[79firebird_99TA]

Hi. Been a while since I've been here. I've not driven the Firebird in over a year and a half. I'm wanting to change the starter from a stock full size to a gear reduction. I have Hedman headers. Can anyone recommend a good starter?

[79firebird_99TA]

I'm thinking about the Powermaster Ultra Torque 9410NM. Any opinions?

[TCSGTO]

Originally Posted by 79firebird_99TA

I'm thinking about the Powermaster Ultra Torque 9410NM. Any opinions?

Running the 9410 for 4 years now, still spins like new. It’s rated 50ft.lbs higher than the 9510 XS and is about $50 more. A Summit mini struggled and I had issues with the pinion gear coming loose on a RobbMc.

[Formulajones]

The pinion gear coming loose is a real problem on all of them.
When dad was running the other mini starter mentioned in this thread, the snap ring would come off eventually. The big problem with that is those starters don't have pinion support. So the gear goes flying off. If you're lucky like he was that day, you find it laying in the grass, slide it back on for another restart and drive it straight home. If your not so lucky to find the gear you're calling a hook.

At least with the Robbmc and the pinion support the gear stays on the shaft and doesn't go anywhere. In fact he drove it a few months like that before fixing it. Yes the Robbmc starters lose the gear too. Retention is with a small ball bearing and lock tight. We've had the gear come loose twice on a Robbmc. Neither time left us stranded as with the nose support it doesn't fall off and both times robb fixed it for free when the starter was several years old so I can't complain. Great service.
That's just one of the quirks with these mini starters you have to deal with. At least with the nose support I don't worry about being stranded next time it happens. There will be a next time lol

[P@blo]

Originally Posted by Formulajones

The pinion gear coming loose is a real problem on all of them.
When dad was running the other mini starter mentioned in this thread, the snap ring would come off eventually. The big problem with that is those starters don't have pinion support. So the gear goes flying off. If you're lucky like he was that day, you find it laying in the grass, slide it back on for another restart and drive it straight home. If your not so lucky to find the gear you're calling a hook.

At least with the Robbmc and the pinion support the gear stays on the shaft and doesn't go anywhere. In fact he drove it a few months like that before fixing it. Yes the Robbmc starters lose the gear too. Retention is with a small ball bearing and lock tight. We've had the gear come loose twice on a Robbmc. Neither time left us stranded as with the nose support it doesn't fall off and both times robb fixed it for free when the starter was several years old so I can't complain. Great service.
That's just one of the quirks with these mini starters you have to deal with. At least with the nose support I don't worry about being stranded next time it happens. There will be a next time lol

I have never had a problem with my pinion gear falling off but could be lucky. My compression is below 9.5:1 though too.

Since the same problem happened on two starters and brands could there be something else going on?

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by P@blo

I have never had a problem with my pinion gear falling off but could be lucky. My compression is below 9.5:1 though too.

Since the same problem happened on two starters and brands could there be something else going on?

He drives it a lot.

This has happened over the course of many years, 2 different 455's and now twice on his 571. So different blocks, different flexplates. I'd have to guess he's had 3 or 4 different types of mini starters on it before settling on the RobbMC.

Learned rather quickly that the other style like the powermaster with the gear hanging in the breeze, when that falls off it's a 50/50 chance it'll be found. He was lucky once and found it, slid it on, started the car and drove it home. I guess the good news is that when the C-clip fails it's pretty easy to replace the C-clip and keep on going as long as you still have the gear. That's what dad did after he got the car home. Snapped another clip in and continued to use the starter for a while.

RobbMC uses a different retention method as mentioned, and have had that fail twice over maybe a 5-6 year period? So it's not a frequent thing, but when it does happen, at least it has a pinion support so the gear doesn't go anywhere. Worse case it stays engaged in the flexplate and loosely rattles around. So just shut it off and start again. If it freewheels I have to reach under and push the gear back. But at least I know when it does that, it's not the end of the world, I can still get the car started and drive it home. In fact the last time dad drove the car for a while like that before bothering to fix it. That's one benefit I really didn't think about with the pinion support.

Funny part, he took the car to the Pontiac races like that a couple months ago, and once started in the pits he just let the car sit and idle in the staging lanes rather than starting and shutting the car off constantly moving up the line and risking a chance he might have to crawl under the car and push the gear back., made his run and came back to the pits.

Sent it back to Robb that Monday and he had it back Friday fixed for free. Can't complain. It'll probably last another few years I suspect. To keep from having down time the next time it happens, he bought a spare RobbMC starter.

[R 70 Judge]

Originally Posted by TCSGTO

Running the 9410 for 4 years now, still spins like new. It’s rated 50ft.lbs higher than the 9510 XS and is about $50 more. A Summit mini struggled and I had issues with the pinion gear coming loose on a RobbMc.

I have a 9410 in the box waiting to go on. I bought it for the extra torque capacity turning over a finicky 13.5-1 484 that has eaten two starter gears and a flexplate in the last year. I have a Meziere billet flexplate now so that is no longer an issue. The starter however has been giving me fits (it is a lesser model powermaster that keeps breaking)

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/pwm-9410

[chuckies76ta]

Originally Posted by R 70 Judge

I have a 9410 in the box waiting to go on. I bought it for the extra torque capacity turning over a finicky 13.5-1 484 that has eaten two starter gears and a flexplate in the last year. I have a Meziere billet flexplate now so that is no longer an issue. The starter however has been giving me fits (it is a lesser model powermaster that keeps breaking)

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/pwm-9410

Question for you. Hopefully this doesn't sound dumb. First time seeing the Mezeire billet flywheel and was wondering if, because it's billet being to stiff? As the Flexplate has to flex. Just a thought. Looks like a very nice part. Thinking of getting one. Thanks

[R 70 Judge]

Originally Posted by chuckies76ta

Question for you. Hopefully this doesn't sound dumb. First time seeing the Mezeire billet flywheel and was wondering if, because it's billet being to stiff? As the Flexplate has to flex. Just a thought. Looks like a very nice part. Thinking of getting one. Thanks

Quite a few board members run the meziere billet with great results. It’s a super nice piece. I honestly think it ate the replacement starter gear because the shaft on the starter may be bent from previous motor “kick backs”. I’ll know for sure after I pull it off and the new starter goes on.

[Skip Fix]

I have a Tildon om the 78 for years. I did have to reclock solenoid-which required drilling and tapping new holes. A McRobb on the Camaro/IA which is easy to clock.

[ZeGermanHam]

Powermaster 9510 is the one to get.

[jhein]

+1 on the Powermaster 9510

[TedRamAirII]

I worry about that gear, hanging out in the wind, without support.

[ZeGermanHam]

Originally Posted by TedRamAirII

I worry about that gear, hanging out in the wind, without support.

The 9510 on my brother's 461ci has been working flawlessly for years. No issues and it totally transformed how well his car starts, particularly when hot.

[79firebird_99TA]

9510 it is!

Thanks.

[Formula8]

RobbMc: https://www.robbmcperformance.com/pr...c_starter.html

[wakesupremo]

I have the MSD unit on mine. Been spot on for years. No issues at all.

[Formulajones]

I prefer the Robbmc with the gear support. Only mini for Pontiac that offers it that I'm aware of.
Plus his customer support is excellent. He has warrantied stuff that he didn't have to, and has had quick turn around even today with all the excuses everyone else uses.

There are quirks about these mini starters in general I don't care for but I deal with that no matter what the brand.

[racegto65]

I use this one.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/csi-102p

[srmmmm]

I used this one from Summit:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/s...s-am/year/1970

Customer reviews were good on it and it performed well when the engine went on the dyno for break in and tuning.