Okay, so my quest for a rebuilt starter (or rebuilding mine) at the local generator/starter shops have failed - none of them seem to want my business. Always ignored.
I was hoping to have mine rebuilt so i know it will fit and not require mods or shimming.
I think it is original, but rebuilt before... I have the 350 engine.


Can anyone confirm this part number?? 1108386

It definetly has the same patina of the engine, except for the solenoid. It WAS removed before, as the bolt for the brace was omitted. Brace is connected to the block tho.

Also, I want the replacement to have the stupid little hole in the side for the brace. Not many have those I hear...

So, I am thinking of getting a reman AC Delco unit from Rockauto for 70 bucks to my door.
Good choice or not? I hear mixed opinions on rebuilt stuff, esp. ACD.

I want an original style, not an aftermarket universal mini or such.

Now - will a 455 starter fit a 350? I would like the added torque these provide.
However, I did not look ahead and I had bought 350 battery cables already. Are the 455's battery cables thicker to handle the extra 20A of current their starters require?

 

is your starter you have an original one, I would not get rid of it as a core, plenty of folks on here would like a matching numbers one.

 

WOW thats unfortunate. Don't give up on the local rebuilders.

All the ones I called locally had the starters for my 1966 98 in stock. I would think for a Cutlass they would be even more common. Considering the SBO and BBO blocks were only different in height I would ASSUME the BBO starter would fit.

 

I added some pics of the old unit, it was just as grungy as the engine itself...

 

The higher torque starters will fit. You can identify by the longer copper tube that connects the starter coils to the solenoid. the one you have pictured looks to be a non high torque starter. If you say you want your original rebuild it yourself....easy... or do local. If the local shops wont deal buy your parts on line and go for it.

 

ALL 1964-1990 Olds RWD starters physically interchange, even the diesel starter (though you need to use the special bracket that moves the driver's side motor mount forward to clear in that case). Using a high-torque starter on a low-torque motor is no problem. The other way around will work for a while but expect hot start problems.

 

The 386 is a low torque starter for the 350 You need a high torque starter. The starters will interchange as far as mounting, but there is a power difference. You may also want the hole on the side for mounting. If you know the number and date of the starter you want, I may have something here. I would not advise rebuilding the low torque starter as it is not correct anyway and shipping 2 ways would be costly. $70.00 shipped is a great price if it is a good starter. The hole on the side of the starter should have a stud in the starter with a permanent nut on it and the rest of the stud extended to attach the brace to. The studs may be a little hard to find, but I'm not sure. I can build you a quality starter, but not for 70. If you like I may be able to find you a rebuilder close to you. Price would be up to you and the rebuilder.

 

On second thought if you have the 350 and the starter worked well for a number of years, rebuild it. If you can't do it yourself, lets find you a local rebuilder.

 

where did you take it for rebuild? I found 2 that I think are pretty close to you.

 

Well right now the old one is tumbling around in the back of the Cadillac. I have called Richardson Generator and Starter 4 times and he keeps promising to look for a high-torque starter core to rebuild. He is so busy he never calls back or looks for a core. Price would be 60 plus 10 for a core.

I had a guy in Sherman build one up for 125 but when i went to get it, it was for a chevy. He never called back when the Olds one was supposed to be ready. Doubt he had one or wanted to mess with it. I told him it was an Olds!

This starter I have has worked okay, but has had some slowness when hot. This is the reson for wanting a high torque one for my 350.

I do not think they can rewind a low torque unit to a high torque one, as I was hoping, so the one I have is probably not worth messing with.

So at Rockauto i have a choice of either a Delco starter or a Remy. My old one says Delco Remy. Do I have to buy both of them to get a whole unit??

The Remy's have pictures but not sure how correct they are. The 455 one has its side mounting hole lower.

 

Rob,

I bought the ac delco starter from rockauto, works great and cranks strong, identical to the original, just it's missing the bracket that fits on the side, mine required no shims to install, but they do provide the flywheel/starter clearance tool so you'll be all good.

Cheers,

Tony

 

Where are they?

Does it have the hole in the side? The bracket is not supposed to be included.

 

High torque starter number for you is 1108389

 

Just went through this issue of finding an Olds starter with the hole in the side through the auto parts stores and was not successful. Several places show the hole in their photos but when I called and had them check their stock, the starters did not have the hole. I even had one company call the national rebuilder directly and no luck. I ended up getting a reman one, took it apart and drilled/tapped the hole myself. Keep looking for someone to rebuild yours and look at Auto Electric shops as they will do them too. Since the body of the starter is the same, someone should be able to build you a high torque unit using what you have. I know of 2 shops up here who rebuild yours but shipping would be a deal breaker.

