How to SBF PMGR Starter Upgrade

[mdan575]

IMO this upgrade is a no brainer unless you have concourse original show car. I take no credit for this other than typing it up and posting it. Many have done this upgrade before me. If you want to enjoy your car and drive it on a regular basis then this mod is a significant improvement. Our stock starters have an external solenoid and are large, inefficient, and heavy. Ford significantly improved the design with the Permanent Magnet Gear Reduction Starter(PMGR). Fortunately it is a simple bolt in for our cars. As far as I know that same starter works for 302, 351W and 351C. The only differentiation being Manual Or Automatic Transmission. I have a manual so this install covers that but the steps are the same with the correct starter for auto. Parts I used

PMGR Starter-

I got mine from DBElectrical $53 but you can get them many places. But the DBElectrical includes the necessary wiring for the retrofit.

Manual

http://www.dbelectrical.com/p-11368-new-ford-mini-pmgr-starter-302-351-manual-transmissions-3223-sfd0012.aspx

Automatic

http://www.dbelectrical.com/p-9936-new-ford-mini-pmgr-racing-starter-302-351-higher-torque-3205-sfd0001.aspx

The original starter is a one wire design. The new starter needs two. First disconnect you battery positive terminal. Then disconnect the single wire connected at the starter. Once you disconnect it the other end has to be swapped from the back side post of the solenoid(Passenger Side Firewall) to the front post.Then you going to want to route your new solenoid trigger wire(Red Wire included with the DBelectrical Starter). I zip tied the red wire to the original black wire that ran to the starter. I also surrounded it with some wire loom so it would look nice.

Next install the starter. You will quickly notice as you pull off the old one how heavy it is compared to the new one. Not only that but the size difference helps alot if you run headers. Starter install is straight forward two bolts that are reused to install the new starter. While you are underneath now you have to attach the wiring you just plumbed in place.

Wiring is straight forward top large terminal has the stock large cable running from the from the front post of the factory solenoid.

Small wire runs from the back post of the solenoid to the small terminal on the starter in my case passenger terminal in the middle. Pictures included to illustrate.

Now enjoy that fact you car turns over alot faster and starts alot easier now.

If I made any mistakes in typing this up after the fact please let me know so I can correct it. Not hard to miss a step.

 

[73StangCoupe]

This is all great stuff you're posting..LOVE the how to with pictures! Try to title them all starting with How To, should make the searching easier. Thanks!

 

[mdan575]

Fixed my bad that is what I am going for is simple labeled How To's.

 

[Kit Sullivan]

What advantage is there to this other than a possible slight lower weight? My car's original starter went 270,000 miles and 25 years, the starter on it now has 80,000 and almost 20 years on it. That seems pretty durable and efficient to me.


What advantage is there to this other than a possible slight lower weight? My car's original starter went 270,000 miles and 25 years, the starter on it now has 80,000 and almost 20 years on it. That seems pretty durable and efficient to me.

 

[Totalled]

Draws less current, and has mechanical advantage over the direct style, so it will have an easier time turning an engine with a higher compression ratio.

 

[Chris Womack]

Wow, my brother had a 73 Mach 1 with 351 C and he had to remove the header to get the starter out -- maybe not the best pair of headers. Do you have enough room to remove starter without header removal?

 

[mdan575]

Easily can install and remove with the headers I have. Also I have noticed the hot start issues are a thing of the past. The stock starter didn't like the heat from the original headers. So If I shut the car off and tried to start it shortly after it didn't like to turn over easily. Now it kicks right over and starts.

 

[Kit Sullivan]

My 71 429 came factory with 11.3/1 compression, and while it never had a really hard time cranking, it would slow down from time to time.

I had a ritual I would go through about every 6 months or so:

Disconnect all the wiring at the the starter relay, remove the relay, and clean all the attaching points on the inner fender where the relay mounted. Then I would thoroughly clean all the wiring connections before reintalling them on the relay.

I would also thoroughly clean the battery terminals and posts, and all the wring on the coil. I also put the battery on a shop charger about once a month to make sure it was "topped off". This was WAY before battery tenders were available!

The whole process of cleaning the relay, battery and wiring takes only about 15 minutes or so, and is very easy to do. No big deal.

I will admit though that the engine never cranked over as fast and "authoritatively" as a typical small-block would, which is very common for big-block hot-rods.

