Early 4020 Starter

Maybe I’m beating a dead horse here, maybe not.
My early John Deere 4020 has a bent armature in the starter. I have no issues with a Delco starter even thou everyone has nothing good to say about them. As long as they are maintained they work and work just fine. By the way it has been converted to a 12 volt system some 25 years ago I would guess.

I’m exploring the options of a gear reduction starter. I know it will not clear the intake manifold, but by looking in the parts book will an intake manifold from a late 4020, part number R46411 bolt on to the head? This happens to be the same intake that was used on a 4240 which also I have an extra one. Per the parts manual both the early and late versions used the same exhaust manifold so I assume the R46411 will bolt on? Maybe I would have to modify the air intake hose to the manifold?

I also researched the cone housing on the original 24V starter, part number AR11127. This same housing was used on the late 4020’s as well as the 30 series. So the gear reduction starter should bolt on to the block with no issues.

Changing the intake manifold so you can install a gear reduction starter on to an early 4020 seems too easy. Seems like someone would have thought about this and done this years ago.

Am I missing something here?

Thoughts?

"will an intake manifold from a late 4020, part number R46411 bolt on to the head"

It must "bolt to the head" as the same gaskets are used.

NOT sure what, if anything else it would interfere with, tho.

Please post back once you've tried it!

Connection coming from the air cleaner is
on the front of the manifold for the early
4020 and in the middle on the later 4020's.
So you'll have to get a air pipe to reroute
to the center. When I rebuilt my late 4020
I couldn't get the 45 degree elbow and had
to go to a straight fabric connection. So I
got a 4230 air tube and cut it to fit. Not
sure how that'll work on an early 4020.

Converted father in law's 4010 diesel from 24 to 12 volt. Got a 12 volt planetary gear reduction starter, Iskra style. It is a smaller diameter than original 24 volt starter and mounted with no problems. Was much easier to get to back side mounting bolt. Offset reduction starter might sit higher and give a clearance problem.

How does that iskra style starter work? Where did you get it? Never hear much on the nippendenso starters anymore.

Ok so far. It's a summer only tractor running on 1 Group 31 battery. Spins as well as old 24 volt. Got it from a place in Iowa. My email open

All the manifolds for a 404 and 466 will interchange the intake location varys..The natural aspirated ones are to the front..you can get a pipe made at any muffler shop,,bend a stiff wire to get a template, have the ends swelled to fit..

I have been using the Iskra also and have never had problems with the intake. Local rebuilder gets them for me.

Some 5Kw 12V starters on eBay .

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/NEW-12V-11T-CW-5-0-KW-STARTER-MOTOR-FITS-JOHN-DEERE-COMBINE-RE520634-428000-3320/302739177613?hash=item467ca9408d:g:-NsAAOSw0Lha-nAD:rk:23f:0&vxp=mtr

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/NEW-STARTER-FITS-JOHN-DEERE-TRACTOR-9420-9620-9620T-6-765-428000-0120-RE522851/273237593285?hash=item3f9e3accc5:g:77QAAOSwkcFbCPFX:rk:6f:0&vxp=mtr

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/NEW-11T-CW-STARTER-MOTOR-FITS-JOHN-DEERE-COMBINE-9670-9770-T660-T670-428000-4080/372357298836?hash=item56b2397a94:g:N2cAAOSw~SNbPMl6:rk:35f:0&vxp=mtr

for a 7.2 KW Delco MT39 clone

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/STARTER-JOHN-DEERE-FARM-TRACTOR-5820/371213008828?hash=item566e04ffbc:g:htMAAOSwjXNag2lb:rk:3f:0&vxp=mtr

I had this one on an early 4020 it clears just fine I
put it back on the 3020 where it also clears fine also
an early model . It spins the engine a lot faster than
a regular starter . I?ve abused the heck out of this
starter for 2 years even got it so hot I melted the
stud from the solenoid to the starter motor and it still
works after I put a new stud in
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