Slow starter cause and effect

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

Well, I finally was bored enough this afternoon to tear into the starter that I pulled off Goldie awhile back due to a slow turn over in cold weather.

What did my son Nick(age 4) and I find out you might ask?
A very dirty inside with a very healthy coating of carbon dust and crud.
We cleaned up all of the contacts really good and polished up the contacts with some emery cloth. Got all of the copper looking good and clean. No more wear and carbon build up.
What we found next as I was checking out the bearings was an unpleasant suprise. The bearing closest to my fingers, the one photo, was begining to separate and was almost seized up.
Houston I think we found the problem.

Off to the parts shop tomorrow to get 2 new bearings and a small bearing puller to do the job. The other bearing seemed normal but since I'm replacing one, might as well do the other also. Kinda like replacing flourescent light bulbs.
So lesson learned. Good brushes with plenty of meat left but faulty bearings the cause of the effect to slow spinning speeds in cold weather. I do also believe that the amount of carbon buildup was also a factor lessening the voltage transfer but only a minor issue with the bearing faults.

Now there will be Gay parts on the Beef as the Beef starter was swapped to keep me a truckin.

 

[John Haggerty]

you ain't done yet, but hopefully it's that simple :Sly

 

[deanj]

Remember to clean out the grooves.

 

[robertoh]

Dsl Dog --a good way:sweet to clean contacts is with sand paper--emery paper leaves emery residue-- every time the contact is made the emery burns a bit ,therby getting more resistance everytime the contacts close --soon they will need to be cleaned again-- anyhoo good luck with the bearings-BC:canuk Robertoh

 

[Agnem]

Obviously the bearing with all the side loading at the gear end. Is it really that easy just to find that bearing?

 

[Exekiel69]

Thanks for the info Ron, I'll be rebuilding a starter this weekend but in my case I ordered a kit for it. Will see if it works the wonders the seller said .

 

[Mr_Roboto]

When you replace the bearings, you need to use a piece of pipe etc and only press the inner race. If you apply any force to the outer race to install the bearing, you apply force through the bearing balls and will ruin the raceway.

Check to make sure the new bearings are sealed (rubber lip seal) and not just metal shielded. The seals keep the grease in and the dust out. The bearings that come with the rebuild kit are probably Chinese or Japanese. If you have any doubt of the quality, obtain SKF or *** branded bearings from your local bearing jobber. These 2 are the best manufacturers of standard ball bearings. (I managed a surplus bearing warehouse in a previous life).

 

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

Obviously the bearing with all the side loading at the gear end. Is it really that easy just to find that bearing?

Yep and yep.
The down side was the bearings were $22.42 each. Guess why the starter costs so much.
Well as my parts buddy was looking things over her said that's an Autozone starter life time replacement.
Well since Darrin was so kind to email me the sale ad a nice big

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appeared in my numb skull cranium.
Yep ya guessed it.

WARRANTY
Pulled the PO's info and off to Autozone I went after sticking things back together.

John yer right, it wasn't gonne be that easy as the starter failed every test they put on it.
Got lucky I guess but man what a relief that I just saved $45.00 on holding off to replace the bearings.

Robert, I had planed to use a piece of copper water pipe as it was just the right dimensions to drive the new bearing into place without damaging the bearing itself.
Oh well maybe next time.
Man tho did that thing sound ugly without a load on it.
The guy asked me how I knew the bearings were shot.
I replied, didn't you hear how that thing just sounded? :Sly
So starter reswap again tomorrow in the 20 degree weather outside.

EZ, they are pretty easy to take apart so shouldn't be much of a problem for ya if'n ya go that route.

 

[HammerDown]

Ron, not but a month ago I pulled mine ( )...starter that is, and did the same thing as you.
My OE starter was full of dust, the brushes however were fat healthy. I cleaned out the mica grooves, took some scotch-brite to the armature and installed 1 bearing...and she's a spinnin like new!

Also... remove ALL the wires at that relay on the pass fender well and FULLY clean them, that helps alot also

Ps bearing was $12.00

 

[The Warden]

Well as my parts buddy was looking things over her said that's an Autozone starter life time replacement.
Well since Darrin was so kind to email me the sale ad a nice big

You must be registered for see images

appeared in my numb skull cranium.
Yep ya guessed it.

WARRANTY
Pulled the PO's info and off to Autozone I went after sticking things back together.

Don't you just love lifetime warranties? I'm on rebuilt Mitsu #3 (and I think the hamster in this one got some extra Wheaties or something; this starter sounds like it's spinning faster than any other starter I've ever had), and both the second and the third one were warranty replacements