Well the never ending saga of my plow truck is coming to an end!

MTboatguy

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 8, 2010
Messages
8,988
Those of you that have been around a while have read my various messages asking about my old 84 diesel plow truck, plow pumps, all kinds of things including getting stuck a few times over the years is finally coming to an end!

I finally gave up and ordered a new starter after checking all of the electrical systems I could check, it was indeed the starter that is bad, they checked it at the shop and it started sparking all over the place, guess the brushes are bad in the old factory starter..

Talk about a heavy SOB! The darn starter weighs 87 pounds! I start investigating to get the new brushes and bushings that when it is all said and done were going to cost me $75.00 and take a couple of hours to tear everything apart, put back together and test.

So I start looking around for a new starter! started reading about them and in 85 they started using a reduction gear starter, spins the motor up faster and takes less time to start the truck in cold weather, so I order one for a little over a hundred bucks, just got shipping notification, 2 day Fedex, free shipping from Amazon. But what really amazed me, the weight listed in the store was 20 pounds!!!!! I go to the shipping information on Fedex and the shipping weight is listed at 21 pounds!!!!

You have to be kidding me, they have a 20 pound starter that will turn this monster over twice as fast and it weighs over 60 pounds less! Yikes if I ever buy another diesel, I will be again looking for a starter! It is going to be easier to lift 20 pounds over my head while laying on my back under an 8000 pound truck while trying to do my best impression of Harry Houdini!

With that said, I am actually putting the current plow truck up for sale next week, once I get it started again and I ordered a brand new plow I can put on my Chevy Silverado in the 2" receiver hitch I mounted on the front for my winch, the winch will move to the back of the truck during plow season and if I bash into a snow bank and get stuck, I will just run the winch line out and pull myself out of my fix in a few minutes!

Hopefully this will keep me out of trouble this winter, be my luck, new toys and it won't snow this winter!

:lol:
 

jimmbo

Supreme Mariner
Joined
May 24, 2004
Messages
12,944
Call Mr. Plow, that's my name, that name again is Mr. Plow
Mr_Plow.jpg
 

GA_Boater

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
49,038
Heck MT - I thought you were posting a change of address to Florida and wouldn't need a plow again. LOL

Starting the truck has been a bear for a while - Hope the Mini-Mite does the trick for ya! 60 pounds is a heck of a difference.
 

82rude

Rear Admiral
Joined
May 8, 2012
Messages
4,082
Well here i thought you bought a cat d8 dozer,lol!Quite the weight diff on the starters,good luck and happy plowing.
 

MTboatguy

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 8, 2010
Messages
8,988
Well here i thought you bought a cat d8 dozer,lol!Quite the weight diff on the starters,good luck and happy plowing.

I looked, the ones I can afford don't have heat! These old bones need heat! LOL
 

Tnstratofam

Commander
Joined
Aug 18, 2013
Messages
2,679
I think a parting picture of your tormentor/plow truck being driven away by its new victim/owner are in oorder.:D

We replaced the starter on my buddy's f250 a few years ago with a gear reduction starter. It was like a whole new truck. Especially when it was cold. Starts much easier now. He and I agree for diesel engines it's a great idea.
 

alldodge

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
40,581
Replaced the starter on my CAT D3 and the old one was a heavy thing, still have it laying around. The new one was smaller and lighter but thing its about 20 or so, don't remember, and didn't weight
 

mla2ofus

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Dec 30, 2008
Messages
571
I looked, the ones I can afford don't have heat! These old bones need heat! LOL
If it's old enough just switch the fan so it's pulling air, install curtains, cover the grill with a tarp, plastic or canvas, and you'll have heat.
 

MTboatguy

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 8, 2010
Messages
8,988
Well got it running again after several months and I can say, these reduction gear starters are something, they crank them up nice and fast!
 

Boomyal

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Aug 16, 2003
Messages
12,072
Well got it running again after several months and I can say, these reduction gear starters are something, they crank them up nice and fast!

Put one on my 20 ft 5.0 boat a number of years back, it was 1/2 the size and 1/2 the weight of the OEM starter. Not only did it scream like a banshee, it did not rest on the bilge stringer, right in the path of any water cascading down the deck into the bilge.
 
Top