D2 direct starter questions?

Hello again, I was reading some earlier posts on direct starting of the diesel engine. They all seem to say that you have to cut out the hole in the bellhousing for the starter. My question it the hole is alrealdy there on my machine with a 3 bolt cover on it. Im wondering if a 40mt or a 42mt would bolt right in or not. Also does it have to be 12 or 24 volt. Thanks for any input.
Justin Payne

Most the bell housings on the later older tractors (engines) had the holes there in the bell housing for a starter but I,m not up on to which starter they used but normally the factory setups were a 24 volt starter that I ever saw. The generator ( alternator) also will have to be correct for whichever setup you use.

The earlier tractors from the '40's to 50's with the hole already bored in the housing will take the modern Delco starters with the correct starter drive for the flywheel ring gear and nose cone assembly so you can turn the solenoid ( and whole starter motor) to avoid interfering with other parts of the tractor.

The old starters that were originally used had an inertia type bendix like an old Ford starter. Very expensive and obsolete these days. There was no solenoid sticking out the side though, so clearance wasn't a problem like the modern ones.

The later series engines like the D330, D333 had a large hole for a side mount pony motor. To use an electric starter in those, there's a spacer you install in the hole to reduce the size of the opening. The old tractors with side mount ponies are a different kettle of fish😄

12 or 24 volt depends on the charging system you want to put on it. 12 will probably be cheaper to buy the starter and an alternator conversion etc than a 24 volt system. The 24v takes smaller cables and probably has a bit of an edge in cold weather. Harder to use booster cables unless you have a 24V machine you can use.

Old Magnet's page on conversion has all the part numbers and information on the drive and nose piece. Maybe he'll be along soon. I guess you have seen the sticky thread at the top of the board?