Cheap Solenoids are expensive!

Cougar Community Classic Cougar Maintenance Restoration and Repair
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I have been lurking here off and on for years. Finally having some time to tackle some overdue projects I started on some that have been bugging me. Over the last few weeks I have been binge buying parts from WCCC and parts stores. The first one was getting my charging up to snuff.

My alternator wasn’t able to operate the wipers, lights, and heater(another topic) at the same time. So I set about upgrading to 3g. Other than taking me almost 3 weeks, only having an hour here or there to wrench and deciding to put bigger cables everywhere it went smoothly albeit slowly.

The last minute decision to replace the starter solenoid is where I hit a snag. Unable to find a Motorcraft solenoid, Don was out, he had the cheaper ones and I already placed enough orders with him to probably want to put me on a protective order. I grabbed a cheap one locally. It didn’t look right a the skinny terminals were too long, the fat ones too short. But I figured, hey it’ll last long enough right?

I button everything up go to start it and like she has done since I bought her in ‘91, she fired up right away!

Except she didn’t stop running! The starter just kept on going! I panicked, the key didn’t shut her off, and the fastest way I could get her shut off was to use the quick disconnect I had on the battery.

Swapped out the solenoid with my old one (like really old maybe came the car) and she was running like before but no juice from the new alternator - just 12.4v. I think I hope I just fried the internal voltage regulator and not the diodes.

I mostly posted this to confirm what most of you have learned, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Don’t buy cheap solenoids. And to ask if there is a source for good solenoids? I will have to replace it at some point, are the accel ones any good?

Feeling Dumb,
Steve ‘68 XR-7 Gold

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Hers a link to Rock auto for a Motorcraft w/ D2 part #

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Thank you! I don’t usually look at Rockauto, due to the shipping on small parts. It happened to be where I got the alternator though, $48. Still cheaper than AutoZone, and the junkyards are nonexistent here. Gonna replace the Coltage regulator. If it doesn’t work then I’m going to have to bite the bullet and get a new alternator. Another thing I refuse the accept is that there nothing more expensive than trying to do something for cheap. One of these days I’ll learn.

The new Motorcraft Solenoid also looks to have the same arraignment as the cheapie I bought - long skinny post and shorter fat ones.

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I just wanted to update to provide a reference point.

I had some time this morning so I decided to recheck all my connections before pulling off the alternator to replace the VR. I think B+ terminal on the alternator wasn’t tight enough. Which I think was a good thing. The VR wasn’t fried. With my old Solenoid on, I am starting up perfectly, and I am now getting a solid 14.55 volts at idle.

The alternator I used was from the 96 Taurus 3.0l. It is only a 110a. But it is already clocked in very friendly manner. I had to open up the top mounting hole a smidge and the bottom hole isn’t threaded. But this one is slightly more economical than the usual 130a variants. I just saw less than $50 on Rockauto. Just need a 3g harness and a repro harness from WCCC to splice into if you want it to look a little cleaner.
Steve