High Torque Gear Reduction Starter Motor
 

The starter motor on my 603E appears to be on the way out, standard replacements do not seem that expensive but for about 50 to 70% more several suppliers offer High Torque Gear Reduction Starters which from what I have read spin the engine faster giving better stating and use less power.
I see on a few sites however mention is made in some applications of clearance issues with the sump and exhaust manifolds and with the engine in a Bristol the chassis as well?
So a few question has anyone fitted this type of starter motor to a 318 engine in a 603 were there any clearance or other issues.
Were the benefits worth it and if so what was the make and part or model number of the unit and who supplied it.
Any help and advice will be much appreciated.

starter motors
 

In 1985 I bought a starter motor from Radley motors Bradford £40 they still
have them £160m ?+? it was epicyclic gearbox type and worked well.
for 400 CU IN engine. DO NOT EVER SELL YOUR CAR worse than suicide.

Hello Geoff, sorry but I saw your post only now. When I rebuilt the 318 engine of my 409 I put in as many new and 'improved' parts as possible, so I wanted also a new, high-torque starter motor. I bought one from 'DB Electrical' ( Starters, Alternators and more for Cars, Trucks, Tractors and ATVs ) and it fitted perfectly in my car without any clearance problem; I think that the chassis of the 603 is not very different from the 409's and the engine is also a 318, so I'd be confident that this motor would fit. BTW, this 'fast' motor is still working perfectly and if I remember correctly it was also quite affordable. Sadly I am quite inept in keeping records of the parts I buy and fit, so I can't find the parts number of this starter motor, but the guys at DBE were helpful and I have no doubt that they will find you the right part.

All the best

Stefano

I put one of these on the 410. It's excellent, winds the brute round at a fantastic pace and is much kinder to the battery. Overall it was, if anything, smaller than the original, I recall it was easier to put on than it was to take the original off.

Mine came from Cropedy Bridge, who specialise in Jensens, on the back of my bike, in the days we lived in Northamptonshire. I don't believe that Jensens used the 5.2 engine so presumably the same unit also fitted the 411 block.

I saw the other day that Cropedy Bridge have recently done up Eric Morecombes Interceptor. Apparently Eric was rather frightened of it, but had a chauffeur, so it was a case of chauffeur and wife in the front and Eric squashed in the rather inadequate rear seats

He'd have done better with a Bristol!

From just up the road

Roger Morrall

Strong endorsement for the change. I believe the Mopar part number is P5249644. A quick google seems to confirm it: (i have no affiliation with this site): ~$167, or gbp 120 plus shipping.
Mopar Performance P5249644AC, Mopar Performance Lightweight Starter | Mopar Performance

I have been very happy with the result in my LHD 410. It was fitted at Bristol in early 2002 and has been only lightly used since, but works very well.

Warm regards,
Steve.

Thank you all for your advice on this, looks like I have got some serious shopping to do on Monday.
Roger I think may know Gareth who looks after the car for me sometimes and will no doubt feel very sorry for him as he took the starter motor out with the car on stands not the lift, worked out at about an hour a nut!
I will have to check the dimensions carefully as the 603 engine seems to be further back in the chassis than the earlier cars and clearances are tight.
We had to take the radiator expansion tank off to get it out of the car.
Still there was nothing better to do on Tuesday afternoon.
Geoff