Sorta-Kinda Applicable Starter Info...

[Eddie]

...if you have a Denso geared starter on yer junk (hey, it could happen). Or if yer "other" daily driver has one

I first read something in passing on the subject in Ebay motors, applicable for starters for Cummins B3.9/5.9. Dodge and the bread company vans use Densos, and the ads basically say "why rebuild--just replace the starter solenoid's contracts." Cheap. My kinda fix; I filed that fact away in the dim, battered recesses, reduced-count brain-cells of "mind" for future reference. Maybe.

Our ultrarelible daily-driver Toyota appliance started having starting problems--I fingered it was battery/clean battery terminals/dirty grounds kinda thing--it showed up after the cold/rainy season started. Swapped in the Scout's almost-new Optima Yellow Top (of which I have nothing to say except good things ), made sure to clean the terminals and clamps, and--yucch-cleaned ALL the ground terminals. Underneath. During the cold/rainly season.

The starter problem persisted. I ran across an article on a Toyota 4x4 site with instructions and pictures for replacing a four-cylinder pickup's "Toyota" (Denso) starter's contacts.

"Hmmmm", reasoned I, "'spose an (ooh-ahh) Toyota Avalon's starter's contacts could be worn out and look like that pickup's?"

I drove over to my favorite section of town, the industrial ship channel/Port of Houston/major Interstate confluence where you can get any weird hose or obsolete trash pump diesel part known to Man (or other), and dropped into a starter/alternator shop that I've traded with over the last 20 years ( ).

As of I knew what I was talking about, I asked Melvin for a set of Avalon solenoid contacts.

Melvin went and got them. "That Denso's a good starter design," he said, "the contacts are about the only thing that ever wears out on 'em"

The cash register did all its scary, incomprehensible ringing-up and receipt-printing things--eBay dude wanted $24 (or was it $48?). I gritted my teeth, preparing for the worst. "That'll be $2.95, plus tax."

Took me three hours to get the starter out, 1/2 hour (probably less) to do a first-class contact replacement job (hey, it was an unscrew/rescrew job that even a cave man or other being with enough intelligence to unzip prior to contributing water to Our Administrator could handle...sort of ), and another 3 hours to get that fool starter back in. Gimme the I-6 Scout any day.

It did work perfectly.

Eddie

[justscoutin]

now if we could only find one that fit the scout for cheaper than $300!

[Eddie]

Originally Posted by justscoutin

now if we could only find one that fit the scout for cheaper than $300!

"Working" on it; all I need now is disposable income, so when I take my new short block (when it gets done ), assembled with its flywheel housing and flywheel, over to A&B Auto Electric...so they can match up a Denso...and I can buy the Denso.

$300.00? For a Denso? Who's getting $300.00?

Eddie