OK, so this afternoon I finally did it.... Let me start from the beginning. My truck would start 95% of the time, but there was always that one time where I would turn the key and all I would hear was a "click" from the right floorboard area (guess why). Sometimes I could turn the key a few times and it would catch, other times I just gave up. The times I gave up, I could go back 30 mins later and it would hit the first time. Starter rebuild time.
Parts arrived from CDan on Friday, just in time. Saturday afternoon, ate a good lunch, no beer, peed one more time before going out to tackle the beast.
Parts as listed above:
- Plunger Magnet 28235-35080
- Starter Contact Kit 28226-72010 (what I call the "left" side contact kit per photos)
- Starter Contact Kit 28226-72080 (what I call the "right" side contact kit per photos)
Tools required:
- 3/8" ratchet drive, may also possibly need breaker bar
- 8" extension shaft
- 8mm socket
- 12mm socket
- 14mm socket
- 17mm socket (6 point recommended)
- 12mm box end
- 14mm box end
- Hammer and flat cold chisel
- Lots of rags, degreaser , contact cleaner
- Nitrile gloves (yah, I'm a "nancy")
1) Gather your tools, park cruiser on a dry flat surface, slide some cardboard or something under the pass side of the engine to make it easier to slide around while getting at the starter.
2) DISCONNECT THE POSITIVE SIDE OF THE BATTERY! This will cut down on the amount of sparks.
3) Locate the starter in need of attention (view is from inside pass tire toward oil filter):
4) Disconnect the battery connection (12mm) on the bottom side of the starter and the signal connection (pull off), then attack the 17mm bolt on the bottom side of the starter. I needed a breaker bar here, but as I said I'm a nancy.
5) Go to the top side to access the upper 17mm nut on the top of the starter. It is hidden behind the 'motor' part of the starter.
I removed the upper part of the starter (two rods w. 10mm hex head) to gain better access, but if you probe with the 17mm socket at the end of the extension, you can get to it w/o removing the top part of the starter. Here's a view with the starter motor removed, to give you an idea where the top nut is.
Removing the top part actually increases the work because if the inner motor comes out of the housing (as it did on me), you have to do some extra work to reassemble it, but it's not impossible. Here is the slightly disassembled starter after complete removal:
I can't help cleaning up parts that I have removed for repair...
I went ahead and put the starter motor back together before actually getting to the rebuild (though the astute will see the old parts lying about so this is actually an "after picture):
6) Locate the end cap of the starter where the plunger and starter contacts are located.
Use 8mm socket here on 3 bolts (instead of Phillips screwdriver):
7) Disconnect the starter motor lead and remove the cap to gain access to the plunger and contacts.
Take care when removing the cap as it has a rubber seal which must not be damaged.
8) Remove the plunger (simply pulls out), but keep track of the spring at the end of the plunger, you'll re-use it.
Note the worn contacts on the left and right side of the housing. My plunger didn't look that bad, but may as well replace it while I'm in there.
9) Ready to start installing the new parts, here's what came from CDan:
10) New parts alongside old parts:
Plunger...
"Left" side contacts (when I took this pic I left out the 'cup' that goes between the 'O'-ring and the flat washer but it was included in the kit)...
"Right" side contacts (showing the cup)...
"Right" side contacts bolt had to be "pressed" onto right side contact (I used a hammer and chisel to tap it on)...
11) When disassembling left side contacts, note that there is a square washer soldered to a wire.
Carefully remove old parts while leaving this square washer undisturbed:
12) Install new contacts into left and right side of housing, taking care to use all new parts in the same order as old parts. Use 14mm box end wrench to tighten the nut inside the cup on outside of the starter.
13) Slide plunger spring on end of new plunger and reinstall in starter housing. Push plunger in against the spring and verify that it pushes the starter gear out the other end, and retracts when you release the plunger. Do this a few times, it's really fun.
14) Reinstall the cap and re-attach starter motor lead to "left" side of the starter (12mm). Be sure to reinstall the rubber cap over the starter motor connection. Mine was a little brittle and cracked, so I used some caulk to repair it and hold it in place. A replacement cap would be nice, but no part number is shown for this.
15) Reinstall starter on the flywheel housing. If the stud came off on the top side of the starter when you removed the 17mm nut, put the stud back in first, which will allow you to hang the starter on the stud while you re-install the 17mm nut. When you put the bottom 17mm bolt back in, be sure to include the ground cable under the bolt.
16) Re-attach battery connection to starter first (cover with rubber cap), then plug in signal connection.
17) Re-attach battery connection at battery.
18) Start 'er up!
When I first tried to start the truck, I got the same @$#&% clicking noise for about 6 tries. I sat there dumbfounded, reviewing in my mind all the steps I had taken to put everything back together
exactly as they had come apart.
I began to steel myself for taking it all back apart again, and decided to give it one more turn. Music ensued as the starter kicked in and the engine fired up! I let it run a little bit to make sure the plunger had retracted properly, then turned it off and tried again 2 or 3 more times to convince myself it was really working.
So... 202K miles, rebuilt starter, took about 3.5 hours but I spent probably 45 minutes cleaning all the gunk off the thing and reassembly the starter motor (the latter an unnecessary step).
HTH...
