Starter problem(s)

[Anonymous]

I was having some problems with the carb, where I needed to be under the hood holding my hand on top of the carb before it would even begin to run. I was by myself, so I was bypassing the starter relay and the solenoid with a screwdriver to get her cranking. After a few dozen attempts, she stopped, just that familiar clicking noise. I wired up a new solenoid, hooked up a new battery (spare), and wrapped a few times on the starter, and I still have nothing but the click. Is it time to replace the starter? Is it possible that I could have blown it?

Thanks,

Jon

 

[addo]

I don't know what it is - the cooler weather or something - but there seem to be so many cases of poor starters in the US. What goes wrong?

Only guess is that they are not undercutting the commutator insulation in the starter itself. Check all cable resistances first (should be zero ohms) and see if a different solenoid will fix it.

Our starters usually last ten or more years of daily use. Weird, the difference.

 

[wallaka]

Difference in quality in the reman starters maybe? They are so cheap that I can't see good components being in them. I believe I paid $20 or so for mine, and a couple years back $15 for the one to fit my 302. It lasted for the 2 years I had the thing. If a brand new starter was bought, it should last 10 years or more.

 

[addo]

They may just be skimming the commutator.

To undercut correctly, the mica has to be cut with a ground-down hacksaw blade to leave a "face" of mica each side of the cut. This way, buildup of carbon in the cut grooves will not short out the segments.

Cut to about 1/32" deep. Check every pair of contact segments for similar resistance. Inspect the brushes for signs of poor contact. If it's all good, then the starter motor should be ready to run again.

I also see some appalling "rebuilt" stuff here. Criminal overskims on rotors, mix-and-match electrical units, and barely touched (save for new paint), rebuilt parts.

 

[Anonymous]

I busted out the multimeter and checked all the cables; they were all zero ohms. The battery was fully charged and I confirmed the new solenoid was good. I pulled the starter and saw the problem(s) - broken teeth on the gears and a busted capacitor. So I ended up getting a remanufactured starter. It will probably last me 4-5 years, as did the old starter, but it's all I can afford right now.

Thanks again guys,

Jon

 

[CobraSix]

Glad you found the problem. That is the reason I always buy the parts from Autozone with the lifetime warranty!

I've replaced 4 alternators on that plan already.

Slade

 

[Anonymous]

Exactly, the starter I got is from Autozone, $30 with lifetime warranty

Good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions.