Starter Drainage Holes

Starter Drainage Holes – Know Your Tech

Our good friends at Delco Remy know about starters. They build some of the best in the world, after all, so they should!

Occasionally, customers come to us with starters they feel failed far too quickly, and 99,999 times out of 100,000 it’s the same issue:

Poorly aligned drainage holes!

If the drainage holes aren’t in the right location, the starter can take on water. With no way to drain, water causes corrosion of the solenoid and contaminates the starter, leading to early device failure.

Here’s exactly what you can do to eliminate any risk of early failure due to poor drainage.

The Delco Remy 35MT

The 35MT model has a single drain tube on the bottom of the starter. If it’s not facing down, the water won’t escape. Face it down and you’ll be on easy street.

Delco Remy 38MT and 39MT

You’ll find six drain holes on both the 38MT and 39MT.

When installing either model, make sure at least one of these is facing straight down. Usually this will mean the solenoid is on top of the starter. However, some models have all six drain holes located on the same side as the solenoid. In these instances, the solenoid will be mounted in the down position.

Most 39MT models have a rotatable flange mounting ring. Keep in mind the location of the drain holes when you rotate the flange prior to installation.

The Delco Remy 42MT

Delco Remy 42MT straight drive starters feature drain hole locations in the lever housing. These models of starter will never be used on a wet clutch application, only dry clutch applications.

If installing a 42MT with a drain hole, the solenoid will face downward.

Make sense? Get in touch with our team if you need a hand sorting out your starter or alternator situation.