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stirlinga
02-19-2005, 07:10 PM
I'm stumped. For the last month I have noticed my starter dying. Ending with not being able to start at all two days ago. So, today I have the time to fiddle with it. It's been making noises so I decided to pull it out and take it apart on the bench (kitchen floor). All goes well, I clean the brushes, commutator etc.. reinstall it with new electrical cables, and clean all grounding connections, which I assumed was the problem in the first place. First try it fires up on the first revolution, and works better than it ever has. Now here comes the annoying bit. I shut it off, and get cleaned up. The wife wants to take it to work so she gets in and it doesn't do anything but whir, and every so often make some grinding noises. I assume a stuck bendix... so I pull it, spray it down with lots of WD-40, and it will snap back into place with the force of the spring. Reinstall, same deal. I pull it again, and bench test it with the battery, and it sparks like crazy. So I test it with the DMM and there is very little resistance between the positive post, and the chassis of the starter. So, I'm guessing I've got a short somewhere. But where? Any ideas where to start testing?

Thanks, guess I'm going to be getting lots of practice with that starter handle. Here's a pic so this thread won't be worthless.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/suntzu_2002/starter.jpg

PTSchram
02-20-2005, 05:50 AM
With a wife who is willing to drive a Series truck, I have no sympathy for you :flipoff2: My wife won't ride in my Series truck.

As for the testing, start disconnecting parts 'til the resistance rises.

stirlinga
02-20-2005, 08:43 AM
Well, my wife wouldn't for a long time either, because she resented the hell out of it. She thought I was buying an engagement ring for Valentines day three years ago, I got a 1960 88" instead. Now she wants one of her own.

I'll pull the starter again tonight, and see what I can find. My best time so far is three minutes for pulling that beast.