87 testarossa hi torque starter

a link please to the ebay article

 

You seem to be assigning mythical "improvements" -- a "high-torque" starter still has a solenoid that is required to operate in an identical way and is an identical thermal environment (when not actually operating). If your symptom is slow starter motor RPM during cranking, or the starter RPM droops off rapidly during cranking = maybe a "high torque" starter would give improvement. If your symptom is the solenoid never engages at all during warm restarts = it won't do anything "better" (other than just being a different solenoid if your trouble is the existing solenoid itself).

What is the exact symptom that you are having?

 

Steve to the rescue...

 

James,
Listen to Steve and go see my thread titled Starter Saga Sequel where you'll read interesting stuff about that ;$/<#} part of your car...

 

Always worries me a little when a supplier specifies a single particular model year for a TR part (a starter that works on a 1991 US TR should fit any 1985-1991 US TR), and I didn't realize that a replacement for a TR would work on a 308 (but that very well may be so). The one technical downside I see is that it looks like it only has a terminal 50 connection on the solenoid; whereas, a US TR solenoid has terminal 50 and switched terminal 15a. If both those wires are connected to terminal 50, it should work OK, but it will increase the amount of current flowing thru ignition switch some (but maybe I'm just not seeing everything in the photos). Have to agree that the price is perfectly reasonable vs getting another Bosch SR488X (and the F price is ridiculous ).

I'd still suggest that you actually determine if the problem is heat soak at the solenoid or an electrical problem in the white wire food chain going to terminal 50 on the solenoid (since my TR now warm restarts flawlessly in roasting TX summer, I'd be more suspicious of the latter). For example, if you measure the voltage on the white wire connected to terminal 50 at the solenoid (while it is still connected) during starting and get:

cold start = 8~9V and starter works perfectly
warm restart = 8~9V and nothing happens
justifies a heat soak diagnosis

however, if you get something like:
cold start = 8~9V and starter works perfectly
warm restart = 0~2V and nothing happens
I'd be more suspicious of the white wire food chain or the solenoid winding itself

I've found the white wire connections at the fuse-relay panel to be extremely flaky (even when they look OKish visually) and added a direct jumper from the white wire in the w connector to the white wire in the y connector - see post #21 here:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/boxers-tr-m/364105-ferraristarters-com-tr-3.html

Also, the spade connector under the coolant expansion tank is another known connection trouble area.

Good Hunting, and please do give us some feedback if you do try the gear-reduction starter.

 

Next time it happens, try routing 12v from the battery directly to the solenoid and see if it cranks. I've had this problem on another car and the issue was actually the ignition switch not providing a full 12v to the solenoid so when it was hot, it wouldn't have enough juice to get the solenoid to click. There are two solutions, new ignition switch (and eventually you have the problem again) or an additional solenoid in line with the ignition switch somewhere cool that will provide full battery voltage to the solenoid on the starter. I went with the extra solenoid solution and never had the problem again. You can also try divorcing the solenoid from the starter and moving it somewhere it won't get so hot.

 

Nice starter

 

thanks for the link.
looks not bad for a good price
somebody here has experience already with this starter?

 

A good friend installed a hi-torq starter in his 911 and about every two years he was sending it back for a rebuild. Sometimes "Newer and Better" isn't. FWIW

Jeff Pintler
89 348tb, 86tr, 99 360 3-pedal, 05 S-160 Bobcat

 

Looks like a sequel to my ferarristaters.com adventures...Get a refund and move on...The starter I got had a flange that did not fit my 85 TR...I finally bought an OEM from a FPIMP. Good luck!

 

The large battery cable and the GR (yellow/red) wire with the large loop terminal should both be connected to the large thread stud terminal.

The BL (white/blue) wire and the B (white) wire with the 1/4" female spade terminals should both be connected to the single male 1/4" spade terminal (so you'll need to fabricate some sort of short adapter "Y" cable or get some sort of "combining" adapter terminal that connects two female to one male -- and assume all responsibility for any impact on the ignition switch life, if any, as I mentioned earlier).

But please also let us know how it physically fits (or not).

 

I just installed an IMI Hi Torque Starter (#159-04) in my 52,000 mile 512TR which has the identical "no start when hot" problemo. Perfect fit, 4 minute install. New starter sounds faster and much quieter than the old Denso unit (which is itself 6 mos old). I will post results next long trip.

 

When I tried installing the hi torq starter to my 91 Testarossa the airbox would not fit back on .

 

I drovbe 140 miles today with total 2 hot, 2 cold starts. No issues. New IMI starter functioned perfectly where the Denso unit failed. No ther mods except changing starters. But this is only one day. Time will tell if problem is solved.

 

That's a great to hear Jim. Thanks for the update on the trip.

 

Hmmmmmmm......Any updates from the OP? I am thinking about dropping one in myself....

Sick n tired of my starter failing at the wrong time!! ALL THE TIME! Lordy.....

 

Second outing today, 106 miles at highway speed, 2 cold starts, one hot start, no problems.

 

Steve M alluded to this earlier but on most cars (all makes), problems with the solenoid clicking and not engaging when hot are virtually never the starter.

Most starters need more voltage to engage when they are hot, so any voltage drop in the wiring affects hot starting first. Such as, badly-wired after-market immobiliser, corroded connector contacts etc.

Having said that, replacing with a lightweight starter will often work around the wiring issue because they need less voltage/current to engage.