Did I fry my starter??

[onefastmustang]

So I got my motor back together.. Did all the fluids and tried to fire it up. I turned it over several times but it didn't fire. I checked the distributor and then rotated it a bit in case it was in backwards. Got it to fire although not too gracefully... So I rotated the distributor further. this time it fired with a loud pop... and that was it.. won't turn over now. Not sure what might have happened but I had a lousy starter. Might I have cooked it? there was a little smoke down there. Or might I have done something really bad to the motor..

[marcalan]

The loud pop could be a backfire?

1) did you drain the battery?

If not, check the ground at the starter as well as the positive post. You can remove it and most auto part stores will check for free.

To confirm electrical issue
2) check spark by removing the #1 plug, make sure you are at TDC. Turn the ign key tothe on position. Place the plug with wire on the manifold to ground it out and slowly rotate the distributor to confirm spark and at tdc.

3) fuel, looking down the barrels, confirm that fuel squirts out of accelerator pumps. I did have a carb with an idle circuit that was too lean and the motor would start and stop, so make sure your idle circuit is adjusted.

[onefastmustang]

So i pulled my starter.. The not being able to turn my motor over with a wrench really freaked me out. Turns out that the starter bit the big one. The tear were all cracked and bent up. the flywheel looks fine. Now that the 20 dollar starter is out I am going to buy a real starter. Sucks that tognottis is so far away..

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Mustang;

Go to your local parts place (I use O'Reillys) and ask for a starter for a 1995 Ford T-Bird with a 302 V-8, you must also specify manuel or automatic trans, depends on what you have in your car, they are different....

The are the small high torque mini stater that Ford racing sells for 179+ bucks in catalogs....Last one I bought was about 75 bucks, turns over my 12.5 to 1 compression 331 stroker like nothing.....a buddy has been using this very same starter on his 13 to 1, 600hp race motor for 5 or 6 years now, spins his motor effortlessly........

David

[onefastmustang]

Thanks for the tip.. A local speed shop felt bad for me and gave me a deal on a power master.. Damn I think that thing could flip the car..

[PANAVIA]

good deal. -- I am a fan of the Ford Racing starters and motorcraft.

My favorite car to look up parts from is ;

1995 Cobra - R (351W)
1992 Mustang GT (302)

between those two cars you can get just about everything.

Steve