were first installed by Ford in the Model T in 1919. Their design is very simple, a rotating armature powered by strong field coils. But inherent in this early design are several serious faults. Most notably, the starter post is not securely fastened to the starter housing and is often subjected to over tightening which results in a failed connection. The old pot metal brush holder tapped holes get stripped and wear out.  The rear and nose bearings are were both babbitt and completely wear out, and the armature brushes only last so long. Field coils are wrapped with cloth tape which disintegrates after being in contact with oil for 100 years. And Ford relied on the interference fit of the brass armature bushing to keep oil out of the starter. As you have probably discovered, old starters are the main source of most oil leaks on a T. All of these items are addressed in my rebuilds. 

I now manufacture several custom parts for these units including solid copper starter posts, brush holders, brush insulators, and bendix end bearings. These can all be purchased separately from me if you’d like to do the rebuild yourself. See the gallery below for pictures of all these items.

If you’re looking for a 12 volt starter conversion, take a look at this page

12 Volt Starter Conversions