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DENSO Starter for 7.3L

13K views 45 replies 15 participants last post by  INFRNL 
#1 ·
I am going to replace my original 2002 PSD 7.3L starter after 240000 miles. I would like to install a new DENSO starter. I want a real DENSO, not a China copy, new not a reman. Any recommendations on where to buy one?
 
#2 · (Edited)
Not sure wear to get a Denso starter. I put in a gear reduction starter from summit racing about 7 years ago and starts better and have not had one problem with it.


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#5 ·
#6 ·
You won't find a Japan made Denso new. They are now built in Thailand, same quality. I installed one this spring after my "New" NAPA starter started making strange noises. The Denso is a tight fit in my 2002 F250 but with a little grinding on the crossmember and modifying the cable ends it went it. It is 3 times the size of the original.
 
#7 ·
#8 ·
4000 miles can be only 10 starts if you shut down for fueling perhaps only a couple if you don't.
 
#9 ·
I'm on my fifth starter so far. 1. Original factory installed starter. 2. Local parts store starter with lifetime warranty (Terminal fell off during installation). 3. Motorcraft starter (lasted 6 years). 4. Ultima starter with lifetime warranty from local parts store (lasted 7 months). 5. Lifetime warranty replacement starter from local parts store (Installed yesterday, still working).
 
#10 ·
Wow - Don, that's a rough starter history. My stock starter lasted 13 years (225,000 miles) - and actually was still going strong but was making a lot of noise. I found half my transmission bolts were backed out with a couple gone. The top starter bolt was half out as well. It was suspicious because I make checking my starter bolts a part of each oil change, but it happened. I put the PowerMaster in and put Loctite on all the bolts. That was about 2 years and about 20K ago.
 
#11 ·
Still on my original OEM starter (2000 F350).


Now that I've posted this, I better go ahead and order a new Denso unit, 'cause the old one's bound to fail, day after tomorrow...LOL!
 
#12 ·
That's a great idea to get a replacement ready to go in as soon as it fails.
 
#13 ·
Or just be proactive and replace it now. The old one has given you years of great service so it deserves a rest.

This way you can put a new one in and keep the old one as a just in case .
 
#15 · (Edited)
Or just be proactive and replace it now. The old one has given you years of great service so it deserves a rest.
This way you can put a new one in and keep the old one as a just in case .
Yeah, it's really time to replace it. My truck has always started REALLY quick, probably beacuse of the twin HPOP's (it builds pressure fast), so over the years, the total cranking time has maybe been low.

But yes, I've gotten good service out of it, so time to renew...
I did a little research, decided to go with the "PowerMaster" unit (purchased from Summit).

On order...
 
#14 ·
The only great thing with the denso is its power. Spins my motor up real quick compared to stock. But as far as quality goes they are no different than any other starter. I've put 4 in in 2 years. Only the first one failed to spin up enough to start, all the rest developed problems but worked.The Denso is no different. Works good but still fails like the others. The failure is 5 times out of 10 starts, you just get a click, not spin. Have to cycle key 5 or 6 times until it fires and spins. Next day fine, next day same thing. On and off. Click click click , start. Lol. Pieces of Junk if you ask me.
 
#17 ·
Well...
New starter was ordered Saturday afternoon (see my post above), and was delivered today! Gotta love Summit Racing! Since I'm in SoCal, and their warehouse is in Nevada, it's basically "order today, get it tomorrow" (or next business day...).

Anyway, nice looking unit. Fit perfectly, and the wiring is towards the bottom, so much easier to connect Bat and switch wires. Also came with three new bolts (it utilizes all three, unlike the 2-bolt Denso units).

And, it's Made in USA (according to the box), so that's a plus! (for me anyway).

Had it installed in about 30 mins. And DAMN... Never had my truck start so fast! As mentioned before, my truck always starts quickly anyway (usually only 2-3 "cranks"). But now, it's just "bump the key", and it's ON! Might have to pull the IDM relay just to see exactly how fast it is turning over!

Question is: will it last...? Lets see if I get another 18 years before it needs changed again! LOL
 

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#20 · (Edited)
I've been running a genuine Denso since 2012 IIRC Made in Japan, new ones currently made in Thailand
I also have a powermaster sitting on the shelf but no experience. Either would be a good choice as well as a 6.7 starter conversion/swap is where all the hype is currently
 
#21 ·
My truck has only had two starters since new. Original OE lasted until about fourteen years. Bought a Motorcraft, had it installed, and it is still working fine. I do keep good, new, Motorcraft batteries on our truck, as dear wife and I, until this last year, went camping in some really remote places in the Rocky Mountains. Sadly, those days are probably gone.

