Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

Yesterday I experienced a couple times where my starter wouldn't engage due to heat build up. From you experience which is better"
1) a Heat shield

2) Heat wrap – looks to be cheaper to buy
Thanks

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

Heat wrap, IMHO, would work better but either is a band aide. Your battery cables need to be solid and starter in good condition. Check voltage while cranking at the starter wires on solenoid

Headers??

also a gear reduction starter (aka mini starter) will crank faster and if you have a higher than stock compression motor works better. Rockauto is where I get mine.

X reference for Remy stock type to their GR type. IIRC mine was around $70

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

Tried them both.
Neither one worked.
Converted to a remote style solenoid. Never a problem again.

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

I have headers and I use a newer style starter, also known as mini-starter. They do spin faster and that helps. But what makes them work well and last is the air gap from the heat source due to it smaller size. A remote solenoid is the way to go when keeping the original type starter and not running headers. I never used heat wrap because I don't like adding extra aggravation to servicing my vehicles.

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

Totally agree with the remote solenoid. The problem is the purple wire from the ignition switch to kick the stock solenoid can't carry enough current when the stock solenoid gets hot.

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

Thanks for the info...

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

^^^^^^^^^^^^This works every time^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

The starter not engaging is a more a solenoid issue than starter issue.
Measure the voltage to ground (metal body of the solenoid) at the S-terminal while the key is in the start position.

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

Confirm the battery is good with a load test. Even new is suspect, learned that lesson the difficult way.
If you know how to do a voltage drop test check cables, post to clamp and most importantly the negative post to the block. Confirm all the grounds are in place and even if they are add some more. Its an impossibility to have too many.

If that doesn't work purchase a quality solenoid. It may cost as much as a Rebuilt China starter!

Repaired a lot of starter issues with these simple functional tests.

Measuring low resistance with the voltage drop test is the only method that works reliably. If you don't know how there are lots of tutorials on YouTube. The test is completed while the motor is rotating using the starter. You can pull the coil wire to keep the starter engaged while cranking.
Cheers

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

Do you guys advise using a simple old Ford style solenoid?

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

I don't know if it will work for you but all the LS type engine starter solenoids come with a metal heat shield that clips over the top of the solenoid. I always add a piece of DEI heat shield self adhesive type to it for a little extra heat protection.

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

3) Header delete.

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

I have been using a starter from a 96 454 Suburban. The problem has gone away.

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

Won’t matter!
I’ve had the problem with both headers and converted back to stock iron manifolds on the same motor.
Ford solenoid cured it.

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

Good advise... for yourself. I'm pretty sure the truck in this thread already has manifolds. I'll stick with what I like. Been running headers forever on more vehicles than I can count. I've had hot problems with one truck running 15 year old headers needing a collector gasket (original from header installation) replacement.

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

:rolleyes:

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

I was chasing a hot start issue.
And... and found green death in my starter cable.

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

For me a mini high toque starter solved that issue.
Heat from headers.
The small start we created enough clearance.
$124 for summit brand.
Posted via Mobile Device

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

I was about to say the same thing.
On my V8 equipped '71 GMC Jimmy, I would have to pull the passenger side headers off to change out the starter or solenoid. Haven't needed to mess with it in years.
:gmc2:

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

Thanks Again

I do not have headers :metal:

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

If I went with a solenoid ... any particular solenoid - with mfg and number? Thanks

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

A good relay such as Bosch or a ...ahem...F*rd starter solenoid is the most popular. Both mounted up on the firewall or inner fender.

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

I use one on my Chevelle, which has headers. Works great, no heat issues with the starter.

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

I have this one on my chevelle, this one is new. The car had an older no name remote solenoid on it but it eventually quit working.


https://www.summitracing.com/parts/QCR-50-430

Re: Which is best for thermal protection of your starter?
 

I apologize for getting snippy, jimijam00. I just get tired of hearing that broken record. And in this case your comment didn't even apply. People have different experiences and maybe I'm just lucky. But if headers had been the problem so many claim (or learned from hearing others so often) I wouldn't have been running them all these years. The proof is in the pudding for me