Starter repair

My starter is acting up. Basically a click no turn situation, but it'll crank if you give it a whack. I've always heard this fault referred to as "a dead spot" in the starter.

I'm going to replace it, but I'm a sucker for a cheap repair to keep a spare. Has anyone performed starter surgery before? Could I replace the brushes in this bad boy, eat the core charge, and have myself a $32 spare starter?

Thanks

Assuming it's just bad brushes and you don't find anything else wrong when you dig into it, I see no reason that wouldn't work.

Probably bad brushes. The commutator ring may also need to be cleaned up. A small lathe is real handy for that. I have also seen a professional shop employee do it on a bench grinder. Makes you think about "rebuilt".

Dr. Hess wrote: Probably bad brushes. The commutator ring may also need to be cleaned up. A small lathe is real handy for that. I have also seen a professional shop employee do it on a bench grinder. Makes you think about "rebuilt".

EXACTLY

When I got my GTV6 the starter was doing what you are describing. After finding out how much a new one cost I took it apart, cleaned everything up inside and put it back together. After 8 years it was still going strong.

Nipondenso starter? If so, I'd more suspect the solenoid plunger and contacts.

Back in the day. I would test the armature for a dead spot on a growler. If the armature is not grooved much you can polish it with emery cloth. Check the shaft bushings. The drive end tends to wear. Make sure you solenoid has good contacts.

IIRC Toyota starters generally just need solenoid contacts, brushes in the alternators.

Awesome! I may try spit's idea and give it a good cleaning and see where I want to go from there. Who knows, it just might work!

Thanks everyone (I'll let you know down the road when I put it back in whether it works or not. Right now we're at about 13 years on this starter )

Pay close attention to the commutator, as things wear etc you can get minor wiping of the com segments or build up of brush dust in the little grooves on the com. It'll act like a short circuit and give you a dead spot.

Its also very likely its just a solenoid issue as others have said. Either the plunger is sticking in the barrel or the contactors in the solenoid are carbon fouled or close to burnt out and that little jolt that comes from whackin the starter is just enough for the contactors to touch and complete the circuit.

After some of the bodgy starter and alternator repairs I've seen by shops, you've not got much to loose by having a go yourself.

Use a hacksaw blade to clean the grooves between the segmnts

What breed of vehicle? If its a Nippondenso, change the contacts in the solenoid. If its an old Delco, clean it up and put brushes in it. Bosch? Clean it up, then add a relay to make sure you are giving the solenoid a full 12 volts to the solenoid. (Last tip applies to Toyotas with automatic transmissions, too.)

If its new enough to have torx head screws holding it together, throw it away.

It's a Toyota. Circa 1987 so probably not what anyone would consider "new"

and thanks to this thread I am now more afraid of the starter I just paid money for than I am of the one I've been hitting with a 2x4 for a week

You guys are awesome though, thanks. I'm thinking I'm going to perform the surgery, see what's what, and then stuff the old one back in. I'll keep the new one for an emergency spare.

Hungary Bill wrote: It's a Toyota. Circa 1987 so probably not what anyone would consider "new"

Get a Dorman 02349 kit and clean/re-use the plunger. Costs about $25, but has many parts which are probably in need of replacement.

The last toyota starter I touched I bought this kit: kit as the plunger and contacts are your general failure points, however the plastic bushings and washers in mine had died so I had to get the dorman kit as well.

Hungary Bill wrote: and thanks to this thread I am now more afraid of the starter I just paid money for than I am of the one I've been hitting with a 2x4 for a week You guys are awesome though, thanks. I'm thinking I'm going to perform the surgery, see what's what, and then stuff the old one back in. I'll keep the new one for an emergency spare.

Its not really major surgery. Cover on the solenoid has three Phillips head screws, then two 14mm nuts for the cables. Just keep track of the order of the bushings and whatall as you take the contacts out. Don't even touch the motor

foxtrapper wrote: Nipondenso starter? If so, I'd more suspect the solenoid plunger and contacts.

This thisity this. I have "fixed" them by unbolting the contacts from the solenoid body and sticking a washer between them and the body. The contacts get wafer-thin and spacing them in makes the plunger contact the thick areas again.

Hungary Bill wrote: It's a Toyota. Circa 1987 so probably not what anyone would consider "new"

Then it's a free fix probably. Pull the cover off (aforementioned three screws), pull the plunger, clean it and the contacts with emery cloth (or sandpaper if you're really cheap) and put it back together. You'll be good to go for many more years.

You can buy a replacement or rebuild kit cheaply, like the aforementioned ~$25. But, clean the contacts first. OEM contacts and plunger are quite stout.