37 Ford build--IE: old Header issues thread /37 Ford/5.0/GT40P heads

[randyr]

Randy,
Thanks for the kind words on the interior - I went to visit my uphosterer yesterday just as a reminder he needs to finish the seats. By May!!

I still owe you some painting information - soon

The starter is the Ford Racing M-11000-A50 Hi-torque (don't think you need the -B50 super high torque unit) and is a fair bit smaller. There is ~7.5 inches between the mounting flange and the headers, giving only about .750 clearance to the header collector (the starter body is ~6.750, mtg flange to tip). While I didn't try one of the old starters that I had, I'm pretty sure it would not fit. Probably one of the small later model 5.0/5.7 OEMs would though, but why not just start with a new one. You will need a late model solenoid though, but the correct one is about 1/2 the size of the old style.

We are scheduled for 1 to 2 FEET of snow in the next 24 or so hours - and it was 68 shirt sleeve degrees here on Wednesday. Happy spring in the Great Northeast - but Sat. is St Paddy's day and a couple of pints of Guinness and/or a wee dram of John Jameson's favorite distillate will cure the snowy blues.

2 FEET???? Yikes! and I was pissed because it's kinda gloomy & mid 60's here! LOL! I like warm weather. But you're right, nothing like a few Irish "spirits" to warm the cockels....

So, I don't really understand this solenoid business....I spoke to a fella this morning who sells a Ford mini pmgr gear reduction starter that has a solenoid on it. They include an adapter kit to attach it to my existing solenoid or he said I could eliminate the firewall solenoid by attaching the starter switch to the correct terminal on the starter solenoid. Does that make sense to you? I'm just trying cut down on all the extra stuff that is normally cluttering up the firewall, you know? Especially since I'm putting in a new one!

Hope you enjoy the snow and that it melts quickly.....

Later,
Randy

[Irelands child]

Randy,
I think the guy has you confused and may be himself. Ford is different then a GM car in that the Ford has had an external solenoid mounted "elsewhere" since, well, about as long as they have had electric starters. The GM's have their solenoid mounted on the starter itself. This solenoid, either Ford or GM, works as a really heavy duty relay, one that can handle an intermittant 500 - 1000 amps current draw or whatever is needed to start a particular engine.

Simple explanation. Picture a starter solenoid. There are usually 3 (or 4) wires. Low current (your 1 or 2 small ignition wire circuit) makes a primary, for no better term, circuit by pulling an iron armature up to the high current side of the circuit (the starting or secondary, circuit) which is connected through the solenoid case by the large capacity wires. They are separate circuits and systems - and as a matter of fact, the energized starter circuit is basically a straight line line directly from the energy source (the battery) where the light duty side is the ignition/running side of the ignition switch . They are not electrically connected - ever.

My advice to you is to have this guy give you a schematic and a full description of the operating principles as, quite frankly, I don't believe he is, IMO, going to improve on Ford's 75+/- year old tried and proven system. I assume that you will mount the battery under the floor or in the trunk - the solenoid can go there as well. You just have to run one or 2 wire gauge size larger wire to the starter and longer wires from the ignition switch as well. It doesn't need to be on the fire wall - it just needs some weather protection (in CA - yeah, right!!).

Hopefully this is not confusing - just be very wary of someone that say he can eliminate this solenoid - a Ford starter just wont work that way and running it directly from the ignition switch to the starter wont cause any problems either - it will just instantly self destruct