The company was concerned...
The company was concerned about fitment because MSD packed the new starter with a bigger motor than the factory Jeep starter. The factory starter motor is 3 inches in diameter, while the APS starter is 31⁄4 inches in diameter. Catalina sometimes says something about size and how it matters to her. I don’t know what she is talking about, but when it comes to starters, size almost always matters. Speaking of size, not only does the APS trump the stock one in diameter, but it is 81⁄4 inches long compared to the stock one’s 71⁄2-inch-length.
Trasborg is a big fan of sticking with things until they just keel over and die. He’s been complaining about the starter in his Cherokee not working so great for a couple of years, but since it always got the job done, he stuck with it. So, when MSD Ignition contacted Hazel and Hazel put them in contact with me, I knew we had a winner.
You might be confused about why a company known for its ignition parts could solve Trasborg’s starter problem. Well, you see, that is because the company is adding to its APS Starter line. MSD contacted Jp to find any Jeeps with a 4.0L HO engine for test fitment of the new starter. Since Hazel knew that I love messing with new electrical stuff, I was the natural go-to guy.
I could tell you about how it’s me, Randy, but hopefully you realize that already. Besides I’d really rather tell you more about the APS starter. The APS line features a winch-like 3.5 horsepower-rated motor. That motor abuses a 4.4:1 gear reduction for easier starting of even the most hard-to-crank engines like the one in Trasborg’s Cherokee. The motor’s armature and the pinion are both ball-bearing supported (no cheesy bushings here) for longer life. Cheese is yummy but not good for bearings. This starter will fit any 4.0L-equipped Jeep, as well as ’88-and-up 4.2L-equipped Jeeps, excluding ’03-and-up Wranglers with the four-speed automatic transmission.
Another neat feature of the...
Another neat feature of the APS starters is that there are four different clocking options available. I didn’t end up needing any of them for this short-armed Cherokee, but it is nice to know it’s there. By the way, that pretty red is actually powdercoating, not just paint, so it will stand up to the elements better. The mounting hardware is stainless steel, and the shiny block is CNC-machined aluminum. MSD also included shims with the starter, but I didn’t need any of them.
Here is how it squeezes in...
Here is how it squeezes in there. This is a late-model Cherokee with about 3 inches of lift and it fits just fine. I looked at a long-armed TJ and it looks like it will fit in there fine, too. I did have to cut the factory wiring connector off and add a spade connector (arrow). Thanks to the added length of the starter, I didn’t have to lengthen the wire. I reused the factory 3⁄8-inch and 10mm starter bolts to get it in there.
Here is the factory starter...
Here is the factory starter connector. Trasborg had already replaced the factory 8-gauge starter wire and connector with aftermarket 4-gauge stuff in hopes of fixing the slow crank problems, but it didn’t work. If you still have the factory stuff attached, you will need to add a large ring terminal so you can attach the high-amperage wire to the new starter.