Hoople
Account Removed
That's a very good point. When I look at the exploded view of my starter, it has 2 gear reduction stages within the starter itself. Just like the 1 stage of gear reduction we all have (starter pinion to ring gear), within my starter there are additional stages of gear reduction. So in my case, by the time I am turning the ring gear, my starter armature has gone through 3 stages of gear reduction. It is very possible that early model starters only have 1 stage of gear reduction within the starter itself. That would directly affect current draw.
If I saw cranking currents much higher than 50 amps with the spark plugs removed (no compression with no spark) with a cold engine, my guess would be something has got to be wrong. Either too much friction drag or just an electrical issue.
I still don't know what the expected life of a starter is in the world of HD. I have never received less than 8 years out of a cage starter. In some cases 10-15 years of use. Is it common to get 5 or more years out of a HD starter?. I just learned tires sure don't last as long as the cage counterpart!
If I saw cranking currents much higher than 50 amps with the spark plugs removed (no compression with no spark) with a cold engine, my guess would be something has got to be wrong. Either too much friction drag or just an electrical issue.
I still don't know what the expected life of a starter is in the world of HD. I have never received less than 8 years out of a cage starter. In some cases 10-15 years of use. Is it common to get 5 or more years out of a HD starter?. I just learned tires sure don't last as long as the cage counterpart!