Eliminate the starter solenoid?

[sargentrs]

Totally off the wall question here. If one so desired, could you eliminate the stock starter solenoid with some other type/design of relay circuit? The reason I ask is I'll be installing an aftermarket wiring harness and gauges and already plan on custom wiring the dash with some additional switches, lights and relays. With the known issues of our solenoids, I.e. defective out of the box and sometimes finicky in general, is it concievable to replace it with more modern, reliable circuitry? Just randomly thinking

[cep62]

If you can find one that can handle the amperage,
The starter won't care how it gets it's power.

But if you buy a good solenoid I don't seem to have a problem.
The early 429s had a starter with a gm style solenoid maybe you could fab something.

[sargentrs]

Thanks for the tip!

[68RGR]

Well, there's always the old-style starter pedal. No extra wiring, no relays to fail, etc. And, if you have a manual transmission, you can move the truck "hands free" with the starter in a pinch.

[Whateverman]

the good thing about the stock ford style starter solenoid is that when it fails -which really isn't that often , i've only needed to replace mine 3 times in 20ish years- its easy to get at, unlike the gm style which is down on the starter itself and quite often gets overheated by the exhaust and fails

[sargentrs]

Thanks for the input guys. I've been looking at solenoid alternatives, i.e., 800 amp relays, and it looks like the stock solenoid is actually best for the job so I guess I'll have to stick with it. Oh well, it was just an idea. Thanks again!

[CommrclDiver]

What about just moving it off the fender well and putting it somewhere else?

[sargentrs]

Thanks for the suggestion! A full battery and solenoid relocate to someplace less obvious would be the way to go.

[guhfluh]

The new Ford PMGR starters have the solenoid on the starter, are smaller, more powerful and less than half the weight of the original bump starters. You will supposedly still need a small relay or more robust than stock ignition switch, because the newer solenoids draw more current, but that should be easy.

[sargentrs]

You mean like this? http://www.dbelectrical.com/p-9936-new- ... d0001.aspx

[guhfluh]

Yep. I just installed one of those on my truck. I left the stock solenoid in place, the way they show to wire it when upgrading from an old style starter, but you don't have to leave the stock solenoid. The stock solenoid is WAY overkill for switching the solenoid on the PMGR starter. A 20A relay or switch would be fine. A 15A would probably work as well, but its close to the 14A max pull in current I saw tested on mine, though its only a short spike.

[Mancar1]

Wow, what a great price. I paid a lot more for the gear reduction mini starter I recently installed on my 390. Wonder how it would compare to the Robb Roy.

You mean like this? http://www.dbelectrical.com/p-9936-new- ... d0001.aspx