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Sat May 11, 2013 9:33 am

Those burned contacts are what my Dad taught me to clean up about 35 years ago. I've never lubed one. Steve?

Sat May 11, 2013 9:36 am

So cleaning them, emery cloth? alcohol dipped qtip?

Sat May 11, 2013 10:10 am

thought that the motor was what you cleaned, no the solenoid....hm. learn something new every day.

Sat May 11, 2013 10:15 am

You can just use a knife to scrap any of the burnt crud off the contacts. The plunger should move in the bore, some can be easily removed and others can not. If you can remove it, do so and clean off any old grease. Relube with a synthetic electrical grease if you have it. If it can't be removed squirt some motor oil into the joint around the plunger and work the plunger in and out repeatedly.

Sat May 11, 2013 11:23 am

And once you are this far along you might as well remove the starter housing as well. This way you can have a look at the brushes and armature as well. The end of the armature (under the brushes) can be cleaned lightly with fine emery cloth while you are there. Don't try to remove the entire armature from where it is seated in the clamp, it will not come out without further work. There are also much better write ups with good pics floating around the internet.

When it comes time to reassemble it you will usually have to remove the brushes from the retaining springs and reinstall them one by one back into their slots while the armature is in position. It is all very simple to do but takes a bit of co-ordination when trying to hold back the retaining springs to reinstall the brushes while keeping the main housing from moving around. But not a problem.

A starter is a pretty simply motor. Once you take your first one apart they are not much of a mystery anymore.

I will try to locate a replacement field coil for my bosch starter so I can get this one working again. My field coil melted all the rubber coating off of itself and heated up until one of the copper coil wraps melted through. My solenoid still functions properly though. I know Bosch has a life time warranty on their new starters, which this was, but it is 100% my fault it burnt up in the first place.

A good project for a rainy day.

Sat May 11, 2013 11:42 am

when you clean them up they have to be even/level with each other to work right not just the part you see in the photo but what they make contact with.

Sat May 11, 2013 3:50 pm

Millennium Falcon wrote: And once you are this far along you might as well remove the starter housing as well. This way you can have a look at the brushes and armature as well. The end of the armature (under the brushes) can be cleaned lightly with fine emery cloth while you are there. Don't try to remove the entire armature from where it is seated in the clamp, it will not come out without further work. There are also much better write ups with good pics floating around the internet.

When it comes time to reassemble it you will usually have to remove the brushes from the retaining springs and reinstall them one by one back into their slots while the armature is in position. It is all very simple to do but takes a bit of co-ordination when trying to hold back the retaining springs to reinstall the brushes while keeping the main housing from moving around. But not a problem.

A starter is a pretty simply motor. Once you take your first one apart they are not much of a mystery anymore.

I will try to locate a replacement field coil for my bosch starter so I can get this one working again. My field coil melted all the rubber coating off of itself and heated up until one of the copper coil wraps melted through. My solenoid still functions properly though. I know Bosch has a life time warranty on their new starters, which this was, but it is 100% my fault it burnt up in the first place.

A good project for a rainy day.

Don't be surprised if the armature is bad too. You need to have it growled to check it. Don't know where you would find a growler these days.

Sat May 11, 2013 3:57 pm

SGKent wrote: Millennium Falcon wrote: And once you are this far along you might as well remove the starter housing as well. This way you can have a look at the brushes and armature as well. The end of the armature (under the brushes) can be cleaned lightly with fine emery cloth while you are there. Don't try to remove the entire armature from where it is seated in the clamp, it will not come out without further work. There are also much better write ups with good pics floating around the internet.

When it comes time to reassemble it you will usually have to remove the brushes from the retaining springs and reinstall them one by one back into their slots while the armature is in position. It is all very simple to do but takes a bit of co-ordination when trying to hold back the retaining springs to reinstall the brushes while keeping the main housing from moving around. But not a problem.

A starter is a pretty simply motor. Once you take your first one apart they are not much of a mystery anymore.

I will try to locate a replacement field coil for my bosch starter so I can get this one working again. My field coil melted all the rubber coating off of itself and heated up until one of the copper coil wraps melted through. My solenoid still functions properly though. I know Bosch has a life time warranty on their new starters, which this was, but it is 100% my fault it burnt up in the first place.

A good project for a rainy day.

Don't be surprised if the armature is bad too. You need to have it growled to check it. Don't know where you would find a growler these days.
I know wheres there is one but it is a LONG ways away from you guys :wink: that tool makes me feel old.

Sat May 11, 2013 5:05 pm

I think I could find one of these pretty easily,

Growler

A growler is a glass or ceramic jug with a capacity of 64 U.S. fl oz (1,892.7 ml; 66.6 imp fl oz) used to transport draft beer in Australia, the United States and Canada. They are commonly sold at breweries and brewpubs as a means to sell take-out craft beer. The exploding growth of craft breweries and the growing popularity of home brewing has also led to an emerging market for the sale of collectible growlers.