 

Just what I suspected - not looking for a runaround at this point...

This is what I needed to know. If the shell is usable, I would like to convert it.
Now if only I can find a local starter shop that would actually want my biz...

 

Rob, I like Richardson Generator, if you drive over they'll take care of you..

 

how far are you from lewisville? Is that where you went?

 

Nope, i couldn't mount the original bracket, but i tightened it down pretty good and it seems to work well.

 

I am thinking of doing just that on monday before i give up on them. They are on the way home from work when i drive.
Walk-ins seem to have more power than phone-ins...
Did you have some work done by them? What was your experience?

No. That is a 40 minute city-slog for me. Would prefer closer, but I am running out of choices...

I just found a place in Plano I will call also on Ave. K.

Anyone in the dallas area have an old 455 starter core?

 

A good shop can put heavier fields in the starter to make it more powerful . More work and expense than just rebuilding a hi-torque starter, but if you want to keep the original, it is an alternative. If you can't find someone local I can do whatever you want.

 

try south dallas battery too

 

I will consider this if a core cannot be found

South dallas? I would have my old starter stolen from me at gunpoint for its scrap value...

 

S&W Starter in Pennsylvania.

great work, reasonable, and reliable.

 

Sorry I have never been near Dallas. Don't you have a pistol? I thought everyone in Texas carried.

 

I would rather avoid and not have to shoot.
People down there are carjacked for their corollas and cavaliers...

 

I drive a 1990 cavalier. I will be sure to stay away from S. Dallas.. Sounds like those people need a job. Or is that their chosen profession?

 

If you have it done local, The fields needed are Ace ST-96-HT or J&N 261-12072. These fields will make your starter a high torque while still using your original armature and field pole shoes. Good luck

 

Rob,

How come you need a high torque starter? Did your car start fine before with the old one?

Cheers,

Tony

 

X2 I do have a restored starter 1108386 ready to sell, but the date is 3B28 not right for your car to keep original. I can send pics to an email if you want. I agree with Tony. With yours rebuilt it should work fine. How long have you had the slow warm start condition? If it is just recent a good rebuild on yours should solve it.

 

Oh, and what about the condition of your battery cables/grounds? I redid all my wiring with new really fat battery cables (gauge 2 i think?) and it really helped my starter cranking when hot.

 

It's their chosen profession and willing to take the chance of a loaded 45 behind door #1...

I will print this and take it to the shop of choice - they make look at me funny tho...

It is a bit slow, especially when it was running hot when I bought it. Not much of an issue after I fixed the overheating problem.

So how do you read the date code? What is mine??
Let me know how much you want for that one - I can keep mine as a spare maybe. It has always sounded slow, but was VERY slow when it was running hot when I first bought the car

Old cables were intact, Belkin replacements, both 4 gauge.
I bought new repro cables from American Autowire and the + is 2 gauge (as specified int he wiring diag) and the - cable is 4 gauge (vs 2 gauge in the diag.)

OH - and THANK YOU to all who have been steering me through this muck!

 

What was the overheating problem?

2 gauge wire versus whatever the previous owner had installed in my car made a HUGE difference, along with cleaning the wires that hook onto the solenoid, cutting, stripping, and putting new eyelets on the end.

Looking back, i could have probably reused my old starter, but i just bit the bullet for the 70 bucks shipped from rockauto and got a fresh one.

What's the price on getting your starter rebuilt? I know you want to keep your car all original, but if it comes close to 70 dollars, i'd be tempted to go for the Delco..

 

2 row radiator, bad fan clutch, and it needed a good flush.
I noticed the problem when driving the car home from Georgia.
It never went high enough to trip the light, but I bet it was running 220-230. I almost thought the battery was dead after one stop after highway driving in 99* heat. Engine fired just before the starter stopped turning!

About 60 to rebuild mine, 70 for them to provide a core to rebuild.

I guess I am **** about getting that hole on the side because I had already bought a $30 heat shielding bracket 4 years ago to bolt onto it.

 

Door # 1 Ha Ha you're killing me OOps I meant thats funny
If the shop looks at you funny cuz of the numbers Look at them funny turn around and walk out cuz they don't know what they are doing.
2C20 date code translates to 2-1972 C-march 20- 20th day If the starter is to be correct for your car (numbers matching) Your cars production date will be after march 20th 1972. Usually anywhere from days to 3 months later.
$80+shipping for the starter. This is a stock starter like yours and not hi-torque.

