What's the current recommendation on PMGR starters?

[ratdude747]

Blew my PMGR starter today (and had to have it towed home ). Current unit is an OE unit off a 1993.

I was going to look at DB but I recall there being issues with them recently. Are they still good?

[Gary Lewis]

I think you are referring to John/Machspeed's problems with a DB alternator.  But I don't remember anyone having problems with one of their starters.  So that's where I'd turn.

[ratdude747]

Ah. $70 shipped over there... done. Although I did have to cross reference RA as DB doesn't mark which starter is manual and which is auto. For future reference, auto is this one:

https://www.dbelectrical.com/products/new-ford-bronco-4-9l-5-0l-5-8l-starter-92-93-94-95-96.html

Manual is this one:

https://www.dbelectrical.com/products/ford-f-truck-bronco-4-9l-300-6cyl-new-starter-1965-1996-3223-410-14033.html

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks.  How long does the shipping take?

[Machspeed]

Frankly, I don't think I'd even mess with DB, not necesarily because it's garbage but because of warranty hassles. It cost me a little more, but I got my starter from AZ with a life time warranty.  

[85pig]

I've bought a couple of the DBs through Amazon, in their "open box/damaged" category.  Saved about $15 to $20 both times, and have had excellent luck with them.  Haven't had any failures, and the starters have been pristine.  I have no problem saving money due to a beat-up box I'm going to trash anyway.  

[JMUBullnose]

Put one of the DB PMGR starters in my '84 a few months ago. Never going back!

[85lebaront2]

What I was telling people with 4.9L, 5.0L and 351W engines with automatics, use a 1990 Lincoln Town Car for reference, it is a 5.0L automatic. Some of us have been way ahead of the curve on these.

When the one on Darth died, I just went to Pasco here in Exmore and got one for a late 460 auto, in stock.

[ratdude747]

Well, we may have a warranty issue here.

Stupid thing won't quite fit.

First, from all views it appears to be an automatic starter. Compared to the "old" one:



Both mounting bosses are 4.08" diameter... On another site I read that manuals were 4.10" (or something similar) while auto's are 4.08".

Anyway, the issue is that with the bolts lined up, the starter is hitting something with 1/8"-3/16" of gap. I can make the starter go all the way in, but I can't rotate in the boss/bore to line up (I hit something about 1 bolt hole's width away. Feels like I'm hitting the ribs in the bellhousing:



Looks like I get to return it... as I'm not about to mod the starter (and void the warranty) or my bellhousing.

I also did a teardown on the old starter and found the issue:



Commutator is burnt to a crisp. Not just packed with carbon... there's grooves in the copper and from the looks of things at least one contact has a split in it. Nothing that a set of brushes and a solenoid will (adequately) fix.

Not to mention the bendix/planetary drive were dry as a desert and a bit crunchy...

Unless I'm missing something, looks like I'm ordering another starter from somewhere... and mark this as another DB horror story.

[Gary Lewis]

I feel badly as I'm the one that said DB.  But it looks like there's a problem with that one.

Can you return it?  If so I think I'd go to the local parts store and buy a PMGR starter.  If it fits and works I'd return the DB and tell them it wouldn't fit.

[ratdude747]

From talking to a buddy/mentor of mine (whose bought several DB starters for his fleet of John Deere's) they *should* accept a return... but in his case, they kept sending the wrong starter all together.

Ordered a Duralast Reman from Auto Zone. Double the cost of DB (and that's not including the core!), but AZ's are everywhere, a lifetime warranty is a lifetime warranty, and hopefully I get lucky and the reman was built with a Ford casting. So to get my $40 core (when I pick it up after work), I hastily reassembled the old starter before leaving the house. Yay...

[Gary Lewis]

Good luck!  

[mat in tn]

this is the specific reason that I use remans. they have already fit once! funny story. I have a few times taken a new starter that was thrown in the bin by the mech who broke it(voiding the warranty) and swapped all required parts onto a used base and carried on. "one mans trash" ya know.

[ratdude747]

Well, it fit all right:



Turns over really nice too. Winner!

[Gary Lewis]

Excellent!!! And it was easy and available almost anywhere.

[grumpin]

Nice!