Rebuilding a starter motor

[Argeo]

Hi, do people have starter motors rebuilt and if so by who? My car always starts but it often takes a several tries for it to start. I do get the solenoid click but the starter does not go. I have cleaned all the connections on the starter, the ground on the tranny I cleaned this past winter, and the ground from the battery to the body I also cleaned. The starter could be the original 77 911 starter. I replaced the solenoid because i overtightened a bolt on it and broke a bolt. Anyways, just trying to find a cheaper alternative than dropping $200 on a rebuild.

Thanks,

David

[magic930]

Are you sure your battery is fully charged?

Have you taken it apart and replaced the carbon brushes?
Starters fail most often from worn brushes the brush gets shorter and shorter over its life and the brush spring is no longer pushing very hard on the contact surface. The windings are usually in OK shape and are very durable. While you have it apart you should usually replace the bearings and the end gear if it is worn.

[Argeo]

Magic 930, if the battery was weak, would the car start at all. It will, it just takes several tries sometimes.

About the bushings, is this difficult to do? Do I need soldering skills or anything else or is it as easy as replacing the solenoid? Do I have to worry about getting an electric discharge or anything even though it is disconnected from the car? What type money are we talking about someone else doing it?

Thanks,

David

[dtw]

Do a complete check on the circuit before spending any money - remove your battery and take it over to your FLAPS for cycling and testing. If it is good, then check the resistance on the big red cable that goes from the battery to the starter. If both check out OK, check the connections to the starter and make sure they're clean, shiny, and tight. If you're still SOL, take the starter to the aforementioned FLAPS for diagnosis. I followed the above procedure and was able to pin my problems on my supposedly rebuilt starter, which was just rebuilt by a local shop (for $140). My wrench sold me a certified Bosch-rebuilt unit for my POS core and around $150. It cranks about twice as hard as my "rebuilt" one ever did. All is good now!

[svandamme]

with a weak battery , it is possible that it takes some time before it builds enough juice

this would be more an issue in winter time , when the cold prevents it from delivering enough power , several cranks later, the battery has heated up (because it's actively working) and delivers more juice.

easiest test is just to wack in another battery from another car, or just use starter cables... if it cranks straight away then , your starter is fine

[Argeo]

I have noticed in the past when I charge the battery the starter fires right up. This is usually above the 12v I think the battery should be without the car running. I will try jumping off someone elses and see what happens. Also, I have a think black wire that goes from the start to the front of the car and then disappears into the body. That must be the wire that goes to the battery. Does it go anyplace else first just as a relay or anything or is it a straight line to the battery?


Thanks,

David

[svandamme]

pretty straight cable front left of body , to rear mid right of engine bay
no interruptions on that one...

[Zeke]

David, this sounds like a battery issue to me. If you have not had a new battery in the last 4 years, suspect it. According to reading here, it should read 12.65 +- volts resting. The system should read almost 14v when the car is running at fast idle. Anything less, you can remove the blame from the starter for now.

If you find the starter as the culprit after a battery/charging system check, a local auto electric shop can fix your starter. Look for a shop that does the work in house, not a parts exchanger. I would suggest using such a shop because they can diagnose, rebuild, test and guarantee the work.

I personally stay away from the FLAPS on starters and alts. Maybe that's just me. And shipping these things ends up costing half the cost of a rebuild, so do it locally if possible.

[aigel]

If you find the starter being the culprit, go buy a NEW one. I like the high torque / low weight starter that you can get here and elsewhere. It is more compact, lighter, better and it is NEW! I don't trust rebuilds, unless you have a trustworthy place in town that rebuilds your unit.

George

[Argeo]

Thanks Guys for the advice. I will start with condition of the battery and go from there. The battery I replaced last year but it sat all winter and i did notice that the water levels were low which I got back to the proper levels. I bought from autozone and know they are pretty good about replacing if the battery is not working correctly.

David

[Zeke]

Originally posted by Argeo
Thanks Guys for the advice. I will start with condition of the battery and go from there. The battery I replaced last year but it sat all winter and i did notice that the water levels were low which I got back to the proper levels. I bought from autozone and know they are pretty good about replacing if the battery is not working correctly.

David

That'll do it every time. Buy a maintenace free battery, or better yet, a gel cell.

[RPMClassic]

If you're in Mass I have a bosch starter that you can pick up for free.

Jim