starter problems?
 

My car usually starts prett easy but I tend to just drive it around town. However, I have taken two longer trips and both times after stopping the starter would roll over. The first time I just went out to dinner and came back and it started. Today I thought I could wait a while and it would start again. I waited over an hour and the starter would roll over so I had to push start the car.

I drove an hour back home and when I got in the garage it started just fine.

I just read the tech article by Bob Tindel on starter replacement and was wondering if I am experiencing the heating up problem he mentioned?

Time for a new starter or can I fix this one?

You have a good chance of fixing it ... for a couple of years ... by disassembling, cleaning with Brak-Kleen, and lubricating the solenoid plunger and linkage, bendix mechanism with Swepco 101 or Valvoline #986 SynPower Synthetic Grease with moly.

Yeah Volk..do the starter maintence first......................Ron

I looked under my car when I got home and the starter is absolutely covered in old oil and dirt. I knew I had a leak somewhere but it looks like it is effecting the starter. Do you think that could be part of the problem?

..........................Ron

Thanks. Guess I know what I am doing tomorrow.

Well I got the starter off and cleaned up on the outside of it. It had about a 1/2 of old oil and dirt all over it. What leak would drip right onto the starter?

When I tried to take it apart to see how the inerds were I undid the two long bolts and pulled on the bottom. It didn't move very much (only about a 1/2") so I tried the other end (the one with the gear. It seem to be free so I pulled a little harder and ended up with a hand full of ball bearings. It seems the gear mechanism was held on by some type of ball bearing seal. Should I have been able to remove the gear without these beads falling out?

The end of the grooved shaft that was still connected to the windings look good still but about 1/2" from the end it looked like it was worn down. Is that normal?

I don't see any way to get the ball bearing back into their holes without them falling out again. Can I safely say this thing is now broken and justify a new one?

Well, maybe not ...

A bearing supply store has new ball bearings (they are a standard size -- the local bearing supply had them in stock, here in the middle of West Texas) to replace the old ones ... and a Haynes manual has several pics and a diagram showing how it goes back together. An old Bentley manual for an air-cooled VW also has instructions, pics, and diagrams on starter reassembly.

Found some bearings and got it back together. Seems to work very well. I guess I'll need to drive it hard (with someone else with me in case I need a push!) and see if it still works.

Thanks for the help.

"There's a starter under that crud somewhere."
That's what I thought, too, as I prepared to drop the motor over the weekend. Amazing....never had a starter problem.

Volk..good one..see what happens..the starter sol feed goes thru a few connections from starter sw. to starter sol..my aftermarket Viper alarm/starter kill castrates the yellow sol wire size at the starter kill relay.I believe the sol. may draw about 20 amps/when sol is in good shape/cool.. that's big current IMO to go thru the wire connections.. so, if still a problem then blah blah blah..........Ron

Rebuild
 

Thought from the same project on my '87 Landcruiser:

I had the same problem. New starter ran around $500, $350 rebuilt. I ended up taking it to a shop that rebuild alternators, starters and generators. For $35 they replaced a worn bushing and the thing is like new.

Not sure you could find the same for the P-car, I was shocked that they could do it for my truck.

Something worth looking into if your problem re-appears.

Gordo

Last week I wrestled with the starter in a 4x4 Nissan and it was NO FUN. Working on these 911s is heaven, comparatively.

I have replaced the 'oilite' bushing in VW/Porsche SR-17 starters for less than $4, and brushes for about $6!