Hey fellow third gen owners. I have a heat soak problem. I went through 2 or 3 starters last summer because they kept getting fried. So, I asked some group of people with third gens on Facebook and some people said get a mini starter and others said heat shield. So, I obviously want to go for the more simple and cheap solution. I just bought a heat shield wrap for my starter at Autozone. Will this thing do it's job? Has anyone had any luck with them? I'm really new to this problem and rather not have to push my car and go through starters this summer. I have too much to fix and not enough time. I want it to be like when i got my car, turn key starts, not oh your headers just fried your solinoid. Please, give some feedback on if it has worked for you. I'll update you if it works or not.

 

I used the DEI starter wrap for 12 years on my 383 with GM mini-starter. The standard starter is a PIA with long tube headers.

I never had issues , but my headers were also HTC coated.
Time did take it's toll on my starter wrap heat shield so I bought a new one this Spring to wrap my new MSD mini-starter on my 421.

Money well spent.

Another option is to switch to a remote solenoid, and mount it away from any engine heat.

 

Remote solenoid accomplished NOTHING on my car. I wrapped my starter with some heat reflective tape. It may have been marginally better, but still mostly useless. I went to an LT1 starter and havent had any issues since. I still have my remote solenoid in a box if you want to pay me for it, but I'm telling you right now it's not worth the trouble to ship it. Total waste of time and money.

 

I put it on and it's working so far.

 

Use a 88-96 vette gear reduction mini starter that will cure problem for good

 

I tried the heat reflective tape with no real difference. I then fabbed my own heat shield from some 18 gauge sheet I had laying around. Haven't had a problem since. I'm running shorty headers, don't know if that makes a difference or not.

 

That's what I have. I have coated hooker supercomp headers and 1 tube lays right on the starter, 0 issues for many yrs.

 

I'm using the original Denso starter from my '89 Vette on my 12:1 race 383 engine.
Never a problem

You will appreciate the weight difference while trying to hold it up in place during starter R/R


]

 

The vette starter weighs 8 lbs give or take a pound. Sold one to a member here.

 

Whoa. I didn't know Corvettes used that cool little starter. Is it a direct bolt in on an LB9? Is the part with the "Made in Japan" plate the solenoid?

Also, I wouldn't think that reflective tape would help much. A fabbed heat shield would need some air gap in order to help with cooling.

 

Don't mess any further with the old original size starter. My efforts to heatshield the original and replacement starters were fruitless. No headers, just factory TPI exhaust.
I went with a $75 parts-store-brand 96 Vette replacement ministarter 4 years ago and not a problem since.

 

The LT1 starter is another good option. Can be had for under $100 at RA.

 

Yes, most places will offer the same part number, whether you tell them Vette (88-96) or LT1.

 

That's the only REAL solution I've found…mini starter. If you move the solenoid, then the motor itself will still get heat soaked. I went through 4 Autozone starters with the "lifetime' warranty till I just got tired of replacing them.

I ended up getting a fancy Powermaster starter, but the one above seems like just as good (and cheaper) solution! I have one of those Moroso heat shields still hanging on the wall in my garage…never used it.

 

Of course... small block Chevy w the same bolt pattern.

No; actually, that's the MOTOR. The solenoid is the square-ish part the battery cable goes to first.

VIRTUALLY ANYTHING is better than that stooooopid Stone Age direct-drive Delco POS our cars got stuck with.

Wrap, shields, solenoids, and all that other crap, is just a way for unscrupulous people to prey on the gullible. Doesn't do A DAMN THING except make the installer think they've accomplished something by inflating the ego. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance for a discussion of the shortcoming of humans in this regard. (a most curious and interesting species, but illogical) Don't fall for it.

Disclaimer: yes I AM an electrical engineer by trade, on a first name basis with most of the electrons after all these years

 

Ran Ram mini starters for 12+ years on 388 with LAMINATED ALUMINUM HEAT SHIELD. Tried single solid Alumn Shield but still got TOO hot even with ceramic coated headers. Can't remember where I purchased the laminated version but that was the end of heat soak with starter.

FYI I have two of the Ram Mini's and shields if interested....
Carl (87OldSchool)
336-707-2328
Thanks

 

Direct bolt on with my stock 5speed trans?

 

Yep....

 

Omg good. Hopefully this solves this heat soak crap. After replacing 4 oem starters I think i need this too work. Should I keep the heat wrap on the new starter or just toss it?

 

Toss it.

It's a placebo.

There's no "hopefully" about it.

Look up the mental fallacy called "post hoc ergo propter hoc" and enjoy all the drivel about "heat shield" after you learn about that.

 

FWIW and with all due respect to SOFA... heat shields work & serve a purpose.

The OEMs have used them for decades.

Just look at any stock 3rd gen.
From memory here is a list of some heat shields the OEM installed:

fuel tank @ muffler
fuel tank @ over axle collector pipe
floor pan @ cat. convertor
turbo system @ various locations (on the turbo T/A)

Take a look at any modern car, THE OEMs still used heat shielding.

 

Without getting into any debate about heat shields...no, you won't need one with the smaller starter. It sits further away from the headers, so it doesn't see as much heat.

 

correct...

My new MSD mini starter is about 15-20% SMALLER than the
OEM mini which it replaced. I decided not to bother wrapping it and uses to material instead to insulate some fuel line

 

Im not convinced for something like starters that it really makes a difference due to all the heat sources around it on all sides and how small the heatshield has to be. You'd have to put something like a heatblanket around the headers/exhaust or something to seal that heat in and keep it from radiating out. The guy talking about a laminated heatshield.... that makes sense. You have multiple layers with air gaps between them hopefully sealing off the starter somewhat well from the exhaust heat, but in general I dont think just a metal plate over the starter is going to do much except create a starter oven.

It's no doubt that heatshielding works and is an accepted practice... but the heatshield has to be large enough to dissipate that heat, it has to not dissipate that heat into whatever it's shielding as quickly as the heat source would, and the the thing it's shielding needs to be otherwise isolated from heatsources. The starter is literally surrounded by heat on all sides and the only way to really shiedl would be to completely encapsulate it, and it's still mechanically fastened to the block which also gets very warm. It makes sense to me that some might work, some might not, in that situation. Just depends on various factors.

With long tubes I have ZERO troubles with my LT1 starter. TONS of troubles with my old starter.

 

I am the laminated heatshield guy I am here to tell you they were extremely effective. Yes, the starter is surrounded by heat, but no the heat of the block is not the same as the heat coming off the headers. With regard to the non-laminated shields available they work as well , not quite as good. FYI....the laminated shield was only two layers with maybe .060 between two layers of 1/16 aluminum. The heat shield works on the reflection principle. You want to radiate the heat away from the starter. These are not heatsinks they are heatshields they are designed to act as a barrier to minimize heat soak in the starter. Think of the ceramic tiles on the space shuttle.....same principle. No smoke and mirrors here just basic reflection.

87OldSchool