Ford Capri 2.8 V6 starter source

I'm helping a friend wire a TVR with this engine, and we're looking for a high-torque starter motor. Any suggestions for a source?

Thanks

There are not high torque starters that I know of. What makes it difficult is the starter location which is the driver side so the rotation is different.

Dan, Here's one for a Ranger, I don't know if it would work for the Capri.

http://broncograveyard.com/bronco/i-88660-ranger-2-8-2-9l-gear-reduction-starter.html

Must still be on his meds for his back. :D

when i first got my 2.8 v6 running the engine was so tight, had high compression pistons and modded valves if that had anything to do with it?, anyway the stock starter would not turn it over and it was an automatic so no push start. i bought a high torque starter from a 302 ford explorer and it fit and worked good for a few months until i swapped the stock one back, just had to put in 2 small washer spacers to move it out a little bit.

Yes due to rotation of starter.

Thank you all for the info, we'll let you know what we find.

Dan

Like the Pinto, the Ford Capri was designed to live with the 1600 cc Kent engine. But Europe's Mustang needed an injection of horsepower to live up to its looks. Don't get get me wrong, I found my 2800 cc V6 Ford Capri plenty peppy - when it wasn't broken, especially when I upped the breathing on mine with an Offenhouser manifold, Holly 390 four-barrel, headers and a Mercury Tube exhaust. My buds were all enamored with the BMW 2002. My Capri kicked the snot out of them on the streets of LA and on roads I really knew well.

But the 2800cc V6 was so heavy the weight of it literally tore the bolts for the steering rack out of their mounting holes in the frame. Understeer is the polite word for Plow. With all that dead weight over the front wheels my Capri changed directions like an agile RMS Titanic. Ultimately the constant opposing lateral force of driving the car daily lead directly to a catastrophic failure of the steering gear at 70 miles per hour. If you have never had the entire steering rack break loose from its moorings you don't know about being helpless at speed. The wheels lose their parallel relationship to each other. Putting on the brakes merely adds to the fun.

My point is isn't there an appropriate, lighter, more powerful engine available for your friend's TVR? One with a good availability of parts? BOP-Rover V8? Ford 289? A crazy powerful crate motor?

I don't know if performance parts are still available for the Koln Ford V-6, but the cam gear has to be replaced with a steel gear that doesn't shred at about 35,000 miles. To quiet down the engine noises the original was some fibre resin piece of crap glued on a steel center. Did you know with even one tooth gone the car will not run at all?

The motor is too heavy for what it delivers in horsepower and parts are hard to find because of the rush-to-crush.

I raced a modified GT with a 2.8 V6 273 flywheel hp and nothing broke as per your statement.

Little paint cracks on the rear were lots of twisting occur due to torque. Heavy yes but not as heavy as many people thinks.

The starter for this engine can be confusing. It all depends on which flywheel is been used and other things.
The 2.8 was installed in 1980, built for racing in 1988 and stay in that mode until 1994 and in 1997 went back to street mode with a 350 cfm 2v carb.

This engine never DNF and never left me stranded. It had a few V8 parts.
This engines are still popular in many kit cars.

Very popular in Jose's Sunbeam Alpine swap. Early Ranger motor is good for parts interchange. Some have used a 4.0 crank for 3.5 stroker. Mustang II bellhousing with newer Ford V6 T5. Check out SAOCA forum.

[sub][/sub]If you can find them the Euro valve covers look cool.

Bill, I did not mean that 2800 V6 is incapable of making nice power. I'm sure yours had the fiber cam gear changed out. This was such a weak part that any performance modifacations like putting in a new cam would automatically include the all steel gear.

As for the weight issue, in your MGB-GT the engine, though heavier than the 1800cc 4, would be fully behind the front cross member. In the Ford Capri chassis it hung in part forward of the cross member which is why those cars plowed so and the steering rack was prone to pulling out of its mounting holes. There were several different aftermarket kits available to fix the problem when mine did it. So I was not alone in having this happen.

Dan, it might be possible that the 302 could replace the 2800 Ford without much surgery or even parts swapping. Maybe when he finds out how hard getting any parts are he'll make the leap.