 

If they rebuild yours with the new hi-torque fields your cost will go up considerably. Copper is not cheap anymore + shipping + additional labor. Don't be suprised if he wants to add 50 to the 60.

 

Maybe I am going about this wrong.
So just to set my mind straight...
Are all 455 starters "high torque"?
Or are the high torque ones specially made and suited for modified high compression motors?

Should I just ask for a 455 starter instead of one for a 350? I assume this will get me the small extra torque gain I am looking for. The 455 ones have a different field config than the 350 ones.
I do not need a whole lot more than what I have...

 

I think you should check the Parts Manual, Rob.

I think there were a few flavors of torque over the years, with the true high-torque units going to the 10.25:1 455s (I used, ahem, a few regular starters on one of these years ago before I admitted defeat and sprung for the right one).

I also think that the rebuild / aftermarket will probably not offer starters that directly mirror the original specs - they may be bigger or smaller, but there will be fewer variations for the books to list and the stores to stock.

- Eric

 

Oh, geez... Check the manual.........

Okay, here is what I found on the innards.
All parts seem to be the same on 1972 V8 versions except:

drive housing - different # for toro only (cause its on the other side of the engine...)

pole shoes - different # for 350 and 455s
field coil assy - has different #s for 350 and toro only, but none listed for regular 455.
coil insulator - only 350 # listed. Others did not use? Maybe this was for shunt coil?
armature - different # for 350, regular 455, and toro.

So those who have rebuilt starters - does the rebuilder just order a gut-pack and replace parts?
Hopefully it won't be hard for me to take this starter to the shop Monday and tell him to rebuild it as if it was from a 455 non-toro...
Basically, I just want to lose the shunt coil / 3 fields and go with 4 fields.
My stock 307 in my '86 cranks much faster and it seems to have the 4 coil setup.

 

I think the standard practice for a rebuilder is to check , clean and replace what is worn. To do an upgrade, the rebuilder will have to do a little more by replacing parts that normally may not need to be replaced. The question will be if they have those parts.

Here's another couple of ideas since I suspect you are an electrical person of some sort. Why not purchase a reman starter from one of the auto parts houses for a 455 and use all of the parts from that starter and put them into your housing? I looked at the NAPA website and that of Advance Auto Parts and they call out a different starter number for a 350 VS a 455. NAPA up here sells a lifetime warranty one for $57 (#46-4800 for 455 and #46-4801 for 350)) and Advance sells a starter for $49 but I'm not sure of the warranty. I saw the Advance ones and they do not look like the picture on their site. In fact, they didn't look all that nice. I bought a NAPA unit and it is very nice. You could remove all the guts from the main body as there are 4 screws that attach the magnets (might need an impact screwdriver to get those screws loose as I needed to do) and the brushes are easy to remove with the pins. Use the new rear plate as it will have a new bushing installed and use the new armature. Also use the new nose cap as that will also have a new bushing. These starters are not very complicated. Just remove the solenoid first, then the 2 bolts off the back plate. With the bolts removed, the nose will come off (watch the arm for the starter drive) and you can slide the armature out the front. Swap magnets and brushes and reassemble. Easy to bench test too. If you screw up, swap things back and get another one under the lifetime warranty. Just a thought. Be your own rebuilder and that way you have new upgraded higher torque parts in your original housing. Another option is to go with a reman unit for a 455 and install the hole in the side yourself. I had to remove one screw and drop one magnet out of the way while I drilled and tapped the body. Just make sure the bolt you use won't hit the magnet when you install it.

 

Grab your fishing rod and a can opener cuz if you try this you will open up a big can of worms. Just buy the hi torque starter for a 455 and be done with it. A big box store starter can have a mix and match bunch of parts in it. There are too many variations of fields, pole shoes, and armatures and field cases. The hi torque fields will not go in the lo torque case without modifications to the case. The field leads come out higher so you will have to drill a new hole or cut a chunk out of the original case. There are many field windings for the low and hi torque starters. lo-t 4 fields is fast lo-t 3 fields+shunt slower, but more power (torque) hi-t 4 fields fast and power hi-t 3 fields +1 shunt slower +more power ht-2fields and 2 shunts even more power Some of the rebuilt starters have fields in the case that looks like a neuclear cooling tower that are aluminum fields. these are pure junk. I $hit can everyone of them.

(IF YOU SCREW THINGS UP)
I am glad you buy from the parts store. I have been rebuilding and selling starters for over36 years. Accidental breakage is one thing, but if you bought it from me and YOU screwed it up, you better be up to date on your tooth fillings cuz you are gonna eat it not me. If I did a screwed up job then I will be the one having a heavy lunch that day.