Starter question on a 5.7 gm--

ab59

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I just put the new engine back into the boat for the second time and am trying to get all the wiring hooked back up . I am working at the starter and began to hook up the yellow with the orange stripe to the small back terminal and it never seemed to tighten up , just spun when I got it on the stud about a quarter inch. Tried to back it out and got the same treatment , it just spins the post and not the nut.
Looks like I will have to drop the starter to get the wire loose and address the problem. My question is , what is the post of what would be the letter " B " on the wiring schematic , hooked to ? By the post spinning is the solenoid now trashed ? It
Is brand new and if I can salvage it then that is great. This is one of the new type that is Marine specific and kind of a gold color and half the size of a normal starter . I'm not at all sure that the solenoid can be changed on this one.
Any one out there who knows ??
I forgot to say that this is on a 1988 5.7 .
 

salvageyard saviour

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I believe, under the cap there is a little wire that powers the solenoid. If I remember right it has an "eye" connector to the screw and it should not damage the wire if the screw spins.
The screw holds the wire and comes through the cap to the outside wire and nut.
The screw has a "star" shape that presses into the cap to hold it in place and not spin.

If you're not afraid of a warranty on the new starter ......
You can remove the cap so you can hold the screw from the inside while removing the nut that's stuck. Be careful pulling the cap off so you don't snap that inside wire.
To keep this from happening again use 2 nuts on the outside of the cap. 1 at the bottom, then wire connector, then top nut.
This will give you something to hold onto as you snug the top nut.

Before all that, if it's possible I'd return it. The Reman people are pretty sloppy. And I'd be hesitant about it water sealing as it should after reassembly. If this were a 10 yr old starter I'd try it.
 
Last edited:

ab59

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Thanks for your reply . I was able to stick a small screwdriver in against the bottom nut and put a bind on the screw and unscrewed the nut in front of the wire. After removing the wire I took a deep set socket and got the bottom nut to tighten up against the cap . Should I still remove the starter and look under the Cap ? Or can I just put the yellow with an orange stripe wire back on and run it ? The stud spun quite a bit both to the right and to the left before I was able to get to the bottom nut to tighten it up.
Although the starter is new , I bought it over a year ago and any warranty is long gone.
 

alldodge

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Its a new starter, I wouldn't mess with trying to fix it without input from the vendor, don't want to mess it up, or have them think it was messed up and they won't take it back

Wiring is

Starter connect.jpg
 

ab59

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thanks for your rep;y--- No warranty on the starter to worry about so guess it's just going to be on me to figure it out. If there is a wire connected to the yellow/red post that is fixed to the end of the screw then it must be broke off unless it swivels and allows the screw to turn without twisting the wire in half.
this is the first type of starter that i have seen like this. The solenoid is held into place with two odd looking screws and I'm not sure if the solenoid can be replaced but that is most likely what I will try to do unless I can easily repair the one that is on the starter now.
Since I can't return it I guess I can't do much harm trying to fix it. Was kind of Leary when it showed up about half the size of the starter that was on it to begin with . I payed about half the price of a full sized one so looks like i got what I payed for . Half the size and half the quality and half the price .
 

Bondo

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Was kind of Leary when it showed up about half the size of the starter that was on it to begin with .

Ayuh,.... That;s a PM starter,.... Way better than the big old style starters,......

Never tried to change the solenoid on one, no doubt you twisted that wire off the backside of the stud,....

Test it,.....
 

salvageyard saviour

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Granted all of the starters I've taken apart were older than yours, none of the wires inside the cap were permanently attached to the screw. There was some kind of connector on the wire that fit onto the screw. The inside wire probably stayed intact as the screw turned.
So I'd say you're good to go.

As Bondo says "test it"

Easy enough to do with jumper cables and a short jumper wire.
 

ab59

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Thank you guys for your replies. I have a remote starter switch that will be easy enough to rig up to test and I will do that tomorrow .
thanks again and tomorrow will tell the tale one way or the other. Will post the results.
 

jaytintinger@q.com

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Nov 21, 2018
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If it works run it. sounds like you have the stud fixed on the out side. it will either work or not.
 

ab59

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Ok , I took the starter out and bench tested it and it works ! The wire on the post that comes from the starter to the solenoid actually comes out of the cap and around the base of the post and allowed the post to turn without breaking the wire . Before I removed the starter I dug around and found the old starter and solenoid and took the cap off of that one and the wire was corroded to the post and did not turn and in fact broke off when I removed the cap.
Anyway I guess i did get lucky this time but not all good news as the threads in the center of the loose post were nearly non existent and I had to add two additional lock washers to find good threads to tighten up the nut.
thank you all for your input . I guess the next starter I put in will get a good once over checking parts for tightness and threads for usability .
A.B.
 
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