Replaced starter plunger and contacts...Qs? (1 Viewer)

[sjcruiser]

Hi all,

My starter started clicking in the morning and got progressively worse in the last few weeks. With 112K miles on the truck and original starter, I figured my contacts & plunger are done, especially after reading Alvaro's thread.

When I removed the contacts, there was not an insulation paper as indicated in the manual. After cleaning the internal real good using shop towel and Q tips dampened with brake cleaner, I noticed that where the insulation paper is supposed to go, the starter housing at that particular area is fused with some kind of ABS or some kind of insulation materials. Providing that I did not find the insulation paper in my orig. starter, I opted not to install the new one that came with the kit. What did you guys do?

Also, the old contacts and plunger still have approx. 60-70% original thickness, which is no where near worn out at all - makes me wonder why it was clicking before, up to 5 times before it caught (though the truck starts flawlessly on the first try in the last few day with new contacts & plunger). What's your take on this?


Frank.

 

[-Spike-]

I've done a few of these and never found the paper to be MIA. I'd have put it in. I've also always found the contacts to have some thickness to them, but the surface was pitted and rough, and worn at an angle. This would lead me to believe that they were not making a good connection. The new contacts and plunger have always eliminated the problems for me, so I assume it needed to be done. An alternative would be to smooth the surface of the contacts and plunger. I've seen friends straighten the edge of the plunger in a press. To me, the relatively low cost of the parts makes replacement the better route.

-Spike

 

[KliersLC]

I cleaned mine up a bit and bent them upwards to increase the contact pressure, and that worked for 40,000 miles or so. (this was on the now dead 93) Never a no start after the work.

 

[sjcruiser]

I've done a few of these and never found the paper to be MIA. I'd have put it in. I've also always found the contacts to have some thickness to them, but the surface was pitted and rough, and worn at an angle. This would lead me to believe that they were not making a good connection. The new contacts and plunger have always eliminated the problems for me, so I assume it needed to be done. An alternative would be to smooth the surface of the contacts and plunger. I've seen friends straighten the edge of the plunger in a press. To me, the relatively low cost of the parts makes replacement the better route.

-Spike

After reading the repair manual carefully, it seems to indicate the paper insulator is an item for 2.0kW starters. From what I've read on mud, the LXs and later LCs have 1.4kW ones instead. Maybe that's the difference?

One thing that I also noticed is that the replacement plunger look exactly the same as the original one; whereas Alvaro found his to be different I'll look into the pictures on his site to verify.

Thanks guys for clearing that up for me!

Cheers,
Frank.

 

[Scamper]

When I removed the contacts, there was not an insulation paper as indicated in the manual. After cleaning the internal real good using shop towel and Q tips dampened with brake cleaner, I noticed that where the insulation paper is supposed to go, the starter housing at that particular area is fused with some kind of ABS or some kind of insulation materials. Providing that I did not find the insulation paper in my orig. starter, I opted not to install the new one that came with the kit. What did you guys do?

I went with what was in the manual. I actually can't remember what was/was not in the starter....just did what the book of words told me to do. It worked.

Also, the old contacts and plunger still have approx. 60-70% original thickness, which is no where near worn out at all - makes me wonder why it was clicking before, up to 5 times before it caught (though the truck starts flawlessly on the first try in the last few day with new contacts & plunger). What's your take on this?


Frank.

The problem with the contacts is not that they wear "away", but that they develop a depression or groove in them that catches the plunger and holds it in place, resulting in your starter not being able to disengage. Either that, or if you're lucky, you just get the clicking thing.

So you're saying that 30-40% of your contacts have been worn away over time which is about what I saw on mine, and what I've seen on all the other pics of starter contacts posted here. Sounds like you were due.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I have replaced the contacts and plunger in FJ60 starters and FzJ80 starters. They all use the paper insulator. It probably adds a small margin of safety, but it comes with the kit and takes 10 seconds to install. I don't see a downside to using it. Contacts worn 40% away could easily cause problems. The R&R is a no brainer-just do it, and be happy for YEARS. My 80 series has 50k since the contacts were done, I'm going to do it again at the 60K service.