Starter Options for BHW Swap

When doing a BHW swap into my B5 Audi A4, I put in a starter that was marketed as "new". During the trials and tribulations of getting the swap finalized, that starter took a lot of abuse and now it's very weak. The battery is fine, the wiring is fine, the starter just doesn't spin the engine fast enough anymore. It's getting especially bad now that the cold weather has set in.

What's a good source for reliable rebuild starters? I'm not paying $400+ for a reman from ECS Tuning, that's insane. I'm wary of the ones labeled as "new" from Rock Auto. Considering how aggravating it is to change the starter on these engines, I'd like to get one I know will last for a long time.

Have you looked for a used one? Lots of guys on here have parts bhw's and a starter is not a common failure on these motors.

I have a LActrical TDI starter in my ALH Vanagon. They're inexpensive and very high quality for the price. Lots of them in service and no complaints I've heard as of yet.

https://www.ebay.com/str/californiaalternatorandstarter/VOLKSWAGEN/_i.html?_storecat=10

Zeitgeist said:

I have a LActrical TDI starter in my ALH Vanagon. They're inexpensive and very high quality for the price. Lots of them in service and no complaints I've heard as of yet.

Click to expand...

That looks promising, thanks! More confidence-inspiring than the crap I got from RockAuto

The difference between a used one and a reman/new one is only $30 or so, makes it hard to justify a used one.

Which clutch are you using in the 6 speed? 240mm DMF, 240mm SMF, 228mm DMF or 228mm SMF

vwztips said:

Which clutch are you using in the 6 speed? 240mm DMF, 240mm SMF, 228mm DMF or 228mm SMF

Click to expand...

228mm DMF with South Bend stage 3 endurance clutch for a 1.8T. I went with a 228mm to avoid fitment issues that other people have had, and to prevent the need for a spacer. The input shaft goes into the snout bearing in the crank just far enough. Has been running flawlessly for almost 2 years with lots of abuse, and engagement is silky smooth. It's meant to handle 425 ft-lb of torque, and I'm pretty sure I'm running close to that.

OK good. The snub mount starter is a challenge to deal with