Then, a few years ago I stumbled onto a website called batterycables.com, and read all the propoganda on the site as to why this guy's custom-made battery cables were so much better than any store-bought mass-made stock cable could ever be.

I'm a sucker for mechanics and techs that seem to know what they are talking about, so I ordered a custom set for my car. Was about $125...kinda pricey, for sure.

They arrived, I installed them and I was amazed and astounded! That motor now cranks up as fast if not faster than any other car out there. All the electric accesories sem to work a little better, and the dash lights are noticeably brighter (something all 71-73 owners need!).

I have used these cables on all my project cars ever since, they are great.

 

[73vertproject]

Great write-up, mdan! Removing and reinstalling the original starter was a PITA with headers. The smaller PMGF is a cinch.

 

[kcmash]

I am confused. In your picture you still have your Positive battery cable going to the front side of the solenoid with the main black wire to the starter. The little "slave" Wire goes to the rear post on the solenoid. I bought the manual starter and it came with the pictured instructions. It shows the Positive cable on the REAR post with the big starter cable, and the "slave wire going to the forward post.

Trying to not burn anything else up! Please help!!!!

kcmash

View attachment 35314

 

[Don C]

I believe if you connect it according to the instructions you received the starter will run continuously.

Connect yours the way mdan did, per the DB Electrical diagram.

 

[kcmash]

I believe if you connect it according to the instructions you received the starter will run continuously.

Connect yours the way mdan did, per the DB Electrical diagram.

So the way mdan did is the opposite of the DB electrical diagram. It does look like the positive cable needs to be on the same post as the large starter cable. But Mdan has it on the forward post,of the solenoid, while the DB diagram shows them on the rear post,

I need to understand what happens inside the solenoid I guess.

kcmash

 

[midlife]

The picture/diagram has the battery and starter large posts reversed. Don't follow that diagram.

 

[Don C]

The DB Electrical diagram is electrically correct, just the positions of the battery and starter are reversed, as are the terminals on the solenoid, when viewed from the engine side of the fender. It is correct if you look at the view from the outside.

 

[Vinnie]

What is the purpose of the solenoid on the starter? And how does it work? I'm asking coz the starter solenoid basically has 2 posts receiving 12V and a third post for ground, right?

When turning the key to "on", does the solenoid on the starter become activated as a default and stay "open" ( no current flow) until the other post receives 12V? So effectively, when turning the key to "start", a high torque solenoid is actually relieved?

 

[midlife]

What is the purpose of the solenoid on the starter? And how does it work? I'm asking coz the starter solenoid basically has 2 posts receiving 12V and a third post for ground, right?

When turning the key to "on", does the solenoid on the starter become activated as a default and stay "open" ( no current flow) until the other post receives 12V? So effectively, when turning the key to "start", a high torque solenoid is actually relieved?

No. It is a simple relay device. When the S post gets energized, power is transmitted to the large starter post and to the I post from the battery post. This occurs when you turn the key to CRANK. Once the car has started, the key returns to RUN, and the relay stops working. The ground for the starter solenoid is the chassis itself.

 

[Vinnie]

That sounds like the fender solenoid. I'm talking about the solenoid on the starter.

 

[midlife]

What is the purpose of the solenoid on the starter? And how does it work? I'm asking coz the starter solenoid basically has 2 posts receiving 12V and a third post for ground, right?

When turning the key to "on", does the solenoid on the starter become activated as a default and stay "open" ( no current flow) until the other post receives 12V? So effectively, when turning the key to "start", a high torque solenoid is actually relieved?

Sorry...I misread your post originally. I believe the solenoid on the starter itself gets its power whenever the fender starter solenoid provides 12V. And yes, the third post should be a ground lug, and it should have a thick cable on it; I suspect it is also the ground lug for the starter itself. Most starters ground through the case to the engine, though.

 

[Don C]

The solenoid on the PMGR starter performs two functions. It provides heavy-duty relay contacts that are able to withstand the high current necessary to turn the starter motor. At the same time it engages the starter drive.

It does not need a separate ground connection, it is grounded through the case to the bellhousing. The 3rd lug connects the solenoid to the internal windings on the starter. Just 2 connections are made, a small wire to the small stud to energize the solenoid and the large wire to the large stud to provide the current needed for cranking.

This should help you understand it better:

https://fordmuscle.com/archives/2001/08/ministarter/