My starter has been having a few performance issues since fall (at it's age, I guess it's earned it...me, on the other hand...). Every now and then, at first, it would just growl and rumble when I hit the foot pedal. It was obviously spinning itself, but not the engine. Sounded mean, but did nothing. I would wait for a second, and try again and it would catch.
It's been getting progressively more common, so I decided to order a rebuild kit and have a go at freshening it up. Read a lot in the forums, but did not see much in the way of tutorials and what-ifs, so here I am...
Here's the starter in
situ. When I took off the bypass and switch, I noticed that I was getting a short in the thin copper
springy-thing that engages with the
switch plate inside. Is this anything to worry about?
Opening the case, a ton of
oily dirt fell out. To be expected, I guess, but a surprise to me. No wonder these have to be bulletproof.
First question: What solvent or material can I soak this in without damaging the
field coils or windings?
Next, the
commutator end...Here's what mine looks like. The copper looks like it is pretty darn worn down. Is this normal? Or should there be more "meat" in the copper part between the channels?
So, before I get too far down the road, is this thing worth repairing and cleaning up?
Do I need to find a way to grind the new
brushes in my kit to match the commutator curve? If so, how?
I will document any repair and cleanup as I go, but I'd love some advice on whether I am working with a good unit to start with. No sense putting a new kit into a gone starter.
Thanks,
Jim
