My 66 tends to spend most of its life outside, and as a result my old school Ford solenoids last about 3 months a piece.
Like the others have said, it's not that it's sitting outside. Lots of ours do, and all the perfectly good starter relays we've gotten out of the junkyards (and that have worked for years after) have certainly spent a good deal of their later lives outdoors. To say the least! Probably with hoods open half the time.
Is your '66 a V8, or I-6? If it's in the original location, on the inner wheel well panel, facing the exhaust manifold on a V8, then the first thing I would do while replacing this latest one would be to relocate it to the front panel of the wheel well. Just a few inches from it's current home, like Ford did it after about '68 or so.
What brands and model numbers of relay are you buying?
I'm tired of replacing them (stealing them off my other fords
),
Are the ones you're using also replacements? Or are they originals that you're robbing off of older rigs? Reason I ask is that many of the replacements for the past 20 years or more, have been a total crap shoot.
so I'm looking for a different method to power the starter. Something more like a relay.
Just to clear this up, the device mounted to the body IS a relay. It's not a solenoid and was never called out as such by Ford in any of their manuals. However, over the years the aftermarket and even Motorcraft have gotten used to people calling them out as a solenoid, so sometimes you even see that printed on the box labels. Along with one or two other words like "switch" and "contactor" and even "contacteur" (for Citroens maybe?
) and such.
But it's a relay nonetheless...
There are certainly other types by size and shape, that do the same thing. But the big difference is quality. Cheap still gives you cheap. Paying more is not a guarantee of course, but it gives you a better chance of getting one that will last.
I'm a fan of the "pancake" style that was posted up by others. Same concept, just used in newer Fords starting in the '80's sometime I think. Still does the same thing though.
And though I'm sure you've probably checked into things, just what are they doing when they fail? Simply no more clicking even with a good battery? When you find out one is bad, are you also checking for voltage on the small Red w/blue wire and it's 90 degree connector? Those are notorious too, for getting old and loose. Maybe when you have one fail, it's not helping that the fitting is loose. Then when you mess with it by putting in a new relay, you're making them have better contact and they work for awhile. Until the connection gets loose again.
Might not be your issue, but at this stage it's certainly worth looking into. Since not too many people have your issue with sitting outside causing the trouble. It's almost always the cheap replacement parts that cause repeated failures.
The lifetime warranties on some of the cheaper ones seem like a good thing. But you end up using the warranty WAY more than you'd like!
Good luck no matter which way you go.
Now I'm going to google the party duffymahoney mentioned to see what comes up.
Paul
.