Growlers are generally made of glass and have either a screw-on cap or a hinged porcelain gasket cap, which can provide freshness for a week or more. A properly sealed growler will hold carbonation indefinitely and will store beer like any other sanitized bottle. Some growler caps are equipped with valves to allow replacement of CO2 lost while racking. The modern glass growler was first introduced by Charlie and Ernie Otto of Otto Brother's Brewing Company in 1989.[3]

However, this one might be more of a problem :D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growler_%28electrical_device%29

...and thank-you, by the way.

Sat May 11, 2013 5:16 pm

bigbore wrote:
I know wheres there is one but it is a LONG ways away from you guys :wink: that tool makes me feel old.

Don't tell me, you actually have one in your shop???

Sat May 11, 2013 5:18 pm

ya well sort-a its at a friends shop and its WAY older then me.

Sat May 11, 2013 5:54 pm

I am pretty sure that my local little auto-electric repair shop has one. I'll have to check on that.

Sun Jun 09, 2013 5:03 am

Just saw this tidbit in the internets and thought it would apply to us VW folks
http://mustangmagazineonline.com/article/sad-story-suddenly-sticking-solenoid

Sun Jun 09, 2013 8:02 am

tootype2crazy wrote: Just saw this tidbit in the internets and thought it would apply to us VW folks
http://mustangmagazineonline.com/article/sad-story-suddenly-sticking-solenoid

good read.

Sun Jun 09, 2013 8:44 am

Millennium Falcon wrote: I think I could find one of these pretty easily,

Growler

However, this one might be more of a problem :D

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CROWN-SNAP-ON-ARMATURE-GRO...mp;vxp=mtr

Finding one not a problem, affording one, maybe.

Sun Jun 09, 2013 10:36 am

tootype2crazy wrote: Just saw this tidbit in the internets and thought it would apply to us VW folks
http://mustangmagazineonline.com/article/sad-story-suddenly-sticking-solenoid

Interesting article, and very sensible. I recently disassembled and replaced the contacts in my Toyota pickup starter solenoid. The contacts look very similar to the Ford solenoid, and mine were arced and corroded just like the photo. New contacts are @ five bucks. Works like a charm now.

Sun Jun 09, 2013 10:44 am

cdennisg wrote: tootype2crazy wrote: Just saw this tidbit in the internets and thought it would apply to us VW folks
http://mustangmagazineonline.com/article/sad-story-suddenly-sticking-solenoid

Interesting article, and very sensible. I recently disassembled and replaced the contacts in my Toyota pickup starter solenoid. The contacts look very similar to the Ford solenoid, and mine were arced and corroded just like the photo. New contacts are @ five bucks. Works like a charm now.

Interesting that they are replaceable.

Sun Jun 09, 2013 11:03 am

SGKent wrote: cdennisg wrote: tootype2crazy wrote: Just saw this tidbit in the internets and thought it would apply to us VW folks
http://mustangmagazineonline.com/article/sad-story-suddenly-sticking-solenoid

Interesting article, and very sensible. I recently disassembled and replaced the contacts in my Toyota pickup starter solenoid. The contacts look very similar to the Ford solenoid, and mine were arced and corroded just like the photo. New contacts are @ five bucks. Works like a charm now.

Interesting that they are replaceable.

Yeah, I didn't know it either. I was talking to a friend that is a local mechanic, and I told him that the starter had stuck on a couple of times due to a broken return spring in my ignition switch. He said that I should pull the starter to check those contacts, and that he had replaced many of them from a box full that he has on the shelf. It just so happened that I had the engine out of the truck to do a bunch of seals, a clutch, and a timing chain kit. Starter R&R was simple. Apparently the same thing happens on 90's Subaru's, and replacing those contacts can make the starter like new again.

Sun Jul 20, 2014 3:31 pm

Red Fau Veh wrote: Ok, I got it apart, but I see no place for lubrication. Here is what I have.

When you turn the key to start the car, the rectangle terminal in the center of the starter solenoid is magnetically pushed out and connects #1 and #2. Sending massive amounts of current too the starter, to crank the motor. The other connections on the solenoid are all Positive, used to either power other components or as a signal wire from the ignition switch to signal the solenoid to turn on. What completes the circuit is the negative connection of the starter case to the transaxle – ground strap – body – negative post on battery.
So let’s look at the path.
(+bat - #1 - #2 - starter- starter case - transaxle - ground strap - body - negative post on battery)

Does that make sense?

Sun Jul 20, 2014 3:34 pm

delete