Help me fix my starter

[dbdartman]

Sounds like it may have been a simple lubrication issue and you've gotten it licked. Plus you got a bonus. Now you know why you should always remove the negative battery lead first.

And install the negative cable LAST!

 

[civesnedfield]

Ok I am going to disagree with the majority of posters on here ( isnt that a surpise)

Getting a starter repaired is a minor inconvenience and maybe some money. Getting a flywheel replaced is a major inconvenience and if you have it done a lot of money. Get the starter fixed soon bendix issues on the starter become flywheel issues pretty quickly. Currently my job title is industrial electronic technician. I am very aware of how to take starters apart and fix them. I have not done it since I had to repair the starter on my 8N years ago i bought new brushes for it and while I had it apart found the spring holder was broken. I went to the local starter rebuilder and asked him if he could get get the new part. He offered to just go ahead and fix the starter. He replaced the whole brush assembly with new brushes for less money than I originally paid for the brushes. If you have someone there that has a good reputation for working on starters take the starter to him and have him check it out and see if there is something wrong with it. My rebuilder gives me a max price it might be if he replaces everything but the case and then charges me for the parts he has to replace plus the labor to replace them.

gemini5362 - I agree with you 100%. Finding a good rebuilder, that you can trust is the way to go. I should know that's what my dad is. He has been doing it for going on 50 years now. The problem these days is not so much finding someone that is good and can be trusted, as actually finding someone that rebuilds them. With the big box AutoParts stores now they have just about put the rebuilders out of buisness. You can walk thru the door and buy a rebuilt off the shelf nowadays. I use to know of five rebuilders somewhat local to where I live now. Within the past five years now I believe that one is still in buisness.

 

[gemini5362]

gemini5362 - I agree with you 100%. Finding a good rebuilder, that you can trust is the way to go. I should know that's what my dad is. He has been doing it for going on 50 years now. The problem these days is not so much finding someone that is good and can be trusted, as actually finding someone that rebuilds them. With the big box AutoParts stores now they have just about put the rebuilders out of buisness. You can walk thru the door and buy a rebuilt off the shelf nowadays. I use to know of five rebuilders somewhat local to where I live now. Within the past five years now I believe that one is still in buisness.

I am glad your dad is still in the buisness. The person I used grew up rebuilding starters and alternators in his dads buisness when his dad retired he took over the buisness and still does it. The problem with the big stores rebuilt units is that their is very poor qulity control where they are rebuilt at. I took a rebuilt unit from a box store to the guy that had does my work. When I came back to pick it up he showed me where the stator had a ground in the wireing to case and all the rebuilder did was to put a piece of tape over that spot and then put it back together. I took a starter back to the box store where I had bought it three times in one year because it was lifetime warranteed. I have never taken one back to be worked on from the individual rebuilder. Before someone asks why I went to the box store. My starter went out on a sunday and I had to get the truck running that day. After the third time of taking that lifetime warrantied unit off I went ahead and paid to have it rebuilt. That was 12 years ago and that starter still works.

 

[civesnedfield]

I am glad your dad is still in the buisness. The person I used grew up rebuilding starters and alternators in his dads buisness when his dad retired he took over the buisness and still does it. The problem with the big stores rebuilt units is that their is very poor qulity control where they are rebuilt at. I took a rebuilt unit from a box store to the guy that had does my work. When I came back to pick it up he showed me where the stator had a ground in the wireing to case and all the rebuilder did was to put a piece of tape over that spot and then put it back together. I took a starter back to the box store where I had bought it three times in one year because it was lifetime warranteed. I have never taken one back to be worked on from the individual rebuilder. Before someone asks why I went to the box store. My starter went out on a sunday and I had to get the truck running that day. After the third time of taking that lifetime warrantied unit off I went ahead and paid to have it rebuilt. That was 12 years ago and that starter still works.

Gee, I had that same problem. The starter went on my daughters car. 1983 Mercedes diesel. Instead of looking for the parts to rebuild myself, I bought a rebuilt from a box store. I had to install it in a strawberry field. Fun to say the least, and it was not the easiest starter I have ever changed. It lasted less than a week. I talked to the store where I bought it and they got me another one. Before taking the old one back I pulled it apart. The rebuilder did such a poor job of soldering the stator to the post that after about 15 starts the solder broke. My problem is two fold. 1) I am on the road 49 weeks out of the year. I only have weekends at the house to get things done. So box store over rebuilding myself is sort of a no brainer. and 2)It's very hard too buy the internal parts for starters, alternators, and generators. All of which I can rebuild myself. Worst case senerio I box it up and UPS it down to dad, but generally I can't wait that long. So I to am trapped by the convience of the Box Stores.

 

[dieselfuelonly]

I am going to take the starter to NAPA today to see if they can rebuild it. It was acting up again, and I don't want to have to worry about it any more. Hopefully it won't be too expensive, and hopefully NAPA is the place that can do it!

I'll let you guys know how it goes.

 

[gemini5362]

I am going to take the starter to NAPA today to see if they can rebuild it. It was acting up again, and I don't want to have to worry about it any more. Hopefully it won't be too expensive, and hopefully NAPA is the place that can do it!

I'll let you guys know how it goes.

Most of the parts stores I have seen do not do that kind of work. Good luck with your napa store. I might would advise looking in the yellow pages under automobile electric and see if there is a place near you that specializes in rebuilding starters and alternators. They probable will have someone more experienced in doing that than a parts store would have.

 

[dsgsr]

dieselfuelonly, Did you get your starter fixed? What was the problem?


David