Got a couple questions. I'm fairly sure my starter is acting up occasionally. Two times about a month or so apart, after the car had been off for sometime(overnight and once leaving a mall) the solenoid just clicked once and did nothing, turn it on again and one click and nothing. After a minute of thinking it over, I tried again and it started fine. I neglected to check any gauges at the time though.

A month later or so later, today, after being off all night, it did the same thing a few times or so. This time, when just turning the ignition to the on position before starting it, I checked the battery gauge and noticed it was not up near 13 where it usually is but a few lines below that. Well out of the yellow/red zone but still lower than it should be. Again, after pondering the situation a minute and trying again it started right up. I turned it off and then checked the battery gauge again and now it was right up where it should be near 13. After that it started fine a load of times all day while running around.

All that being said, I do plan to check the battery cable connections, etc. However, as this is the original starter and I can't have any real downtime on it, I am going to order a new starter. Should the connections just need a cleaning, fine, if that fixes it. If not, the starter will be here. If the starter isn't needed, well, it can wait in storage until it is. Also, the battery is relatively recent, within a year or so old.

Anyway, the real questions are... I'm looking at 2 starters, a Bosch SR8532X reman and an AC Delco reman. Which would be the better choice?

Second question is, there are 2 AC Delco starters listed for my car on both the Delco site and Rockauto.
323-473 STARTER,(REMAN)
and
336-1904 STARTER,(REMAN) ALL MAKES PROD 10455012
There's no real information on the difference. other than the 2 pictures offered. The 473 seems to show a gold plate and gold colored terminals on the solenoid where the 1904 has a black plate and normal looking connectors.
The 473 is also a bit more expensive. So, does anyone know the difference or which one I should go for should I buy an AC Delco instead of the Bosch?

http://198.208.187.182/internet/Part...artnbr=323-473

http://198.208.187.182/internet/Part...rtnbr=336-1904

I would guess the Delco to be the better starter, and worlds better than anything off the shelf at Advance but I did want to ask.

 

Neither.

Get a "mini-starter". Do away with that old stupid Stone Age direct-drive Delco design, and step into the 20th century (I'm not aware of any 21st century starter designs as of yet....) and put a gear-reduction unit on there.

The GM starter for LT1, or any of the aftermarket ones based on either the Hitachi motor (Summit, Tilton, Powermaster, etc.) or the Nippondenso motor (CVR and others) is a HUGE improvement over that POS the factory stuck on these cars; and bolts right up. Problem solved permanently.

No matter who rebuilt it last, or which slight variant of nosepiece casting is on it.

 

I'll second that motion.

I use Powermaster mini starter because of header clearance - huge improvement in cranking speed, weight and clearance. Well worth the money spent. Just make sure that you know which one to get. I had to get offset stagger bolt version due to heavy duty block. Summit has most of them in stock.

//RF

 

I would like to add that the only reason to get a direct drive starter instead of a gear reduction starter is if you are a dinosaur brained old-school guy that can't stand the Japanese whine sound of a gear reduction starter...like me.
And sound is a pretty silly excuse for buying an inferior technology starter ...

 

Being in the industry for some time I would advise against purchasing rebuilt components such as starters as you are at the mercy of the rebuilder's discretion. If the core was turned in with an intermittent fault their rebuild protocol might not catch the cause and pass it on to you.

This philosophy leaves you with two options: buy a new starter (preferably a mini, not offshore-made) or repair/rebuild your original starter yourself with new, trusted components.

 

edited. making a new thread as the topic has changed to lt-1 starters