How can I figure out whether my car has a gear reduction or direct drive starter? sound? Appearance? spindown time?

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82 D150-225/727
02 Dakota-3.9/5 speed
87 GMC C7000-8.2 Detroit Diesel/5+2

I think the direct drive starters were only carried on the import slants (Canadian), and some of the 'early model slanted cars (like early 60's to 63-ish)...
If you have a 68-87 slant six it'll have either the 1.5HP starter, or if someone grabbed one off a V-8 then you have the 1.8HP starter....

If you really want to 'wind it up and not worry about changing starters when it goes 'click', then grab one off a 1990+ V-8 Dodge Truck, or V-6 Dakota, or V-8 Grand Cherokee....it'll sounds a bit like honda, but it'll fire right up...they are about $120 new, or my local junkyard carries used ones at $50....

-D.Idiot

I believe Taxi's and Cop Cars also got direct drive starters...

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Mike C
http://cuda.iclownz.com
67 - Barracuda Coupe - 225 - Automatic

Actually sometime in the 1980s the 1.5 starter was dropped and EVERYTHING got the 1.8 starter, even the Slant 6.

Now when you go to the parts store and order a starter for your 1986 Slant Truck, they give you the 1.5 even though you are bringing in your 1.8 as a core for trade in.

If you are not worried about using the correct appearing starter use a Nipindenso start from a late model Magnum engine.
Dusteridiot posted some applications.

They are lighter, require less current to start and it will spin your engine so fast it will fire up so quickly you'll swear someone tuned up the motor.

The gear reduction starter is the one that makes the familiar ching-ching-ching sound that most slants have isn't it? I kinda of like the way it sounds. My old one turned over my motor just fine until my cousin stripped it out. (idiot)

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82 D150-225/727
02 Dakota-3.9/5 speed
87 GMC C7000-8.2 Detroit Diesel/5+2

Get the Nippondenso starter. You can get them cheap from a junk yard (35 bucks for mine) and are more reliable than some cheasy rebuild you get at a parts store.

Like the above post says. The Mini's are ssooooooo much better than those big worthless hunks of junk stock starters. I use to have a battery problem with the old starter but not any more, and no the starter was not bad! It spins so much faster now. Sure, I miss the classic old mopar starter sound but sometimes you just have to get modern.