starter problems

fish 4 life

fish 4 life

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Oct 3, 2009
Messages
90
My starter will sometimes not work. It will spin, but it won't pop up. I will have to try to turn it by hand, pull on it, or jiggle it sometimes to get it to come up. Sometimes it will work fine. The battery was fully charged.
 
oldrudedude

oldrudedude

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 3, 2008
Messages
480
Re: starter problems

If you turn the drive assembly backwards by hand it should slide up the spiral shaft and engage the flywheel. If you feel resistance it probably needs some light oil lubrication. If it slides freely there may be a voltage drop through the starter relay or through the cable connections. Likely just in need of some lube.
 
fish 4 life

fish 4 life

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Oct 3, 2009
Messages
90
Re: starter problems

oldrudedude said:
If you turn the drive assembly backwards by hand it should slide up the spiral shaft and engage the flywheel. If you feel resistance it probably needs some light oil lubrication. If it slides freely there may be a voltage drop through the starter relay or through the cable connections. Likely just in need of some lube.
Click to expand...

It definitely does not slide freely when I have to pull it up. I guess it just needs more oil lubrication. I have already done this once. I don't know why I have to keep lubricating it. I guess its just old.
 
tashasdaddy

tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
51,019
Re: starter problems

90% of starter problems are bad connections. remove and clean both ends of the battery cables, so that they are shiney, also the cable from the solenoid to starter. check for nicks in the cables. and make sure the connectors are on the wire good. the cable tend to corrode from the inside out, if nicked, corroded wires, and connections, heat up and cause resistance to the follow of electricity, thus the starter doesn't get enough. you can also take jumper cable pos battery post to large post on starter. with a good connection, the engine should spin. then if the starter is good clean everything and retest. then trouble shoot solenoid. starters can be rebuit at a starter/alternator shop, much cheaper than a new one.

also have the battery load tested at the auto parts store, free, i've had new batteries go bad
 
oldrudedude

oldrudedude

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 3, 2008
Messages
480
Re: starter problems

[It definitely does not slide freely when I have to pull it up. I guess it just needs more oil lubrication. I have already done this once. I don't know why I have to keep lubricating it. I guess its just old./QUOTE]

If there is lots of appearant wear between the shaft and the drive mechanism, that is causing the binding, it might be toast.

Maybe it just needs to be cleaned well then lubed. When I got my 100hp it was doing the same thing. The starter would spin, but the drive mechanism would not pop up to engage the flywheel. I took the starter apart to check the brushes and commutator and found they were fine. While I had the starter off I turned it upside down and sprayed solvent between the shaft and the drive, while sliding the drive, until the solvent that was coming out was no longer black and muddy. Then I lubed it. Works well now.

I won't recommend flushing it while on the engine because the fine metal grit could wash down into the top armature bushing and create more problems.
Click to expand...
 
fish 4 life

fish 4 life

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Oct 3, 2009
Messages
90
Re: starter problems

Thanks for all the information. I will take this all in consideration and see what I come up with.
 
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