going to the truck from the battery. When you turn the key I got nothing. No lights, no buzzers, nothing. The starter doesn't even try to turn over. WHAT THE **** BURNED UP? I figure its got to be something simple. The main fusible link maybe? The ignition switch? That one I find hard to believe as I just replaced it less than a year ago. I have tried everything I can think of, even going so far as to REMOVE my kill switch in the battery wiring to ensure that wasn't it. Someone please point me in the right direction!!

 

[davbell22602]

Well, I tried it and it doesn't work! The damned headers get in the way of all things. The way the newer starter is set up it angles away from the engine block and towards the exhaust manifolds/headers. In my case there wasn't enough room to get the starter up against the block. IF YOU RUN HEADERS THIS IDEA WILL NOT FLY.
Now on to my more pressing problem.After installed a NEW OE type starter this afternoon something has gone horribly wrong with the truck. I have no juice going to the truck from the battery. When you turn the key I got nothing. No lights, no buzzers, nothing. The starter doesn't even try to turn over. WHAT THE **** BURNED UP? I figure its got to be something simple. The main fusible link maybe? The ignition switch? That one I find hard to believe as I just replaced it less than a year ago. I have tried everything I can think of, even going so far as to REMOVE my kill switch in the battery wiring to ensure that wasn't it. Someone please point me in the right direction!!

Time to get out the multimeter and start checking voltage on everything.

 

[f1shman]

Well, I tried it and it doesn't work! The damned headers get in the way of all things. The way the newer starter is set up it angles away from the engine block and towards the exhaust manifolds/headers. In my case there wasn't enough room to get the starter up against the block. IF YOU RUN HEADERS THIS IDEA WILL NOT FLY.
Now on to my more pressing problem.After installed a NEW OE type starter this afternoon something has gone horribly wrong with the truck. I have no juice going to the truck from the battery. When you turn the key I got nothing. No lights, no buzzers, nothing. The starter doesn't even try to turn over. WHAT THE **** BURNED UP? I figure its got to be something simple. The main fusible link maybe? The ignition switch? That one I find hard to believe as I just replaced it less than a year ago. I have tried everything I can think of, even going so far as to REMOVE my kill switch in the battery wiring to ensure that wasn't it. Someone please point me in the right direction!!

Check the fuse box for power. If you don't have power at the box you need to inspect the fusible link.

What brand of headers are you running?

 

[85k10383]

The question then becomes what the hell could have fried the fusible link? The battery wasn't even hooked up when I installed the starter, I had the kill switch off and the key hanging inside the house. Could the fusible link have been causing the problem in the first place I wonder......

 

[f1shman]

The question then becomes what the hell could have fried the fusible link? The battery wasn't even hooked up when I installed the starter, I had the kill switch off and the key hanging inside the house. Could the fusible link have been causing the problem in the first place I wonder......

Fusible links are made of some pretty soft wire. Normal wire harness shifting might have disconnected a few strands over the years and removing the wire from the starter might have broken off a few more. Any reduction in the wire gauge due to breakage will cause the link to burn up pretty quick if you pass the same amount of current through it.

The fusible link blowing out would give you a no start situation with no cranking of the starter at all, not a slow crank like you originally posted having problems with.

 

[85k10383]

Thats gotta be it then. Thank God new fusible links are cheap and easy to do. If I had to wrestle the damned starter out again I was gonna scream! I was soooooo pissed when the HD starter didn't work, that thing was less than half the weight of the OE piece! And it was tiny too, like a third the size of the OE. Oh wells, the price of running headers like mine I suppose...... Just saw your edit fish, they are Jegs brand long tubes their part # 30055 for future reference. And they are tighter than a preachers ***** in a calves ass on the OE starter too, like a quarter inch!

 

[f1shman]

Thats gotta be it then. Thank God new fusible links are cheap and easy to do. If I had to wrestle the damned starter out again I was gonna scream! I was soooooo pissed when the HD starter didn't work, that thing was less than half the weight of the OE piece! And it was tiny too, like a third the size of the OE. Oh wells, the price of running headers like mine I suppose...... Just saw your edit fish, they are Jegs brand long tubes their part # 30055 for future reference. And they are tighter than a preachers ***** in a calves ass on the OE starter too, like a quarter inch!

Yowza. If they are that close I would put some serious thought into running a heat shield for your new starter to prevent heat soaking the solenoid too bad. (that's if you don't already have a shield in place)

 

[HotRodPC]

And they are tighter than a preachers ***** in a calves ass on the OE starter too, like a quarter inch!

Damn, That's pretty tight. !!! Hopefully you get it worked out. No pun intended.

 

[85k10383]

Well the new fusible link didn't fix it either! Now I really am out of ideas. All the fuses are OK, the wiring to the starter is OK, fusible link is new. Ignition switch? Would that cause a total lack of electrical power inside the cab as well? Should I replace the battery? It isn't holding its charge for ****. I would die laughing if it was the friggin battery after all this...... To be fair the battery was perfectly fine the last time I drove the truck roughly a week ago.

 

[davbell22602]

Would it be the starter solonoid on the inner fender if has one?