Quote Originally Posted by thesals
there is always a solenoid built into a ford starter.... the "solenoid" on the firewall/fender is actually the starter solenoid relay not the solenoid itself, the relay is also a power distribution block in a sense.... the solenoid itself is inside the starter and is what makes the starter engage when power is supplied, without a solenoid it would just spin in place without ever engaging the flywheel/flexplate
I stand corrected - but with the caveat that this solenoid is the device that engages the starter pinion only rather than the centrifugal overriding clutch device that Ford used for many years. The firewall solenoid is the basic controlling device for the starting and ignition system. Regardless , Randy, you will still need a firewall solenoid. If it is a Ford Racing starter, it comes with a simple harness, and which I believe the eBay guy is alluding to - and look at his address - regardless of his statement, is it really new or a rebuild.