So I recently bought a Powermaster starter to replace my stock starter. Higher compression (11:1 compression here) keeps killing stock starters. With the stock starter, one wire, the larger one is obviously the battery. Smaller wire for the relay. When I wire up the new starter and bolt it in, it does not try to start at all.I put the stock starter back in and it works as it should. Do I need the diode they recommend for starters with an "R" terminal?

 

Using a diode is recommended for cars that have a ignition ballast resistor and to my knowledge, a 1996 Camaro LT1 doesn't have one. What terminal on the starter solenoid did you connect the purple wire from the starter relay? It should be on the terminal marked "S". If it not, the solenoid is not receiving a 12V signal from the starter relay needed to energize the solenoid. No matter where the purple wire is terminated, you should be able to jumper across the starter battery post to the "S" terminal and the starter motor should run. You can test a starter like this when it out of the car by using a set of jumper cables connected to the battery post of the starter and the other to it's case, then jumping the terminals as described above. If the starter doesn't energize, the problem should be in the solenoid.

 

The starter only has two places to hook any wires to. The smaller post, labeled "ignition", is where I wired the relay to. The larger post, marked "battery" is obviously where I wired in the battery cable.

 

Well, you have already verified the wiring is OK by reinstalling the original starter and it operates correctly. I would check the new starter to make sure it works by bench testing as described above.

 

Either the new starter is bad OR you need to shim in. However, even if it needed shimmed, it should try to kick out. Put it on a bench and test or take it to parts store. Most of them can test it.

 

I did bench test it over the weekend. Works just fine. So I'm suspecting possibly a bad ground.

 

Where did you have the ground connected to on the starter for the test? I noticed the starter body rotates in the mounting bracket and wonder if the ground path through this bracket to the starter motor case could be a problem. I would take a meter set on ohms and check that the starter case has continuity with the engine block or frame. May want to try using a ground strap from the block or frame to the starter case.

 

When I tested it I grounded the negative cable to the aluminum mounting block on the opposite side of the starter from where the wires go. I'm gonna check to see if I'm getting the full 12 volts from the battery. Then if need be I'll check the ground and run a ground strap to the frame if I have to.

 

I would suspect a faulty wire or connector. wire ends have a way of working lose and losing volts.

 

I messed with it a little bit more this morning. I've noticed that with the Powermaster starter installed it's tripping my VATS system and disables the injectors once the key is turned. I've got a VATS delete system, but haven't had time to install it yet. Think I might just get a refund on this starter and just buy one for a '96 Corvette instead.