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solenoid


joey74

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when putting in a v8in a 99 ranger do they make a starter with a solenoid or do you have to hook one like the older truck? Thanls joey!
 


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Welcome to TRS :)


The 302(5.0l) V8 engine was around a long time, so you can get starter motor with or without starter RELAY, which I think is what you are talking about

From around 1990 and up most Fords would use a starter relay built into the starter motor, so there would be TWO electrical hook ups on the starter motor
1. Larger cable from Battery Positive terminal
2. Smaller wire from Ignition switch<< this wire has 12volts only when key is turned to START, it activates the Relay inside and the starter motor turns

Prior to this the starter motor would just have the one larger cable from the RELAY on the inner fender.
The smaller wire from ignition switch would connect to this fender mounted RELAY, to close it and activate starter motor

Same setup just different hook up for the smaller wire from ignition switch

When you get into 1999 and up V6 Rangers, Ford added a SECOND Starter Relay, in the engine fuse box.
This was an Anti-Theft Relay, it prevented incorrect keys, or no key, from activating starter motor, Fords PATS(passive anti-theft system)
4cyl Rangers didn't have this until late 2001, switch to 2.3l Duratec engines

The starter motor itself was the same but the smaller wire from ignition switch goes to the ADDED relay in the engine fuse box FIRST, and it must be Closed by the Anti-theft system or starter motor won't be activated


Not that it matters..............................
A Solenoid moves something
A Relay makes an electrical connection

Starter motors, from any year, often have a solenoid on them, when given 12volts this solenoid MOVES the starter gear out to engage the ring gear so starter motor can turn the engine, when 12volts is OFF, solenoid pulls the gear back, this doesn't activate the starter motor it just moves the gear out and in

Some starter motors use a Bendix drive instead of a solenoid, torque operated spring drive to move the gear out and back in, these starter motor are round cylinders no "hump", or smaller cylinder, on one side which is the Solenoid

Starter relay on the fender was often called the starter solenoid, and no reason to change that at this point in time, lol, as long as everyone knows what you are talking about then it really doesn't matter :)
 
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Yeah, really depends on the engine/trans.

I am kind of sure the starter for a '96 5.0 (to use with my M5R2 trans) only has the lug for the big battery cable.

I haven't looked at it that close, I gave it a quick glance to see if it is like my '02 F-150 with two wires like Ron mentioned and I don't think it did. If I had posted before Ron I would have been more positive, he has me doubting myself with the after 1990 comment though.
 
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RonD

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Don't doubt yourself, Ford did use the fender mounted Relay(solenoid) in many vehicles well into the 1990's.
This was because of the Power Distribution wiring

The Positive battery cable connected to the fender mounted Starter relay, and on that same post with it, all 12volt wiring was connected
Alternator, Fuse boxes were connected there, it was main power distribution point of the whole vehicle.
Alternator was the big thing they had to deal with in rewiring the engine harness, thats when the MEGA fuse showed up on the outside edge of the engine fuse box

In some vehicles they switched to just a Post on the fender, on others they left the starter relay but starter motors larger cable was on the same post with battery positive cable, smaller wire from ignition switch ran to starter motor.

There were multiple wiring configurations during this multi-year transition
 
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Assuming you're doing the traditional Explorer V8 swap into your '99, it does have the two wire starter setup. You'll just use the stock Explorer wiring that comes with it to hook up the stock Explorer starter, no modification needed.
 

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Is there some kind of mega fuse on the big always hot battery cable to the starter?
 

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No, if it shorts out you get all 500+ AMPS from the battery in one go, which should melt the cable before battery explodes, but............

Kinda the way a Fusible link works :)
Larger battery cables can only handle about 200amps, positive or negative, so will start to heat up and melt if you got a short
 
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85_Ranger4x4

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No, if it shorts out you get all 500+ AMPS from the battery in one go, which should melt the cable before battery explodes, but............

Kinda the way a Fusible link works :)
Larger battery cables can only handle about 200amps, positive or negative, so will start to heat up and melt if you got a short
I have seen quite a few tractors have burned down because the cables rubbed thru and shorted against the top of the transmission. Just redid one this spring that the guy caught early and saved it. Kinda gives me the heebie jeebies is all. :fie:
 

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Never seen it or the results of that myself.

Usually why the battery and starter motor are on the same side of engine bay, shorter cable run less chance of mishap.
 

85_Ranger4x4

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Never seen it or the results of that myself.

Usually why the battery and starter motor are on the same side of engine bay, shorter cable run less chance of mishap.
Most new gen and new genII John Deere tractors have one battery on each side of the transmission.

My F-150 has a hot cable to the starter and has been fine, I would have thought they would have had some kind of safety check on it is all.
 
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Just looked at the new starter I got for a 96 5.0 f150 that I ordered for my swap and it has the large and small connections.
 

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Just looked at the new starter I got for a 96 5.0 f150 that I ordered for my swap and it has the large and small connections.
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Yup.

More wiring :annoyed:
 

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Yes, that's the solenoid/relay unit in the smaller cylinder

Larger post on the top connects directly to Battery Positive terminal.
Although on a conversion it can connect to the old fender mounted starter relay post, but on the SAME POST as the battery Positive cable, not the opposite larger post as it may have been before.
You do this because older vehicle would still need Power distribution from this post, the other wires on that post still need to be connected to battery positive as well

Smaller post on solenoid/relay actives it, so is connected to the ignition switch, Ford used a Red/blue stripe wire for this many many years.
It connected to the "S" small post on the fender mounted relay, this wire can be extended to be connected to small post on solenoid/relay on starter motor

1999 and up Rangers used a Yellow/blue stripe wire from the engine fuse box to the smaller post on the solenoid/relay.
This comes from the added anti-theft Starter Relay in the engine fuse box
This relay needed to be grounded by the PATS system to work.
1999 has a PATS Module above glove box, you need to find that module and cut the Dark Blue/orange stripe wire and then Ground it inside the cab, this doesn't hurt PATS system just takes the No Crank off the table as part of the anti-theft.
It would still have no fuel pump or fuel injectors if wrong key was used
 

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