For what it's worth, I rebuilt mine using the guts of a starter for the 20/22r. I didn't have the LC parts on hand and live 70 miles from the parts store. Fit like a glove and have been on it for +6 months. Two contacts and plunger.
Here are the Toyota part #s for a starter rebuild.
- Thread starter hodag
- Start date
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So I noticed something interesting with the contacts. Saw it in the first post of this thread too, but didn't think much of it until I did mine. It looks like either the 80 series 3FE starter has a larger positive lead contact, or at some point Toyota upgraded the design altogether for the contacts and determined that this was a better design. Here's a direct side-by-side comparison of the old and new positive lead contacts:
I took my micrometer to it, and the extra ears provide 27 sq. mm more contact area total for the plunger's contact. This makes sense since the increased contact area would allow for more current to pass to the other contact (which interestingly enough still adheres to the original design). If I had enough money to spare I would've ordered a second positive kit so I could use the larger contact on the downstream side too. Could've possibly given the starter a good amount more OOMPH for better cold weather cranking.
Hey SP50! Geekily, I found this fascinating. Thanks. Any issues now that you're about 2 years out from when you posted?
None at all. I upgraded all my ground cables and the starter's positive cable as well, and it starts up beautifully.
zcruiser
Needs monitoring
Hey guys... I deleted an old email account where my pics were stored, so re-uploaded them to Photobucket and updated the links back in post #6... Here are the Toyota part #s for a starter rebuild.
Amazing that I can still edit a 10-year-old post! Thanks to @gregclimbs for pointing out the dead links!
Amazing that I can still edit a 10-year-old post! Thanks to @gregclimbs for pointing out the dead links!
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Quick question for you all,
WHen the truck is not running and I turn the starter all I get is a click. However, when I turn the key when the truck is running, I get the grinding noise. How can that be?!
WHen the truck is not running and I turn the starter all I get is a click. However, when I turn the key when the truck is running, I get the grinding noise. How can that be?!
When the engine is running the battery is at 14+ volts and juice is flowing into it from the alternator.
When the engine is off, the battery voltage is lower and its cranking amps are lower too. Probably enough so to not engage your sticking starter.
Unless you want to fiddle with your dying starter until Kingdom Come, just get another remanufactured job for $110 and be done with it.
Remove the big positive battery cable from the battery and clean it and the terminal. That big mother is the cable that supplies the juice to the starter.
When the engine is off, the battery voltage is lower and its cranking amps are lower too. Probably enough so to not engage your sticking starter.
Unless you want to fiddle with your dying starter until Kingdom Come, just get another remanufactured job for $110 and be done with it.
Remove the big positive battery cable from the battery and clean it and the terminal. That big mother is the cable that supplies the juice to the starter.
When you turn the key if the engine is running (and I'm guessing you mean to the 'start' position ) starter grinds cuz you're causing the starter gear to try and mesh with a MOVING flywheel, and in the process ***ing up both.
There's a starter avail on Amazon that's NEW and around $100 that many people in the 40 section are very happy with, and you get to keep your core to rebuild and have as a backup.
Amazon.com: NEW STARTER MOTOR FITS 88 89 90 91 92 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER 4.0 4.2 028000-8220: Automotive
There's a starter avail on Amazon that's NEW and around $100 that many people in the 40 section are very happy with, and you get to keep your core to rebuild and have as a backup.
Amazon.com: NEW STARTER MOTOR FITS 88 89 90 91 92 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER 4.0 4.2 028000-8220: Automotive
I know this is a fairly old thread and I don't mean to bring it back from the grave, but I'm curious if these starter contact parts will work on 24 volt 12HT starter as well. I'm dealing with the dreaded "click" no start.
My experience? When you get a click it's either the battery or cabling. Failed contacts gets you nothing. Nothing at all.
Well, I replaced one of the batteries last week with a new one and had the second battery tested the same day. Truck started effortlessly since I took ownership almost a year ago and then, just out of the blue, nothing. I'm going back to the truck today with a friend to do some more trouble shooting and I'll definitely take a wire brush and clean up the battery and starter connections as well as grounds. Thanks for your insight.
Thank you. I bought a 1992 FJ80 for my wife to drive in the winter knowing it had a clicking issue sometimes when trying to start. I had a few Ford trucks that used to make a similar clicking noise when their regulators went bad so I assumed it was an easy fix. Found this thread and ordered the parts needed. The removal and install of the starter was the hardest part. I thought I was going to have to heat the garage to do this job, but Saturday it was a nice 39 degrees and sunny. Took my brother and me about an hour and a half to pull the stater, replace the parts and reinstall. It starts right up now without any hesitation. Glad to have this resource for information on how and what to fix.
Mick
Mick
I'm sure it says it somewhere else, but Cruiser Dan has retired 
Well, sort of. He is no longer selling parts. He is the Curator at the Land Cruiser Heritage Museum.I'm sure it says it somewhere else, but Cruiser Dan has retired
The part numbers in the first post are still good - I just got them at Camelback Toyota yesterday. $55 + tax
One post asked where the ground strap connects: lower starter bolt to 12mm bolt on inner side of frame just ahead of starter. Clean the cable terminal ends and frame to ensure low/zero resistance.