However, if I wanted a more powerful starter, I would follow RT's advice and get a PowerMaster. I suspect it has more starting power than Motorcraft starters.
 
#22 ·
Denso gear reduction starter you say? Been there, done that. It's huge compared to the stock one. The broken case bolt killed the original starter. The new starter spins it over like a 6 Liter. Never heard a 7.3 spin over so fast.
Gas Engineering Machine Metal Auto part
 
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#31 ·
And all that torque on two bolts 🧐 That was one reason I went with the other 🤷‍♂️ But as long as they stay tight......I would definitely use loctite, and did on all 3 of mine
 
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#23 ·
Is it a general agreement, among Denso and Powemaster starter owners, that they are more reliable over the years than OE or Motorcraft starters?

I have always believed you get what you usually get what you pay for and for me, reliability is mighty important. Even more than power in a starter.

Looking forward to hearing from folks about their Denso and Powermaster service reliability over the years.....

Mike
 
#24 ·
Is it a general agreement, among Denso and Powemaster starter owners, that they are more reliable over the years than OE or Motorcraft starters?

I have always believed you get what you usually get what you pay for and for me, reliability is mighty important. Even more than power in a starter.

Looking forward to hearing from folks about their Denso and Powermaster service reliability over the years.....

Mike
I'm not sure if they are more reliable, but definitely better designed for the task? I can't find when I bought my Denso starter. it's lasted longer than the OEM that came with the truck. Another thing I like about the Denso is that if it fails, it's easy and cheap to fix.

I just replaced my made in Japan Denso in 2023 but it may have just been the cables being oxidized and grimy. I will open it up and take a look at some point. I want to say I installed it in 2012 but it's had a ton of starts and cranking from injector swaps, HPOP change, etc.
We'll see how the Made in Thailand version holds up. Should be just as good just made in a different plant/ Country

I have a powermaster on the shelf for a different truck. They are a well known brand but not sure about lifespan or comparison to a Denso.
Powermaster is smaller, more like a stock starter size wise

Denso is the king of starters IMO, they are used in tractors, and heavy equipment...so they are built to last and built for high strain loads

I'll see if I can get a picture of the powermaster next to the denso for comparison
 
#26 ·
I don't know if it's me but your linky no worky
 
#27 ·
I don’t know either, the URL showed up....but then wouldn’t work- so I edited and copied the letters in the article.
 
#28 ·
Here’s the rest of the article....... sorry the URL isn’t working🙄



Pay attention to the place where he explicitly mentions low voltage being a common issue. I have had issues with my batteries from sitting, and issues with corrosion in my cables, right up to the point it wouldn't start so I had to replace the cables.

So I bought a new starter and shipped this one off. I received a call today (two days after their receipt of the starter) Ed told me that they found lots of damage from low voltage, I don't remember exactly what was said, arcing corrosion or something possibly? I don't want to make it sound like he was spouting BS or anything, I just don't recall exactly what he had said. He also told me the oil from my leak had seeped past the seals and contaminating the internals.

None of this was any surprise to me. He said it wasn't worth repairing, but they could sell me another starter for a discounted price. I did not feel like I was being taken advantage of. Everything made perfect sense and I appreciated the time they took to look at the old starter and explain everything to me.

He told me the price and I will update it with the exact number later, but I believe it was roughly $160 shipped, with about $22 of that being just the shipping charges. For comparison, the replacement starter I bought was the cheapest place I could find another powermaster. Summit had it for $223 plus $18 shipping just over $240 shipped. So they sold me a replacement starter for almost $100 less than list. I was unable to pay at that time as I was driving so I told him I would call back.

I called him a few hours later after work. I told him about the debacle I was having with my alternator and asked what he had. All said and done I spoke with Ed for probably 30 minutes. It was extremely pleasant and honestly felt like talking to an old friend. He was more than happy to answer any questions I had and encouraged me to call again if I needed help.

(Details on my alternator drama here https://www.**************/threads/diego-revisited.87745/page-19#post-1125895)

I asked him the important question about the replacement starter. Is it a full rebuild of my old one? Is it a complete new unit? Will it be fully tested? Basically what's the deal.

He told me they are technically Blems. It could be a cosmetic issue, or something that failed function testing the first time around. Basically anything that was deemed not good enough by QC to be sold as a new unit. He told me anything that failed the functional test the first time would be replaced and repaired until they passed the test. Everything is run through a Dyno load test and must pass before they will sell it even as a blem. I am perfectly ok with that. I've run Blem batteries before for years without issues. As long as it works as it should, I'm perfectly happy with saving a big chunk of change if it has a scratch nick.

He told me that the person in charge (he used a name, I don't remember what it was) is very strict about their quality standards and I believe he said they make everything here in the US. Their own windings, their own varnish, everything they can control to produce a quality product.

