Batteries and "Lifetime" Starter
 

I was at the jobsite today, and had to leave to go get some steel... got into my truck and it would not turn over fast enough to start. Darn. I didn't have any diagnostic equipment with me. So I figure it's probably the batteries. I am behind on this job--I am fabricating steel casement windows in an antique style for a house that partially burned in 2014. The new walls are up, roof is up, and the Contractor needs the windows. So I pop the hood and look at my batteries--they are Optima Redtops and are 5 years old. This is the 2nd set of Optimas I've had in this truck. First set lasted 8 years. I checked the battery terminals--all are tight and none are corroded. Hmmmm. So I borrow the home owners car (After years of working on this house both before and after the fire, they are friends of mine), go to Walmart and get two 810 CCA Group 27 batteries. Bring 'em back, install 'em and they won't spin the starter either. Darn. Well I have a spare starter back at my place and it's a new Denso too. I go get it, come back to the jobsite, pull the O'Reilly's "Lifetime" starter and put the Denso in. Bingo. It works great.

I'll never buy another O'Reilly's "Lifetime" anything tho. This is the 2nd O'Reilly's "Lifetime" starter I've had in this truck. First one lasted 3 years, this one lasted 2 years. I've come to think they rebuild junky cores on the cheap and then figure people will not remember where they got them from.

This Denso is a new Denso that was built for a Bluebird bus, so I replaced the front snout with a Dodge/Cummins snout, and I put heavy duty contacts in it. I did that some months back after finding the Denso for sale very reasonably.

My original Denso starter lasted 11 years--1995 to 2006. I didn't know at that time about Denso Vs. Chinese crap starters, and so just got a "replacement" starter at a good auto parts store. That one lasted a few years and I replaced it with the first O'Reilly's "Lifetime" starter, figuring if they guaranteed it for the lifetime of the vehicle it MUST be a good starter. :ugh:
Yeah, they got me on that one.

Same here, except I will also run the NAPA new, not rebuilt starter.

I have around 6 years on the one in Greenie, so far just like OEM.

235 bucks though. I wish I would have bought a couple of the OEM Densos when they were reasonable.

Just for grins, where did you find your Denso for the Bluebird?

I got it from a guy who had owned a Bluebird bus but sold it. This was his spare starter and was brand new still in the Denso box and he had no use for it. I got it for a little over $100.

I put a lifetime starter in my 96 and it lasted about 6 months. The gear come off of it and went round and round in between my torque converter and outside case. It knocked out chunks in four places and broke the engine adaptor plate. I had Chrysler put in another and had them document what happened. Autolite finally admitted they were at fault and paid for the new tranny, but I will never buy another Autolite product.

It's a crap shoot, I was in a jam about 7-8 years ago and had to get a cheap Autozone reman, must have been a denso because (knock on wood) it's still turning over strong, well past its warranty.