Page 1 of 1

Question from Joeyy about Starters.

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 4:11 pm
by tekatlarge
Joeyy Wrote:
[quote} "I just had the starter off and had to put a new BWD gear in it, and I put the starter back on. Yesturday when I went out to start it, all it did was the selenoid clicked. As soon as I put the starter back on, I took it for a test drive and it started up fine. I'm pretty sure the battery is just dead, but I tried jumping it for about half an hour just now and still nothing. Just the click. Its not in gear and the starter is still wired up right. I even got under it and tapped the starter with a hammer a couple times while my brotehr tried starting it (we had to do that before with our F-150). I checked all my fuses under the dash board and they all check out fine. I know my alternator belt is loose and I'm tightening it right now. But even after half an hour of my brotehr truck "charging" the battery, it still is doing the same thing. My brotehr may suspect it being the starter relay which I'm about to tear apart. Any ideas?" [/quote}




OK, I read earlier that when you removed the starter you cleaned it up? I am not sure how far you went, but I find in a starter that is old enough to wear out a gear usually has other borderline problems. The #1 reason for starters to quit rotating is that the brushes are plum wore out. The next cause is the brushes getting gummed up and not contacting the armature.

Here is my recommendation, Pull the starter apart. Clean the inside real good. Check the armature and clean it up good. Put the whole thing back together with a new set of brushes and motor happily away.

Re: Question from Joeyy about Starters.

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 4:14 pm
by joeyy
I actually went over everything with a wire brush and throughly cleaned it. Not real sure how bad the actual brushes are though, but everything is clean now.

Re: Question from Joeyy about Starters.

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 4:32 pm
by tekatlarge
The brushes should at least extend up past the holder and if you lift the brush slightly you should feel the spring action pushing the brush against the armature. Take a ohm meter if you have one and it should look almost like a short from the positive bat post on the starter to the case of the starter.
Before you put the starter back in test it by hookin up the Jumper cables to the starter and make sure it spins.
Sounds like you are gettin er handled.