He could be feeding me a line, he could be pulling my leg, but I didn't get that feeling at all. He didn't try to hide anything as far as I could tell and was very pleasant, but it didn't seem fake, he seemed like a genuinely nice person.

I will update this when the replacement arrives and any relevant data will be added as well, but that is my experience and I am extremely pleased. A little customer service goes a long way with me. Unless everything falls apart when the replacement shows up (which I highly doubt) they have earned my repeat business and my respect.

TLDR (Too Long, Didn't Read)

My old starter was shot because of issues that were technically my fault and a lack of proper maintenance on my part. They offered a reasonable replacement at a sharply discounted price and were very pleasant to deal with. They have earned my business and I have no issues recommending them.
 
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#29 · (Edited)
#30 ·
For those that want to know, this is the Denso I bought. 6 months in and zero issues. Today it was 24 degrees. It wasn't plugged in and started like it would on an 80 degree day. Call me cheap, but the monster works great!
Product Font Engineering Auto part Nut
 
#33 ·
For those that want to know, this is the Denso I bought. 6 months in and zero issues. Today it was 24 degrees. It wasn't plugged in and started like it would on an 80 degree day. Call me cheap, but the monster works great!
View attachment 189540
You better get a spare, and get the repair parts from Larry B.
I had one of those years ago before going genuine. It was all the hype back in the day. It only lasted about a yr or so before it started acting up and left me stuck at the bank. Luckily the bank is only 2-3 blocks from home.
I bought the parts to fix it and is in a different engine. I think it was $25-30 for the repair many moons ago. around $45 today iirc
And all that torque on two bolts 🧐 That was one reason I went with the other 🤷‍♂️ But as long as they stay tight......I would definitely use loctite, and did on all 3 of mine
I've had a 2 bolt denso for over 12 years using stock bolts, no loctite. Never comes loose. Some guys get longer bolts. Whatever makes a person feel better. These are used in tractors/ heavy machinery...I'm sure there is little to no advantage of a 3rd bolt
 
#34 ·
You better get a spare, and get the repair parts from Larry B.
I had one of those years ago before going genuine. It was all the hype back in the day. It only lasted about a yr or so before it started acting up and left me stuck at the bank. Luckily the bank is only 2-3 blocks from home.
I bought the parts to fix it and is in a different engine. I think it was $25-30 for the repair many moons ago. around $45 today iirc


I've had a 2 bolt denso for over 12 years using stock bolts, no loctite. Never comes loose. Some guys get longer bolts. Whatever makes a person feel better. These are used in tractors/ heavy machinery...I'm sure there is little to no advantage of a 3rd bolt
Thanks for the heads up on parts from Larry B. These things are easy to rebuild.

The spare is the original one. I got the broken case bolt fixed and it's now a toolbox, on the road, spare. I had heard bad thing when researching this starter. The one year warranty isn't the best. And being a sucker for trying out what usually doesn't work, I'm just on my normal, whacked out train of thought.

One thing I think everyone who goes the Denso route makes one huge mistake. Batteries, cables and their connections better be top notch. And don't even get me started on the frame ground wires and connections. This thing has a 5 HP motor on it, a weak electrical system will kill it in no time.

I gotta tell ya, I was amazed how fast it spun over this morning at 22 degrees, with Mobil 1 15-40W full synthetic in it and it wasn't plugged in. My remote start only has a 15 second delay. It lit off QUICK!!!
 
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#35 ·
I would never use Red LocTite on something that may need to come out where I don't have access to a torch.

Of all the starters that I have replaced in the last 55 years all I have done is to properly torque the bolts.

I've never had one come loose.
 
#36 ·
I would never use Red LocTite on something that may need to come out where I don't have access to a torch.

Of all the starters that I have replaced in the last 55 years all I have done is to properly torque the bolts.

I've never had one come loose.
One dot of red isn't going to weld it in there any time soon. Now if ya run a line of Loctite down the length of the threads, get a torch! 🤣 I'm trying to keep about 30 pounds worth of starter, stay attached to the engine. Like I said, the factory bolts were hand tight.
 
#39 ·
🤣
 
#40 ·
I'm not sure what the powermaster sounds like, but the denso is like a supercharged starter.

did you have to grind down the crossmember to get it to fit? I know I did but some say they don't. Maybe I just didn't find the right angle of the dangle, IDK. IIRC, I only had to shave off about an 1/8" in in a very small spot.
 
#41 ·
I wiggled and jigged and finally got it in there. I had the grinder there too. I got lucky and didn't need it. Ya just have to be patient, which isn't easy as heavy as it is. I still say hooking the cables up, was the worse part for me.
 
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