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M813 Starter Information Needed

Lugnuts

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
Myakka City, FL
Model 813 with Cummins Engine/ I am wanting to go to 12 Volt Starter and it would be wonderful to have a gear reduction starter/ I prefer Delco/ Anyone did this yet or am I exploiting unknown territory/ I don't have starter numbers from my existing unit/ All help is most certainly welcome
Thank you, Lugnuts
 

74M35A2

Well-known member
4,145
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83
Location
Livonia, MI
Thanks swb, yeah they are great. 1/3 smaller, half the weight, less current draw, and tested to over 50,000 starts. Stock starter is pretty robust unlike the alternator, but for those that are changing anyway or simply want the best then this is where it is at, especially for cold climates or hot engine situations.
 

Lugnuts

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
312
234
43
Location
Myakka City, FL
Thanks swb, yeah they are great. 1/3 smaller, half the weight, less current draw, and tested to over 50,000 starts. Stock starter is pretty robust unlike the alternator, but for those that are changing anyway or simply want the best then this is where it is at, especially for cold climates or hot engine situations.
Are they also 12 Volts? Lugnuts
 

simp5782

Feo, Fuerte y Formal
Supporting Vendor
12,120
9,356
113
Location
Mason, TN
Are they also 12 Volts?
Why do you want 12v when the whole truck is 24v?
24v uses half the amps of 12v. Your pcb requires 24v signal power to come on that it gets from the starter. With 12v starter, unless you have a 12v alternator or dual voltage alternator then you are going to have dead batteries after a few starts cause the 12v side won't charge back up.
 

Lugnuts

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
312
234
43
Location
Myakka City, FL
Why do you want 12v when the whole truck is 24v?
24v uses half the amps of 12v. Your pcb requires 24v signal power to come on that it gets from the starter. With 12v starter, unless you have a 12v alternator or dual voltage alternator then you are going to have dead batteries after a few starts cause the 12v side won't charge back up.
The truck is wired 12 volts now and the only segment of it that is 24 is the starter. It is used in the Fire Service so I want to lessen the risk of Technical Operator malfunction. If you think that is goofy then I guess you'll think it's goofy
 

simp5782

Feo, Fuerte y Formal
Supporting Vendor
12,120
9,356
113
Location
Mason, TN
The truck is wired 12 volts now and the only segment of it that is 24 is the starter. It is used in the Fire Service so I want to lessen the risk of Technical Operator malfunction. If you think that is goofy then I guess you'll think it's goofy
QUOTE="Lugnuts, post: 2272290, member: 89338"]
The truck is wired 12 volts now and the only segment of it that is 24 is the starter. It is used in the Fire Service so I want to lessen the risk of Technical Operator malfunction. If you think that is goofy then I guess you'll think it's goofy
[/QUOTE]
Then you must be charging the batteries with a charger after every few starts. A 12v alternator won't recoup the 24v side. One reason trucks use dual voltage alternators. Same goes for a 24v alternator and you pull power from the 12v side of the batteries.
 

Lugnuts

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
312
234
43
Location
Myakka City, FL
Why do you want 12v when the whole truck is 24v?
24v uses half the amps of 12v. Your pcb requires 24v signal power to come on that it gets from the starter. With 12v starter, unless you have a 12v alternator or dual voltage alternator then you are going to have dead batteries after a few starts cause the 12v side won't charge back up.
If I may ask, what is the amp draw thereabouts on a 12 volt starter for cranking this engine?
 

74M35A2

Well-known member
4,145
328
83
Location
Livonia, MI
A
If I may ask, what is the amp draw thereabouts on a 12 volt starter for cranking this engine?
Apology, I don’t have that data. I only have it for the 8.3 and LDT 465, as I don’t have access to a Cummins NHC 250 855 engine like your truck should have.

I’ll try to find a video a member took, same basic truck as yours. Cranks great. I got your note, will call you later tonight.
 

74M35A2

Well-known member
4,145
328
83
Location
Livonia, MI
A

Apology, I don’t have that data. I only have it for the 8.3 and LDT 465, as I don’t have access to a Cummins NHC 250 855 engine like your truck should have.

I’ll try to find a video a member took, same basic truck as yours. Cranks great. I got your note, will call you later tonight.
Here, it cranks so good it fires instantly:


He keeps his stuff in A1 shape as well, as can be seen.

Note: It drastically changes the cranking sound. Listen in the vid, it sounds like a 2019 Kenworth turning over. As long as you are OK with that, they are decades ahead in technology content.
 

Lugnuts

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
312
234
43
Location
Myakka City, FL
A

Apology, I don’t have that data. I only have it for the 8.3 and LDT 465, as I don’t have access to a Cummins NHC 250 855 engine like your truck should have.

I’ll try to find a video a member took, same basic truck as yours. Cranks great. I got your note, will call you later tonight.
Thank you. Yes lets talk
 

Lugnuts

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
312
234
43
Location
Myakka City, FL
Here, it cranks so good it fires instantly:


He keeps his stuff in A1 shape as well, as can be seen.

Note: It drastically changes the cranking sound. Listen in the vid, it sounds like a 2019 Kenworth turning over. As long as you are OK with that, they are decades ahead in technology content.
So here is my end conclusion to this matter/ I replaced the existing starter in the Model 813/ The old starter when cranking was drawing 934 Amps and when the truck was hot it wouldn't crank until cool/
Now Starter was replaced with 12vdc gear reduction starter and tested when cold/ The amp draw is as follows - At the initial contact, less than a second, it was in the 700 amp range. (I can't say exactly because it was that momentary.) In the 2 to 3 second range it was 250 amps. And from 4 to 20 seconds it was in the 60 - 70 amp draw range.
After this test I did another immediately. Results were the same. The results of the test far exceeded my expectations.
These starters come in both 12vdc and 24vdc and the contact is 74M35A2 on Steel Soldiers website.
Thank you to all who aided me in responses you gave and in pointing me in the direction of a really excellent product.
Thanks to 74M35A2 for selling me the product and the promptness in the whole matter and you were correct in saying it sounds like a current Freightliner. No matter, It just sounds good to start whatever the engine temperature!
Lugnuts
 
Last edited:

74M35A2

Well-known member
4,145
328
83
Location
Livonia, MI
So here is my end conclusion to this matter/ I replaced the existing starter in the Model 813/ The old starter when cranking was drawing 934 Amps and when the truck was hot it wouldn't crank until cool/
Now Starter was replaced with 12vdc gear reduction starter and tested when cold/ The amp draw is as follows - At the initial contact, less than a second, it was in the 700 amp range. (I can't say exactly because it was that momentary.) In the 2 to 3 second range it was 250 amps. And from 4 to 20 seconds it was in the 60 - 70 amp draw range.
After this test I did another immediately. Results were the same. The results of the test far exceeded my expectations.
These starters come in both 12vdc and 24vdc and the contact is 74M35A2 on Steel Soldiers website.
Thank you to all who aided me in responses you gave and in pointing me in the direction of a really excellent product.
Thanks to 74M35A2 for selling me the product and the promptness in the whole matter and you were correct in saying it sounds like a current Freightliner. No matter, It just sounds good to start whatever the engine temperature!
Lugnuts
Glad you like it. Yes, less current draw, but the largest gain is consistent cranking speed at cold and hot temps. Plus 1/2 the weight, and 1/3 smaller size. The stock starter is typically pretty good, but once you need one or if you just want the best and to keep with current technology, then these fit the bill.
 
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