Automatic Bus Starter Replacement

spiffy · Post by **spiffy** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 8:42 pm

Thanks to Westy78 for calming my fears via phone about which bolt to pop for the top of the starter.

Reason #1 to have an automatic, no starter bushing. If I ever think of another I will be sure to share.

SO, the POS Bosch hot start relay is hooked back up (she wouldn't start without it.

The turnover is much cleaner and the muddy shop space (back yard) was just dandy.

TexasAirCooler · Post by **TexasAirCooler** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:13 am

Yea, but if your starter goes out on your automatic bus, you can't push start it.

spiffy · Post by **spiffy** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:10 pm

Checker/Schucks is where I got the starter. A re-manufactured Bosch for $65 with a lifetime warranty, the part number matched my old one poi-fectly.

TexasAirCooler · Post by **TexasAirCooler** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 1:47 pm

spiffy wrote:Checker/Schucks is where I got the starter. A re-manufactured Bosch for $65 with a lifetime warranty, the part number matched my old one poi-fectly.

Hey, that's a pretty good deal. Too bad we don't have any of them in this area.

LiveonJG · Post by **LiveonJG** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 5:01 pm

I've tried the wrench trick to jump the posts and always had a hard time aligning it to bridge both posts. Lately, I use a pair of needle nose pliers, they fit right in there, before I put in the hot start relay, of course. I still hold out hope that I'll be back down there on my next road trip.
-John

Adventurewagen · Post by **Adventurewagen** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 8:54 am

I'm gonna go pick up a new starter tonight if I can. I got my hot start relay built and put in the bus. I replaced an old ford relay the PO had bolted to the firewall. It was so corroded and bent up. I didn't buy one of the kits, I just bought a bosch relay and built it myself, but it looks good and I've wired in my 15A fuse so I can get to it easily.

Question is, my ignition wire is supposed to be black AND red but its only red in my 71. It looks like a 4mm line as compared to the red/white 6mm line that powers the dash, so it has to be the right wire, right?

Where do you guys ground your relay, is their a place I can ground to my starter or solenoid?

spiffy · Post by **spiffy** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:24 am

With my relay I had a yellow wire and a black wire. The yellow one I pulled a screw from the fuel tank "hatch" and put it to ground right there. The black one went to the solenoid terminal.

Adventurewagen · Post by **Adventurewagen** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 10:45 am

That is a good place I guess.

Here is a related question then on making grounds. What is the best way to make a ground on your bus. I already like to crimp and solder my connections but I'm wondering what the best way is to get a super good ground.

I'm thinking, scrape off the paint and sand down the connector and base to clean metal, then does anybody put any of that grease stuff down?

I've just been reading too much stereo install stuff and the guys always talk about important grounds are which I agree. I was just wondering if anybody has any little techniques they use. I have generally just screwed my connectors into a nice solid chunk of metal and called it good.

chitwnvw · Post by **chitwnvw** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 3:54 pm

Adventurewagen wrote: Question is, my ignition wire is supposed to be black AND red but its only red in my 71. It looks like a 4mm line as compared to the red/white 6mm line that powers the dash, so it has to be the right wire, right?

On my '73 it is solid red, and it's a lot thicker than the others.

Editor's note: The wire that goes from terminal 50 on the ignition switch to terminal 50 on the starter solenoid should be red with a black stripe. Perhaps a previous owner/mechanic has replaced part of the original harness with a red-only wire.

Adventurewagen · Post by **Adventurewagen** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 11:07 am

Thanks, I figured it just had to be just a different color wire than in the diagram. My 63 was the same way, it had mostly 62 electrical in it when I converted it to 12v.

Ohhhh, on another note I just bought a new starter, not Bosch though. I'm not sure how its going to be, but the guys at the auto store near me sold me on it. It was only 50 bucks and is a high-torque starter. I wasn't going to get it, but they have a lifetime guarantee on it so I figured if it craps out I can always pull it and return it. The core was 30 bucks so I brought in my old one which was nearly shot anyway.

I'll find the brand again and post it up along with how it works.

spiffy · Post by **spiffy** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 9:48 pm

Good deal, I was initially looking at those gear reduction starters...I didn't complete my search before necessity (aka schucks) found me.

My new starter has been working very well....

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Automatic Bus Starter Replacement

Automatic Bus Starter Replacement