Heat shield for Starter

aa909 · #1 (**permalink**) 06-15-2021, 07:15 AM

Has anyone installed a heat shield on their starter?

My starter definitely struggles when it's heat soaked after a hot drive. Happens every time when I stop to get gas after the engine oil is running 180F+ for 30 min or longer.

I think a heat shield would help but not sure if one exists for our cars (I have a 2014 build) or if I have to custom build one. The other option is maybe to upgrade the starter to something more robust?

patrickt · #2 (**permalink**) 06-15-2021, 08:10 AM

Before you install a heat shield, run a voltage drop test when she's hot on both the positive feed to the starter and the ground to the starter. Dicey cables/solenoids are more common than really bad heat soak. And the drop test only takes 30 seconds per side.

aa909 · #3 (**permalink**) 06-15-2021, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrickt

Before you install a heat shield, run a voltage drop test when she's hot on both the positive feed to the starter and the ground to the starter. Dicey cables/solenoids are more common than really bad heat soak. And the drop test only takes 30 seconds per side.

my little hydraulic lift only goes up enough for me to squeeze under the car with very little clearance. If I go under there to test the starter cables before the oil pan cools I'm coming out with some serious burns

but if I wait for it to cool then the issue self resolves

Any other test I can perform when the car is cool?

patrickt · #4 (**permalink**) 06-15-2021, 08:21 AM

Sure. Perform the same voltage drop test on both sides of the starter (positive and ground) when the engine is cool and, if your results are poor when it's cool, then you will almost certainly fail it outright when it's hot.

patrickt · #5 (**permalink**) 06-15-2021, 09:18 AM

Here's a decent little write-up on voltage drop testing the starter motor. Note the total limits for drop and the component limits. Ford solenoids, or "starter relays" as they are sometimes called, are notorious for having high drops. Fortunately, they are the easiest component to change out as you don't have to jack the car up nor bend over the fender much.
https://www.aa1car.com/library/voltage_drop_testing.htm

1985 CCX · #6 (**permalink**) 06-16-2021, 05:56 AM

I simply used the stick on type metalized fiberglass. Solved all my issues for $5 and 20 minutes....

Austin_Snake · #7 (**permalink**) 06-16-2021, 07:18 AM

I've had luck with this type. It's quick and easy if you are just wanting to try a shield out.
You can get them lots of places.
https://www.designengineering.com/ve...tarter-shield/

Good luck,
Richard

aa909 · #8 (**permalink**) 06-16-2021, 11:42 AM

Thanks all. I haven’t’’the had a chance to run the voltage check yet, but since I have to get under the car to do so I figured I’d also wrap the starter in the aluminum shield Richard recommended. I will report back when I try it out later this week.

aa909 · #9 (**permalink**) 06-27-2021, 01:10 PM

Finally had a chance to work on the starter issue. I was planning to run Patrick's voltage drop test so I went to start the car Friday morning and I hear the starter spinning but the engine won't crank

I jacked up that car and check the starter and it was loose. The bolts on the face plate holding it to the bellhousing were tight but the body of the starter was literally a >1/4" loose. I removed it and the two 25 torx screws that hold the starter to the face plate had backed out, and one had completely snapped in half... WTF!!!

I also saw deep grind marks on the inner plate of the starter, and very light wear on the adjacent face of the flywheel (not the teeth). I hand cranked the engine and checked for any damage to the teeth on the fly wheel and thankfully they all look fine. The piñon gear on the starter also looked fine.

I bought a direct replacement (powermaster 9603) and installed it today. Instructions say "USE BLUE LOCTITE ON TORX 25 SCREWS"... well guess what, there was NO loctite on the screw I removed from the broken starter!! It doesn't come with loctite from the factory and I guess my mechanic didn't add it. took 5000 miles to back out and fail

Ran the car today with the new starter for 25 miles, got the engine hot (190-200F), shut it down for 5-10 min, let it bake under the hood and it started right back up. The new starter cranks much stronger (cold or hot) than the original. I'll monitor it over time, but if it begins to exhibit the same slow crank after it gets hot (like the original) then I assume it's clearly a heat soak issue and the solenoid is wearing over multiple heat cycles?

patrickt · #10 (**permalink**) 06-27-2021, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aa909

... but if it begins to exhibit the same slow crank after it gets hot (like the original) then I assume it's clearly a heat soak issue and the solenoid is wearing over multiple heat cycles?

Either that or the screws are backing out again. I don't think you have a heat soak issue. A motor is never tighter than the day you bought it.