Starter differences 1.4 vs 1.7KW

[chrischrischris]

I'm sourcing a new starter or a new solenoid and I'm finding different part numbers corresponding to the pre- and post-1989 turbo. It looks like there was an option for a higher output starter and it was fitted to later cars beginning in 1989. I'm not sure if it was fitted to all, or just some of these cars.

I thought there was a larger starter used on early cars and the slimmer "turbo" starter used for all the other 944 variants. I guess there was also a 1.4kw and a 1.7kw version of the "turbo" starter as well?

I'm asking because there are different part numbers and pricing for all of these variants and the 1.7kw solenoids and starters seem much less expensive. Are there any backward compatibility issues?

[BuchananAutomotive]

By chance are you talking about the genuine Bosch 1.7KW starter or the alternate these days, the Wasp hi torque starter. We use to buy the 1.7kw starters for customers 944 S2's as it's a much better start. But the 1.7KW starter from Porsche went NLA quite a few years ago
Regards
Sean

[Tom]

By chance are you talking about the genuine Bosch 1.7KW starter or the alternate these days, the Wasp hi torque starter. We use to buy the 1.7kw starters for customers 944 S2's as it's a much better start. But the 1.7KW starter from Porsche went NLA quite a few years ago
Regards
Sean

Hey, looks who's here! Welcome (or very belated welcome) onboard! Are the 1.7kw starters available as genuine Bosch rebuilds do you know? Lots of smoke and mirrors when I went looking for one a while back...

[BuchananAutomotive]

Howdy Tom,
Long time lurker, first time Poster
20 or so years ago we use to be able to buy them through companies like Pelican parts but only on an exchange basis, You needed to give the core back or there was a big core deposit. On that basis someone must have been rebuilding them.
They were also available through genuine Porsche.We have not checked for some time, but we do see the replica 1.7KW starter on Ebay etc, not sure if they are what they claim to be

[Tom]

Howdy Tom,
Long time lurker, first time Poster
20 or so years ago we use to be able to buy them through companies like Pelican parts but only on an exchange basis, You needed to give the core back or there was a big core deposit. On that basis someone must have been rebuilding them.
They were also available through genuine Porsche.We have not checked for some time, but we do see the replica 1.7KW starter on Ebay etc, not sure if they are what they claim to be

That was exactly my reaction when searching -- they were all a little murky about what they really were. The starter I have now was a true Bosch rebuilt -- in a Bosch box -- and was basically new. Every other starter I've tried was fairly junky in comparison...

[Latitude48]

I've posted about the 1.7 KW starter previously. I have one on my 1990 944 S2. I bought it in 2021 from Summit Racing, Bosch number SR0439X. The price back then was a bargain $185.99 with $50 core charge. You can still purchase them new from Porsche, p/n 951 604 102 00; the cost is around $870. Pelican seems to have them for $247.75 as does Momentum Car Parts for $232.95 with $70 core charge. My S2 cranks nice and quickly with this starter and the Antigravity Lithium battery.

[BuchananAutomotive]

That's really good news. Price is certainly up there but they are a great starter. Pelican lists it under the Bosch number but when you add it to cart its NA

[chrischrischris]

Thanks for the feedback. The turbo starter is a common retrofit for earlier cars but I haven't heard much about the higher output starters being retrofitted to pre-1989 variants. And most of the parts compatibility checkers indicate that the 1.7 kw starter will only fit the S2 and 1989+ turbo models, which isn't accurate.