One post asked where the ground strap connects: lower starter bolt to 12mm bolt on inner side of frame just ahead of starter. Clean the cable terminal ends and frame to ensure low/zero resistance.
So in the summer of 2017, I noticed my starter will seize when it heat soaks in the heat of summer after being parked for 15-20 minutes, and won't start until it's had a few minutes to cool with the hood up. I'm suspecting this may be because I put the Polyrex on the solenoid/plunger shaft where it was originally manufactured and assembled dry. I'm going to rebuild again next summer with a new plunger and make sure everything's clean and polished like when it was manufactured and reassemble dry. The seizing has been less of an issue for me since I replaced my fading out Optima with a brand new Die Hard Gold, but still happened a handful of times this last summer. IIRC I had posted about this issue before on Mud, but now that I've got some money coming in I'll be able to tackle the issue for good.
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...
Thanks for posting the parts and zcruiser for the walk through!
A heads up for anyone who is looking at this rebuild, don't forget the clip when putting the cover back on. I ended up snapping the bolt that should've held that clip.
What clip?
Oh, you mean the cable hold down clamp. Ok.
Sorry to resurrect the thread, I’ve encountered an issue post-rebuild and am looking for advice.
My ’85 cruiser had intermittent starter problems that I had been solving with what I affectionately dubbed the “Tanzania Tap” (something I learned over there in a different cruiser that always seemed to get touchy whenever there were lions outside, I learned from a local that solution was to grab the nearest rock and tap the starter a few times and it would start working again). I ordered the rebuild parts in this thread (found them at toyotapartsdeal.com, Part No.: 28226-72010, Part No.: 28226-72080, Part No.: 28235-35080) and I did the rebuild once the starter had totally given up and could no longer be coaxed back to life with a rock. It was an easy job (thanks again to this thread!), the part kits were correct and complete, and the old contacts were clearly shot. After replacement the cruiser started right up, and the starter sounded great. I thought I was in the clear.
It started two more times after that on two different days without issue, but then one morning when I turned the key the starter seemed to have trouble turning the engine over, it struggled twice with the first two key turns, and then nothing… the voltage would drop on the meter with the key turned to “Start” but no clicks or any other sounds were made after the first two turns. I already knew it was not the battery (jumping with my wife's truck didn’t solve anything), but a battery swap was on my to-do list anyway so I went ahead swapped that out while I had the hood up (of course it did not help in this case).
I re-read the thread and figured I may not have properly leveled the contacts (Godwin’s post about ensuring the plunger has even contact with both electrodes when fully depressed and turned) so I removed the starter and went through that procedure. When I looked at the new plunger and one of the new contacts there was a single new pitting spot from electrical discharge between the plunger and electrode (I thought this was probably consistent with a poor leveling job). I brushed over the pitting with a brillo pad and reassembled and reinstalled the starter after plunger/contact-leveling. The re-installed starter once again struggled twice to turn over the engine, then nothing, no more sounds when I turn the key to “start”, although once again the voltage drops upon key turn.
I just ordered a remanufactured starter as a “positive control” to rule out wiring or basically anything outside the starter housing, but would love to hear if you have any ideas as to where I screwed up this otherwise easy procedure.
My ’85 cruiser had intermittent starter problems that I had been solving with what I affectionately dubbed the “Tanzania Tap” (something I learned over there in a different cruiser that always seemed to get touchy whenever there were lions outside, I learned from a local that solution was to grab the nearest rock and tap the starter a few times and it would start working again). I ordered the rebuild parts in this thread (found them at toyotapartsdeal.com, Part No.: 28226-72010, Part No.: 28226-72080, Part No.: 28235-35080) and I did the rebuild once the starter had totally given up and could no longer be coaxed back to life with a rock. It was an easy job (thanks again to this thread!), the part kits were correct and complete, and the old contacts were clearly shot. After replacement the cruiser started right up, and the starter sounded great. I thought I was in the clear.
It started two more times after that on two different days without issue, but then one morning when I turned the key the starter seemed to have trouble turning the engine over, it struggled twice with the first two key turns, and then nothing… the voltage would drop on the meter with the key turned to “Start” but no clicks or any other sounds were made after the first two turns. I already knew it was not the battery (jumping with my wife's truck didn’t solve anything), but a battery swap was on my to-do list anyway so I went ahead swapped that out while I had the hood up (of course it did not help in this case).
I re-read the thread and figured I may not have properly leveled the contacts (Godwin’s post about ensuring the plunger has even contact with both electrodes when fully depressed and turned) so I removed the starter and went through that procedure. When I looked at the new plunger and one of the new contacts there was a single new pitting spot from electrical discharge between the plunger and electrode (I thought this was probably consistent with a poor leveling job). I brushed over the pitting with a brillo pad and reassembled and reinstalled the starter after plunger/contact-leveling. The re-installed starter once again struggled twice to turn over the engine, then nothing, no more sounds when I turn the key to “start”, although once again the voltage drops upon key turn.
I just ordered a remanufactured starter as a “positive control” to rule out wiring or basically anything outside the starter housing, but would love to hear if you have any ideas as to where I screwed up this otherwise easy procedure.
