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Starter replacement '75 Power Wagon #3010716
01/31/22 12:51 AM
01/31/22 12:51 AM
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 18,493
Granite Bay CA
Kern Dog Offline OP
Striving for excellence
Kern Dog  Offline OP
Striving for excellence

Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 18,493
Granite Bay CA
My '75 Power Wagon was getting hard to start. The battery may be losing charge quicker than it should but even after a fresh charge, the starter didn't spin evenly and quickly.

The truck has the original 440 with headers and a stock mini starter from some early 90s truck.
The truck is actually quite rare....440 4 speed sold new in California at a time where almost every new American vehicle had to be an automatic. It was originally some orange color like a Cal Trans truck. I got it in 2013 and it needed bodywork and paint so I went with red and black.

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Re: Starter replacement '75 Power Wagon [Re: Kern Dog] #3010717
01/31/22 12:52 AM
01/31/22 12:52 AM
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 18,493
Granite Bay CA
Kern Dog Offline OP
Striving for excellence
Kern Dog  Offline OP
Striving for excellence

Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 18,493
Granite Bay CA
I liked the look of the Simon and Simon truck.....

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Re: Starter replacement '75 Power Wagon [Re: Kern Dog] #3010721
01/31/22 01:02 AM
01/31/22 01:02 AM
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 18,493
Granite Bay CA
Kern Dog Offline OP
Striving for excellence
Kern Dog  Offline OP
Striving for excellence

Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 18,493
Granite Bay CA
Back on topic.....
The starter was deemed to be failing so I went to the nearby O'Rielley store and bought a rebuilt unit spec'd for a 96 Dakota with a 5.2. It looked good and was a little shorter that the mini starter I had in the truck.
Having a 440 with headers means that the left set has to come off or at least unbolt and move around a bit to get the old starter out and the new one in.
The swap went well and I started the truck. It cranked over okay and fired up. I let it run for 2 minutes then shut it down to call it good. For the heck of it, I tried to restart it. Nothing but "Click" like the battery was dead. It tested at 12,2 volts so I charged it. It topped out at 13.1 within a few hours. With the fully charged battery in, still nothing but CLICK.
The POS rebuilt starter gave me ONE start and crapped out.
I went to the shed and found another used mini starter that I used in my Charger for a few years.
I made the swap. It spun the engine over just fine but it wouldn't start.
Dang ballast resistor!
It would spin and spin, then as I released the key, it would snort and sputter like it was trying to start.
In the past, wiggling the ballast resistor wires helped. Not this time. Back to the shed....
In goes a fresh B/R and it fires up fast now...brr brr rrrRROOOM.
I returned the starter. NO apology from the counter guy.
What the heck? I spent 2 hours swapping in, then swapping out this damn thing and the man can't even apologize for the inconvenience?
"This thing is bad."
""Oh, sorry Sir....what can I do to make this right?"
Whatever happened to that kind of service?

Re: Starter replacement '75 Power Wagon [Re: Kern Dog] #3010992
01/31/22 11:33 PM
01/31/22 11:33 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,486
Freeport IL USA
poorboy Offline
I Live Here
poorboy  Offline
I Live Here

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,486
Freeport IL USA
Good customer service went away with the turn to the new (current) century. Unfortunately, what we get now will soon be replaced with something much worse, I'm afraid.

Actually, I'm surprised they refunded your money! Around here, there is no cash return for defective electrical equipment, they will only exchange for another (probably also faulty) replacement.

Re: Starter replacement '75 Power Wagon [Re: poorboy] #3011071
02/01/22 11:06 AM
02/01/22 11:06 AM
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 15,487
Florida
S
scratchnfotraction Offline
I Live Here
scratchnfotraction  Offline
I Live Here
S

Joined: May 2003
Posts: 15,487
Florida
I agree. it sure is nice to remember what it was like back then. welcome to the future kern dog!

