Gunpowder in starter!

[bgilbert]

Got my starter apart about to install new contacts and plunger, thought I'd take the bottom part of the starter apart. Loosen the two 8mm long bolts and separate the two halfs. And what I found inside (btw not in the solenoid-top part) was what looked like gunpowder! A bunch of it too, black powder. The contacts were worn alittle bit in the solenoid part and rusty inside. Whats the deal with the rest of the starter? Something else worn? BTW, to fill everyone in, I was having to tap the starter every now and then with a hammer for it to start. Thanks. Bill

 

[RGT]

sounds like the brushes are wiped out, having to hit with a hammer is a sure sign of that, the hammerblow helps the brushes seat and make electrical contact, very soon the hammer will not help and you will be forced to replace the brushes, do a search I remember someone posting part numbers for them some time ago. .

 

[bgilbert]

Searched whole site, didnt find any part numbers. Anyone? Any special tools needed for starter rebuild (besides the simple contact and plunger swap out)? Thanks Bill

 

[dpuckett]

Yep, yer stater's packed its bags and is headed south for the summer....

I had the exact same thing happen to me last summer, though the gun powder didnt go BOOOMM!! Didnt have time to rebuild it myself; got it done at an electrical shop in town- I took it in at 7:30, Mom picked it up at 5:00. I'll look in my FSM and see if there is anything on starter rebuild. Something tells me it will be a R & R only, though, but I'll check anyway.



Daniel

 

[Philip]

Your seeing the remains of the brushes inside the stater casing area. This is normal on a high milage stater.



The big questions is the armature burnt or groved or shorted?

 

[bgilbert]

pic

Heres some pics, I will have more in readers rigs. Not sure what the brushes or armature looks like. . bill

 

[bgilbert]

another pic

one more, possible link to my starter pics in my readers rigs. https://www.turbodieselregister.com/user_gallery/displayalbum.php?&userid=13880&albumid=16352

 

[boatpuller]

Looks like you could use brushes. The armature is the round area that looks about 2"-3" in diameter on the main starter shaft(left side in your pics). The brushes are the pieces of carbon that have the copper braided wire attatched to them that ride inside the little rectangular metal tube, they ride against the armature and provide power to the different windings as the armature spins, looks like they are fairly easy to replace on these starters, you can probably get them from Napa or an electrical rebuilder in your area.

Hope that I described it well enough for you, it's hard to put it into words without being able to point at the parts and I'm not computer literate enough to add arrows to your picture.



Ask away if you have any more questions,

Caleb

 

[hdm48]

Just looking at those pics tells me the brushes are warn out. The brushes are the funny looking thingys with the wires attached to them and have the springs holding them in against the rotor (armature). The really cool partabout these starters is, you can replace the brushes easy. But the armature will need to be surfaced and polished. I use my lathe.

That black junk can be blown out with an air hose. Just don't breath the dust. It's bad, bad, icky stuff.

Oh yea, those little springs holding in the brushes, they're bad arse little buggers and will pinch your fingers worse than a really mad girlfriend.







Dave