My 71 Duster work in progress

I'm not surprised the Powermaster starter failed. I would recommend using a later-model factory starter from a Magnum-engined pickup truck. The "final" max-power version came online around '98 or so and was used through '03 on the 5.9L. It's smaler than the Powermaster, has more horsepower, costs a bunch less, and a parts-store reman should come with a lifetime warranty. It's also designed specifically to fit a Chrysler engine, where the Powermaster is an adapted starter from another application, hence the chunky "billet" aluminum parts near the nose. The Powermaster almost looks like they cut up a Chrysler starter only to make a Chrysler starter out of it.
 
I'm going to use the parts store mini-starter off the road runner.

I noticed there were multiple versions of the starter available, and then I heard of people having trouble with newer ones not engaging the flywheel, so I went with one I know is good.

The Powermaster looks to be a mini-Denso case, with the nose cut off. Why they cut the nose off I don't know. It's an obsolete model that has the terminals with the battery terminal closer to the engine. At some point they reversed them so the solenoid wire is on the engine side.

It's old and probably can't be rebuilt by anyone but Powermaster, so there's a good chance it's just going to be a core for another parts store rebuild. It's sitting on the bench with the one I'm going to use so I may take photos for the hysterical record.
 
I'm not sure exactly which one I keep in stock just for guys like you, Stretch and I but it's about $60. I think our number is a 17466. I put one on my '69 Valiant and with just a little bit of work I was able to use the OE molded cable end. The terminals were slightly further apart on the Nintendo starter than the factory boat anchor.
 
17466 is the same number as a Duralast Gold 100% new $165 + 6% sales tax. Less at rockauto, but they seem to have a no-name list of (re)manufacturers - WAI Global? Remy? At least they make it obvious in case you want to avoid Chinese products.
 
The one I sell is a BBB (Genco) remanufactured unit. I've been selling that brand since 2006 and have been very impressed with both their quality and their no-hassle warranty. I've never had one kicked back on me, even a diesel starter that's only got a stated six-month warranty. I submitted that one when it was 4 years old.
 
Dr.Jass said:
The one I sell is a BBB (Genco) remanufactured unit. I've been selling that brand since 2006 and have been very impressed with both their quality and their no-hassle warranty. I've never had one kicked back on me, even a diesel starter that's only got a stated six-month warranty. I submitted that one when it was 4 years old.
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Rock auto has one for 51.89 + 40 core.

This is the Powermaster next to a Mopar Denso

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Schumacher headers hanging in place. Didn't have to raise the engine. Did have to pull the column and the kickdown linkage, and turn the wheels so the Pitman arm was out of the way.

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There was nothing to remove on the other side. They just fell right in there.
 
Supposedly these headers will hang on studs. Not the ones I ordered. I've got at most 3/8" into the head, the studs are 3/4" on that end. Just enough to keep the header from sliding on. More searching.

The other end is 1" and with uncrushed gasket, header, flat washer, and lock washer that's pretty much perfect.

ETA the studs that won't work are Dorman 03103
 
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The Dorman 03103 is for the headpipe-to-manifold junction, not in the cylinder head. If I get a minute at work I'll have a look at raw stud numbers and toss you a few w/measurements.
 
Dr.Jass said:
The Dorman 03103 is for the headpipe-to-manifold junction, not in the cylinder head. If I get a minute at work I'll have a look at raw stud numbers and toss you a few w/measurements.
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Thanks. I'll be looking for it.

So far I've dug out Dorman Products - 675-098 and Dorman Products - 675-070 Both are 3/8-16x1/2 and 3/8-24x3/4 and that might be as good as it gets. Neither specify the length of the unthreaded section but the photos seem to show the 070 is about twice as long there. AFIACT it doesn't say what the difference between the two is.

I remember the header flange is 3/8" thick. Don't remember the gasket thickness off the top of my head.
 
Add my dumbness to the mix, if I remember not all holes were wet, could you use studs there & bolts in the others ?

Oh that' a small block are the bigs that way too?
 
I'm pretty sure every one of mine was wet. I had it in mind that it was just the front and back ones though.

For having a company with engineering excellence in so many other places, it always surprises me how dumb some of the decisions were.

I thought it was kind of weird that the held water even though the radiator was drained too. Seems like everything would go to the lower rad hose and out the petcock once it was opened up.
 
Well, unfortunately all the studs I have on hand are ancient--like, the company that made them no longer exists. Which is sad, because it looks like the few I have are actually perfect: the unthreaded section is ¼" long. Looking at the 675-090, though, the unthreaded section appears to be 5/16"-3/8" long, which should suffice once you've got a 3/8" header flange and gasket in place. I suppose it depends on the gasket. With dead-soft aluminum or copper, it'd be plenty. With vintage-style white paper gaskets like Cyclone used to supply, I'd go with the shorter stud. It'd be close with the wide blank section.

I'm pretty sure the bolt holes are wet because adding mass for something like a bolt boss isn't worthwhile use of your pattern-making dollar while also making the sand extraction trickier after casting. Effective cooling of that particular area of the head and fragility of the negative-space water jacket casting core are probably other factor. When you need to cast a million of something, having every third casting fail from a broken core is rather counterproductive.
 
I kept poking around and Summit lists the shoulder length on the 098 as .25", and on the 070 it's .5". That bears out in the total length too, 1.5" vs 1.75".

Dorman didn't list the shoulder length or the overall length, but did list the threaded part lengths. Summit doesn't list the threaded part lengths, but does list the shoulder and overall length. What a world.

Now to find them in this podunk town, or to call NAPA and hope they can find the right part. They don't carry Dorman, but maybe they have an interchange.
 
Well that was quick - called NAPA, $3.99 each can have them Wednesday = $50.75 w/tax.

Summit gets $.99 each but they only sell in quantities of 10 so my total with $12 shipping and tax is $33.89. If I could come up with $67 worth of things to add I could beat the shipping.

Advance is 1.99 each, so they'd be $25.31 w/tax. I called them and their system says they have them but the local store can't order them for some reason.
 
FWIW, thinking about giving up on the idea of using studs and instead picking up a set of 1" header bolts $17+tax, available locally.

I've got a pile of 3/4" header bolts but those are likely too short to use with a 3/8" header flange.
 
I was discussing this on FABO, hoping someone would know a source for shorter studs, when a question was brought up that had been in the back of my mind but I hadn't mentioned it yet - Shouldn't there be more than 3/8" of threads in the heads? I've got a couple of sets of 452s that I could dig out and check, but there's no guarantee they would be the same as these 915s.

I guess it's possible that 3/8" is all the thread needed for a 3/4" header bolt, and someone got carried away with sealant and now nothing will thread past it. I did run a thread chaser into one hole and it went in 3/8" and stopped. There was nothing in the grooves when I pulled it out. I'm thinking about trying a starter tap in it now since it's pointy it may bring something out. I avoid using taps unless I'm cutting threads for fear of messing the threads up.
 
I found out the end holes go on forever and the rest of them are about an inch deep. There was a good coating of crud in there that was stopping me dead. 2 hours with a tap and I've got 7 of them done, 1 has always had a stud in it that I am not taking out so I've got 4 left to do. My back called for a surrender until tomorrow.
 
So then the theory of front & rear wet & the rest dry pans out? At least that gives you a choice on some of them.
 
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