I have a local rebuilder that rebuild starters & alternators. most time the clicking is just the contact washer in the solenoid. only time I have had issues was with a weak battery. it would spin act like it was slipping/banging/catching/dragging. got batt back up to 100% and working great.

now I have had them start the click click and if you click it enough it will spin but gets longer each time. spent 20 minutes clicking on one once but I finally got it to start.

if you look at a few of them you find there are some with a slightly larger motor same as the old starters HI & LOW torque apps. watch that on the replacements as v6-v8 mini starters go.

they also change to a weather proof small pug on some of the later models so I also grab that with a 14$ JY starter. run it till it gives trouble then a rebuild for 65$ and it last for yrs. my 440 mini starter & mini alt were done in 2010-318 mini starter done in 2012

never got a box store one to last more than a yr at double the price. so always a JY mini and have it rebuilt local. this guy still remembers good customer service and is always glad when I support him locally.

that's still a nice truck you got by the way!

Re: Starter replacement '75 Power Wagon [Re: scratchnfotraction] #3011119
02/01/22 01:04 PM
02/01/22 01:04 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,311
Great White North
W
Wheeler Offline
Master
Wheeler  Offline
Master
W

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,311
Great White North
Another option is buying a new (not rebuilt or remanufactured) starter.

Mopar Performance sells the mini-starters (which is basically an brand new, OEM starter for Ram Trucks, Dakotas and B-Vans with the 3.9L V6, 5.2L V8 & 5.9L V8).

They have one for small block V8s, and another one for the big block V8s.The part number for the big block starter is P5007860AB.

You can also get a new mini starter from AC Delco, which is a cheaper option.

There are several different sizes of mini-starters, depending on the year.

ACDelco Part Number 3371096 (1991 to 1995 Dodge Trucks, Dakotas and B-Vans)
https://www.rockauto.com/en/parts/acdelco,3371096,starter+motor,4152

AC Delco Part Number 3371100 (1996 to 1998 Dodge Trucks, Dakotas and B-Vans)
https://www.rockauto.com/en/parts/acdelco,3371100,starter+motor,4152

AC Delco Part Number 3371155 (1999 to 2003 Dodge Trucks, Dakotas and B-Vans)
https://www.rockauto.com/en/parts/acdelco,3371155,starter+motor,4152

Re: Starter replacement '75 Power Wagon [Re: Wheeler] #3011123
02/01/22 01:06 PM
02/01/22 01:06 PM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,493
Western Colorado High Desert
moparmarks Offline
I Live Here
moparmarks  Offline
I Live Here

Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,493
Western Colorado High Desert
Nice truck. up


72 Satellite Sebring Plus 440, 72 Dart 5.9 4-spd, 68 Valiant, 73 W200, 78 D100 sb, 78 D200, 98 DAKOTA, .
Moparmarks Parts & Restorations
Desert Mopar Metal
Grand Jct. CO
970-261-7039
http://moparmark.com/
motormangj@gmail.com
Re: Starter replacement '75 Power Wagon [Re: moparmarks] #3011211
02/01/22 05:08 PM
02/01/22 05:08 PM
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 327
delhi,il
T
trw1982 Offline
enthusiast
trw1982  Offline
enthusiast
T

Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 327
delhi,il
neat truck and napa sells that starter new as well as rebuilt.

Re: Starter replacement '75 Power Wagon [Re: trw1982] #3011296
02/01/22 08:20 PM
02/01/22 08:20 PM
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 18,493
Granite Bay CA
Kern Dog Offline OP
Striving for excellence
Kern Dog  Offline OP
Striving for excellence

Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 18,493
Granite Bay CA
Thank you everyone !

Re: Starter replacement '75 Power Wagon [Re: Kern Dog] #3011590
02/02/22 03:11 PM
02/02/22 03:11 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,783
Corpus Christi, TX
shanker Offline
master
shanker  Offline
master

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,783
Corpus Christi, TX
I hate that you had your time wasted by parts store junk parts....FYI, the Denso starters last almost forever as they only have a few wear items and can be rebuilt yourself, VERY EASILY for about $15 and R&R time.

as an example of the kit:

https://www.amazon.com/Starter-Nippondenso-Starters-Solenoid-Contacts/dp/B007FR89FY


The Federal Government has not yet learned that you cannot legislate morality 1970 Coronet R/T FF4/FF8/V85/V1G 440/Auto/3.23 1970 Coronet R/T FK5/FK5/V8W/V1W 440/Auto/3.55 1970 Super Bee TX9/TX9/V8W/N96 383/Auto/3.91 1975 Duster 360 VS29L5 Daily Driver






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