mini starter fit issue

[Just Carbs]

I think if you need to spin your engine over faster than the original starter does and hope not to run down your battery you have more problems than a starter.

The mini starers are handy for cars that sit long enough to lose the gas from the carb.
But we really don't need them because all these old cars get driven to work and back every day. Right?

 

[Jakter]

The mini starers are handy for cars that sit long enough to lose the gas from the carb.
But we really don't need them because all these old cars get driven to work and back every day. Right?

Maybe Grandma knew how to fill the carb bowls because those cars started every Sunday to go to church.

 

[Just Carbs]

Maybe Grandma knew how to fill the carb bowls because those cars started every Sunday to go to church.

Mine did.

 

[KevinW]

I’m intrigued about the mini starter now. My 300F often sits in my garage for weeks or even months in the winter. And now, with the unavailability of ethanol free gas, it’s a bear to start beyond more than a few days. The starter is the original F starter with a new NOS drive and NOS solenoid, brushes and drive end bushing. It cranks as fast as it should, but it takes almost a minute or more to fire up. If I take both air cleaners off and squirt gas in, boom it’ll start. I write it off to crappy fuel. As for the Mopar starter whine, these old starters are not gear reduction style anyway, so sound wise, it wouldn’t be an issue.

 

[Big_John]

I’m intrigued about the mini starter now. My 300F often sits in my garage for weeks or even months in the winter. And now, with the unavailability of ethanol free gas, it’s a bear to start beyond more than a few days. The starter is the original F starter with a new NOS drive and NOS solenoid, brushes and drive end bushing. It cranks as fast as it should, but it takes almost a minute or more to fire up. If I take both air cleaners off and squirt gas in, boom it’ll start. I write it off to crappy fuel. As for the Mopar starter whine, these old starters are not gear reduction style anyway, so sound wise, it wouldn’t be an issue.

That obviously a problem with fuel evaporating out of the carb and a good case for a small electric fuel pump on a momentary switch. Changing the starter won't help with that.

Mount it in the fuel line back by the tank.

I put a small pump on my '70 300 and it's great. If the car sits for a week, I just hit the switch until I hear the sound change, meaning the carb bowls now are full. The car starts right up then... No excessive cranking.

 

[KevinW]

That obviously a problem with fuel evaporating out of the carb and a good case for a small electric fuel pump on a momentary switch. Changing the starter won't help with that.

Mount it in the fuel line back by the tank.

I put a small pump on my '70 300 and it's great. If the car sits for a week, I just hit the switch until I hear the sound change, meaning the carb bowls now are full. The car starts right up then... No excessive cranking.

I did think of that, what pump make/model do you use?

 

[Big_John]

I did think of that, what pump make/model do you use?

I just found a cheap, no name pump on eBay. No idea what brand etc.

Anything like this will work.

EDIT: That link doesn't want to work. Look for a Facet cube pump with 5/16" in/out

There's many similar. I've read that the Facet brand is better quality, but I went the cheap route because first I'm cheap and second, I'm not relying on this to drive the car, just make it easier to start, so if it fails, the car can still be driven as usual.

And don't use the teflon tape on anything like this. Shards of the tape get caught in the carb inlet.

 

[John Kelly]

On the mini starter conversion kit: I removed the connector from the mini starter (see photo) and installed the mini starter without the conversion kit to see if one is actually needed. For peace of mind, I am ordering the conversion kit (I just ordered it now from the link posted above) because with it I know I can tighten everything down correctly. The mini starter might work as it is now, (see photos) if everything is tightened down correctly, but I can't guarantee that considering the very small space and working blind on the smaller terminal. The conversion kit will put my concerns to rest because access to those terminals will be much easier.
I'll post more pics once the kit arrives, and it's installed.

 

[LocuMob]

You shouldn't need the kit, you have a lot of room the way it is, but I won't argue that it may be easier to get to the terminals.

 

[John Kelly]

You shouldn't need the kit, you have a lot of room the way it is, but I won't argue that it may be easier to get to the terminals.

It looks roomy, but it's tight. If I were in a garage, a better work environment etc. I'd spend the time slowly tightening everything down etc., but the kit is less than 20 bucks and it will go fast once it's in. I'm working on this in my back yard under a tent from harbor freight. Not ideal, so I want to make things easy on me.

 

[Just Carbs]

It looks roomy, but it's tight. If I were in a garage, a better work environment etc. I'd spend the time slowly tightening everything down etc., but the kit is less than 20 bucks and it will go fast once it's in. I'm working on this in my back yard under a tent from harbor freight. Not ideal, so I want to make things easy on me.

And it will be much easier to service under adverse conditions on the road away from home.

 

[John Kelly]

Done. I received the conversion kit (posted here in this thread) today and installed everything. So much easier this way. Super easy access. I did have to bend the threaded studs so they align with the main axis of the starter. If I left them as they were, the battery cable stud would be too close to the block and that is what I want to avoid. Anyway, copper is soft, problem solved. Tomorrow I'll try starting her up.