Busted my brand new mini starter!!!

[Barracudadan]

I can`t win I spend $30.00 on parts to make a new wiring harness for my starter since it didn`t match up with my stock starter wiring and I bust it.Something wasn`t right there was a slight gap at top between starter and tranny and I just wanted to snug the top a little more then back off bottom bolt to seat it flush when POP!

Soooo if anyone has a spare housing for a mini starter let me know.The junkyards around me all want $50.00 for a used starter.I bought this one new for $77.00 for $50 I will just buy new again if I have too.

[AARCUDADEN]

Man its not even my starter and that makes me mad  Sorry to hear that 

[barracuda7199]

i done the same thing to the brand new starter on my dakota. a few minutes with a welder she is still crankin 2 years later!!

[GoodysGotaCuda]

Man! I'm sorry to see that 

[LAA66]

 Possibly something isn't lined up right. Bummer,, that is a nice part too.

[Cooter]

And this would be why we need to find out why there was a gap in the first place. I once knew a guy that did this very thing with a 727 trans bellhousing when one of the bolts didn't draw up like he thought it should have..POP! Need new trans....Sh*t happens, then you buy more sh*t...Wish I had a bad RWD starter nose for 'yas...

[dutch]

i done the same thing to the brand new starter on my dakota. a few minutes with a welder she is still crankin 2 years later!!

    looks all nice and clean... should be no problem to weld that back in place.

[brads70]

   looks all nice and clean... should be no problem to weld that back in place.

Where are you? I have a tig welder?  If your close by ....? Otherwise shipping it wouldn't be worth it?

[GoodysGotaCuda]

Not sure I'd weld it up myself. I'd probably take it as a lesson to make sure cast parts are flush before tightening any fasteners very much.

It'd be my luck the weld would break. The next time I started the engine it'd snap the other, starter would fall out, power lug would short on my headers and it'd be on fire with a grenaded battery!  Remote, but it's not worth something remotely like that to me.

[Barracudadan]

Thanks for the offer Dutch I am in southeastern Massachusetts Part of whats frustrating to me is I can weld (I have even been a.w.s certified for mig/tig stainless steel) just no access to tig setup and I have never welded aluminum.A friend recomended aginst welding it said if repair wasnt lined up perfect it could damage starter/flywheel,but it is a clean break and if it is done properly the weld is actually stronger than the surrounding metal. I know of someone locally that may have a tig welder.If someone had an old starter nose hanging around just replacing it would have been the easiest fix.

I must have had that thing at a bad angle when I was bolting it up the original starter fits flush plus it was cold and late and bad light and if I think of anymore dumb excuses I will update my post! Think I`ll go outside and work on it some more and try not to break anything else!

[hpe600rt]

that sucks i have had days like this

[Moparal]

I've seen that broken before. The starter has to be installed straight in and flush before you tighten the top bolt. Not much room for the unit to fit flush.

[moparmaniac59]

I sheared the nose off of my new mini starter when I had a backfire at the same time I was cranking the engine over. Too bad you don't need just the motor as the one I have is electrically good (new). Sorry about your bad luck. Things like this make you say bad words, but all part of the hobby!! 

                                                                  Matt B.

[vinb]

If you know someone who Tig's do it,   there is plenty on area to weld it correctly.

They may charge you $25/$35.  definitely worth it if it's a new starter..

[Barracudadan]

I just got it back from a friend who was able to weld it.He wasn`t  too thrilled with how it welded the cast was very pourus.The weld looks black from all the impurities it pulled out of the metal. He described it as basically air pockets holding hands. I`ll put it back in and use it for now when I need to start the car see how it goes.When I get it on the road I`ll probably just get a new one this weld will always be in the back of my mind that it`s goona break when I turn the key and leave me stuck somewhere!