Starter hardware configuration 1997 E300

[Hoang]

Good morning all,

I am new to this forum and need some help.
My 1997 E300 starter took a dump on me.
I have attached a PDF file in this post. A comparison of hardware
arrangement. I want to see members have dealt with this situation.
I look forward to hearing from you.

[Diesel911]

So, the solenoid on the newer one is slimly different.

The only issue I see is that the original wire 'eyes' are going to have a larger hole in them compared to the skinny screw.

There are different ways to handle that. One way would be to change the original wire eyes to the smaller size.

The way I would take is to find some copper washers with the small screw sized hole and sandwich the old wires and their eyes between those and that perhaps may need a longer screw to do that.

The other way I cannot give a good description of. You get a wire eye the size of the new solenoid terminal and another the size of the old solenoid terminal. You connect them to a short length of wire or a length of your choice. You get a nut and bolt the size of the old solenoid terminal, and you put that through one wire eye and the old starter wires and the nut and secure the nut. You wrap that with tape to insulate it. The other ends is free to be attached to the new starter solenoid.

[Diesel911]

On my 1984 300D the replacement Bosch starter solenoid physically is larger and looks different, but it is supposed to work.

Rebuilders use whatever they want to use. On mine years back a generic starter solenoid was $16 while a genuine Bosch solenoid was around $65. A non-bosch rebuilder is likely going to use the $16 solenoid.

[Hoang]

Thank you for your input.
I will go with the wire configuration option for new starter.
What wire gauge that would be?

[Frank Reiner]

An alternative is to create a stud by cutting the head off a longer screw, and then installing it into the solenoid with a nut threaded onto it as a locknut. The outboard end then becomes a stud.

[Diesel911]

Originally Posted by Frank Reiner

An alternative is to create a stud by cutting the head off a longer screw, and then installing it into the solenoid with a nut threaded onto it as a locknut. The outboard end then becomes a stud.

How does that solve the issue of his original wiring having a lager eye on the end of his original wires?