Starter Motor Spade Connector?

[The_Epsicle]

You might remember I broke a stud on my starter motor (Here's the thread) and soldered it back on. That worked for about six start ups and then something pulled on that wire and snapped the stud off again. I ordered a new solenoid from RockAuto and when it came, it did not have a stud connector but a spade connector as shown here.

The broken one for reference, you can see the place where the stud attached.

I found this thread explaining that Ford had an issue with the spade connector and provided a conversion kit to get to a stud. I have an eyelet connector on my wire, should I change it out or should I send my solenoid back to get a solenoid with a stud?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

After reading the link, I would exchange it for the correct one.

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

 

[Doofy]

That soldered spade terminal looks more skookum than that welded stud.

 

[RonD]

I would just drill the hole in spade larger and use small bolt to make it a stud

I like the spade better though, so I would change the wire end, never had a problem with any spade connection, outside of them being pulled off.

BUT(big but).............pulling off is a GOOD thing, the small studs don't just break one day, they get pulled and break, and you are S.O.L. until you can get it fixed.
With a spade you just plug it back in

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Maybe just solder a spade on your old one and change the wire end?

 

[The_Epsicle]

Looking back I probably should've clarified I was wondering what the advantages and disadvantages of each were. My truck is still dead, I went to get swap out the cable end and I discovered my battery cables are severely corroded down the entire line. So I get to build new battery cables this week in my spare time for extra fun when I'm not working or doing homework... When I do that, I'm just gonna throw a spade on there and be done with it.

 

[adsm08]

The spade can pull off if the wire gets stressed the wrong way, the stud can corrode and snap as you have already experienced. Those are the disadvantages to both.

If you are already building new cables just leave a bit of slack in the little one and it will be OK.

 

[The_Epsicle]

One last question, is there anything important inside the black rubber on this thing? It runs from the positive terminal to a round white thing on the drivers side fender wall right next to the fuse box, (I would go out and look but my car is parked a half-mile away). My guess is it's idiot insurance so the terminals can't be installed backwards.

 

[Mark_88]

Just an insulator and a way to keep the cables in the right position. This was part of the problem that I was having with intermittent starts leading me to think the starter was pooched and that I had picked up gremlins.

I ended up cutting the connector out and running new wires and putting new connectors on mine and the problems all went away...along with replacing all the wires running to ground and the starter.

Never underestimate the necessity of good ground on that circuit.

 

[The_Epsicle]

Okay, it's still not working and I have no idea why. All I get is the click on the fender mounted relay I have a brand new battery (and fully charged, we even tried jumping it), brand new cables, and everything is hooked up correctly as far as I can tell (I'll post pictures of the wiring when I have time). My friend and I left it for the next day and when we came back the battery was dead (0.33 volts). We got a new one on warranty and tried again, same problem. The fender relay was working, but when I went underneath the car to check the starter mounted solenoid it was so hot it burned my hand! We disconnected the battery and removed the starter then removed the solenoid from the starter and it's got a wonderful burnt plastic smell around the plunger area with this orangish oily substance coming out of it. I looked at my wiring diagrams everything seemed to be right, I've got one side of the fender solenoid with the "spade" connector wire running down to the starter with the black/orange wire for the alternator and some other black wire on that same stud of the solenoid. The second largest wire coming off the battery is hooked up to the other post of the solenoid like it was before and the solenoid is clicking when we turn the key. When the solenoid clicks, the wiper blades stop moving BUT the headlights and cab lights do not dim. I am completely lost so I'm just dumping as much information as I can right now and will post pictures of my wiring as soon as I can.

EDIT: I'm not sure I'm not the "idiot" Ford was trying to insure me against with that black rubber thing.